Genealogy Jamboree Ethnic Classes: African American

Once more before the Early-Bird discount closes on May 7, I want to remind everyone of our class schedule for ethnic researchers. I hope that those of you with an interest in this area will hit that Facebook share button and send this information to your genealogy buddies, cousins, and fellow society members. Heck, send it to all your Facebook friends!

This is the first of two posts. This post pertains to the African American track. Tomorrow's post will focus on sessions for Mexican, Irish, German, Scottish and English researchers. Please remember that you can learn something from every session you attend, even if it doesn't exactly "fit" your research plan. Don't cross it off your list just because you think you don't "fit." Everyone "fits."

The Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be held June 7-9, 2013, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank California. Register for Jamboree at www.genealogyjamboree.com.

Timothy N. Pinnick is an accomplished researcher, popular national speaker, and author of the book, Finding and Using African American Newspapers. Pinnick is the author of more than half a dozen articles, including “Using an Extended Research Project to Reconstruct a Community” which appeared in the Association for Professional Genealogists (APG) Quarterly.

In October of 2008, Tim delivered his fifth historical paper at the Western Historical Association conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Past papers were delivered at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Association for African American Historical Research and Preservation, and the Illinois History Conference. For a number of years Pinnick has been part of the prestigious faculty at the summer Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. June of 2012 marked his fourth appearance as part of the teaching cadre in the course “Researching African American Ancestors”.

In November, 2007 Tim was elected to the board of the Association of Professional Genealogists, completing a two year term. Shortly thereafter, he received a two-year appointment to the board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies which ended in December 2011.

FR021 Friday 4:30-6:00pm
Finding and Using African American Newspapers
African American newspapers are an underutilized source, yet they hold the key to solving many research problems, along with providing unprecedented insight into the social activities of black communities, both urban and rural.

SA021 Saturday 11:30am-12:30pm
The WWI Draft Card: Don’t Do Research Without It!
World War I draft registration cards should be analyzed closely as they contain valuable imbedded pieces of information that can become leads in solving genealogical roadblocks.

SU028 Sunday 1:00-2:00pm
And the Church Said Amen! African American Religious Research
Locating information on African American congregations can be frustrating due to the lack of effective record keeping. However there are a variety of records that can help you overcome the lack of record preservation at the local level.

Angela Walton-Raji is known nationally for her online genealogy presence; her research and work on Oklahoma Native American records; and her African American genealogy experience. Her book, Black Indian Genealogy Research is the only book of its kind focusing on the unique record set found within the Dawes Records.

As a founding member of AfriGeneas.com, Ms. Walton-Raji is also a genealogist specializing in information for beginners, via daily and weekly online genealogy chats on AfriGeneas. As host of a weekly genealogy podcast, a number of instructional videos and as an expert consultant on video documentaries, she combines her skills as a genealogist with a warm on-camera personality that brings comfort to her viewers through and her instructional videos on YouTube, while providing them with useful information.

Beyond her public appearances, she hosts three blogs, a 10-year ongoing message board, three websites, and the only weekly podcast devoted to African American genealogy. Her comfort with language and her skills in writing make her well known and respected in the genealogy community.

FR008 Friday 1:30-2:30pm
Documenting American Indian Families in 20th Century Records
This workshop features methods of documenting American Indian and blended families in 20th century records. Focus is on Federal and Indian Records.

SA019 Saturday 10:00-11:00am
Finding and Documenting Community History Through Records of the U.S. Colored Troops
From cemeteries to the National Archives, the development of post Civil War communities are reflected in the histories of black soldiers buried throughout the nation. Local history is revealed through the records that remain.

SA040 Saturday 3:30-4:30pm
Documenting the First Days of Freedom
How did “freedom” come to the family? This story is missing in many black family histories. However, Civil War records often hold the key to unlock the first days and, in many cases, the first moments of freedom.

SA049 Saturday 5:00-6:00pm
From AfriGeneas to Social Media:
An Overview to African American Genealogy Online Resources
This session will explore online sites, databases and communities for novices and professionals who research African American family history.

In 1985, Nicka Smith became intrigued with a family tree that was prepared by her first cousin once removed. In 1999, she discovered that her cousin’s work had not been updated and decided to continue his efforts. The result was AtlasFamily.org, and its affiliate websites, which have served as an outlet for family members to discover their lineage and for the family’s research team to share their findings with the family and the world.

In 14 years, Nicka has lead efforts that have traced the lineage of nine generations and over 2,200 people (living and dead) in more than 20 states and four countries. Nicka’s efforts have also lead the family back to their earliest traceable ancestor’s count of origin where they met two chiefs of the ancestral tribe, the Bamileke, of Cameroon.

Nicka lectures and mentors both young and old on genealogical search techniques and has become an expert resource for genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area and for sharing genealogy with youth. She currently serves as the project manager for the Alameda County Ancestral Project in which she leads efforts to teach more than 300 elementary, high school and at-risk youth the value of researching their family history. She is the chair of the Outreach and Education Committee of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, a board member of the California Genealogical Society. She is also an accomplished communications professional and photographer.

FR013 Friday 3:00-4:00pm
Using Genealogy and DNA to Connect Back to Africa
Through traditional genealogy and DNA, many African Americans have been able to trace their ancestry back to their African country of origin. Learn the tips and tricks needed do the same and what’s needed to visit your ancestral homeland.

SA036 Saturday 2:00-3:00pm
More than 3/5th’s: Myths and Truths About Slavery in the U.S.
This history of the “peculiar institution” of slavery in the United States is complex. Learn about the myths, truths, and in-betweens that existed during a major part of U.S. history.