Uncover your ancestral roots in this all-d ay\, interactive genealogy workshop as part of the DC Public Library's 'Ou r City\, Our Stories' program series and to celebrate Black History Month! Designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike\, this program will equip yo u with the tools and knowledge to dive into your family history and connec t with your heritage. Join us for engaging presentations\, hands-on activi ties\, and the opportunity to connect with experts and fellow attendees. L et&rsquo\;s celebrate Black history together\, one story at a time.
\n< p>Our City\, Our Stories is a series that will feature informative program s about local government and governance and educate residents on how they can be involved in the process\, while also presenting cultural programs f eaturing authors\, artists\, and \;subject matter experts from Washing ton\, DC.\nBlack History Revealed will take place in the auditorium located on the 5th Floor of the Martin Luther King\, Jr.\, Memorial Libra ry. Drop in for a session or two or stay all day. \;Registration is e ncouraged\, but not required. Don&rsquo\;t miss this opportunity to connec t with your roots and celebrate the richness of Black history.
\n9:30 AM - 9:45 AM: Chec
k-in and Welcome
Take your seat and get ready to dive in as
you meet the workshop presenters\, connect with fellow participants\, and
review the day's agenda.
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM: Why Genealogy
Matters
Presentation
Discover the motivations
behind genealogy and its importance in uncovering African American herita
ge. Explore inspiring stories and learn how tracing your family&rsquo\;s p
ast can empower your present and future.
10:30 AM - 12:00
PM: Getting Started with Genealogy: Four Steps to Uncovering Your Family H
istory
Interactive Session
Learn the fundament
als of family tree building. Our experts will guide you through starting y
our tree\, gathering vital records\, leveraging oral histories\, and lever
aging DNA testing.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break
Enjoy a break to refuel and network with fellow attendees.
1:00 PM - 2:45 PM: 10 Essential Tools for Tracing African American
Ancestry
Workshop
Discover the top 10 essenti
al resources for African American genealogy\, with an in-depth guide on wh
o they cover\, what they reveal\, where to find them\, and why they&rsquo\
;re invaluable\, featuring examples from historical newspapers to vital re
cords and Freedman&rsquo\;s Bureau archives.
2:45 PM - 3:0
0 PM: Exploring Local Resources
Presentation
D
iscover the genealogy resources available at DC Public Library\, including
archives\, databases\, and research guides tailored to African American h
istory.
3:00 PM &ndash\; 4:00 PM: Lightning Round Q&\;A
and Closing Remarks
Interactive Session
Wrap
up the day by addressing your burning genealogy questions in a fast-paced
Q&\;A session or participate in a focused mini-workshop based on attend
ee interest.
Andre Kearns \;is a native Washingtonian\, accomplished genealogist\
, writer\, and speaker dedicated to uncovering and sharing the rich histor
ies of his ancestors\, with a focus on enslaved and free people of color i
n Virginia and the \;Carolinas. \;
\;Andre serves as a Director at Large for the National Genealog ical Society\, where he chairs the Development Committee. He is also a cha rter member of the Society of the First African \; \;Families in English America\, a member \;of the Sons and Daughters of the United S tates Middle Passage\, and an active member of the DC Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. \;
\n&n bsp\;A sought-after speaker\, Andre has presented at prominent events such as RootsTech\, the African American Historical and Genealogical Society C onference\, and delivered the keynote address \; \;at the 2022 Na tional Genealogical Society Family History Conference. His engaging lectur es inspire audiences to delve deeper into their heritage to uncover histor y and inspiration in their \; \;family tree. \;
\n< p> \;Andre&rsquo\;s publications include multipl e articles in the \;Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Geneal ogical Society \;and his forthcoming book\, \;Finding Cornerst one Stories: Drawing \; \;Inspiration from Your Family&rsquo\;s H istory. His work has been featured in \;USA Today\, \;The Phi ladelphia Inquirer\, and \;WTOP News\, enriching public understanding of genealogy with his insightful \; \;perspectives. \; \n\;In addition to his written work\, An dre has appeared on popular podcasts such as \;Conversations with Keny atta \;and \;Genealogy Adventures Live\, reaching diverse audience s and inspiring them to connect with their ancestry. His own genealogical journey\, including his participation in BYUtv&rsquo\;s \;Relative Rac e\, reflects his passion for making genealogy accessible\, transformative\ , and deeply personal. \;
\nAndre h olds degrees from Morehouse College and Harvard Business School\, blending rigorous research with heartfelt storytelling to make genealogy both acce ssible and inspiring for everyone. \;
\nAndre lives in Washington DC with his wife and two sons.
\n\n
Lisa Fanning\, an Indiana native and f
ormer DC transplant\, is a genealogist\, genetic genealogist\, and family
historian who has spent the past 30 years unraveling the rich tapestry of
her family's American history in the South and Midwest. Fueled by a lifelo
ng passion for discovery\, her research delves into the histories of ensla
vement and migration in middle Tennessee\, Kentucky\, and Georgia. She has
also explored Tri-Racial Isolate communities in North Carolina\, free Afr
ican American settlements in southern Indiana\, and the extraordinary jour
ney of the Anderson family\, emancipated in 1712 in Norfolk\, VA. Lisa is
proud to be the 8th great-granddaughter of Kate Anderson\, the matriarch o
f the Anderson family\, who was born in 1670.
Lisa is also a genet ic genealogist who volunteers her expertise for groundbreaking initiatives such as the DNA Doe Project\, the Tulsa Race Massacre DNA Identification Project\, and the DNA Search Squad\, using DNA and genealogy research to h elp identify the unidentified. She is an elected member of the Board of Di rectors of the National Genealogical Society and serves on the leadership team of the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI). Lisa has delivered numerous presentations on her family history and contributed as a genealogy consultant for Before the Bulldozers: Historic Southwest D.C. Exposed. Her work has been featured on WOIO/Cleveland 19&rsquo\;s Unident ified television program\, and she participated as a panelist in a nationa l PBS virtual event for Season Ten of Finding Your Roots.
\nBeyond h er contributions to genealogy\, Lisa is an award-winning artist with a dis tinguished professional career spanning three decades. She has been a driv ing force in diversifying the U.S. workforce by building educational and c areer pathways for underrepresented groups in international affairs\, high er education\, and healthcare. Lisa holds a B.A. in French and an M.A. in Intercultural Communication\, specializing in French language and culture. She currently serves as the Director of Multicultural Access\, Success\, and Outreach at the Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech).
\n< p>
\;Tyrone Goodwyn&rsquo\;s \;mother was a Jacob
s. \; Her family started as Angolan servants on Eastern Shore Virginia
in mid-1600s and moved to southeast NC as free people of color by mid-170
0s. \; \;There\, they were Revolutionary War patriots and foundat
ional to free communities along the south and Midwest. \;\n&nbs p\;His father&rsquo\;s line hailed from central Virginia\, Dinwiddie Count y. \; His 2024 research tied father&rsquo\;s grandmother to one of a s et of Indigenous American girls who were stolen from South Carolina \; \;and enslaved in Dinwiddie around 1700.
\n\;Born and rai sed in Tidewater Virginia\, Mr. Goodwyn is a graduate of The College of Wi lliam and Mary\, Old Dominion University\, and George Mason University. Hi s degrees are in Marketing\, and \; \;Information Systems.
\n< p> \;Retired from Telecomm IT leadership\, he is currently working wit h Colonial Williamsburg and Custis museums identifying the persons enslave d by the Custis/George Washington/Robert E. Lee \; \;family dynas ty\, from 1600s Eastern Shore to 1800s Mt. Vernon and Washington DC. \ ; To further that work\, he founded the Gabriel Jacobs EPOCH Initiative in the History department of Old \; \;Dominion University\, where h e directs two history interns.\n\;He is the Vice President of the North Carolina Genealogy Society\, and a member of the National Geneal ogical Society and the Virginia Genealogical Society. He is also a member of the DC and \; \;the Hampton Roads chapters of African American Historical &\; Genealogical Society\; and the League of the Descendant s of the Enslaved of Mount Vernon.
\nWith his cousins Luke Alexander
and Kevin Graham\, he speaks across NC and SC on free men of color who cr
eated America via Revolutionary War service. Dozens were Jacobs and their
kin. Hundreds fought\, overall.
\;
\;Luke \;Alexa
nder \;is a genealogist and community historian focusing on African-Am
erican and Indigenous heritage in the Carolinas. He has ancestry from seve
ral of the earliest recorded \; \;families of African origin in A
merica\, along with being of direct descent from the Lumbee\, Waccamaw and
Cape Fear Native-American nations.
\;Luke \;serves as vi ce-president of the Benjamin and Edith Spaulding Descendants Foundation\, Inc. engaged in philanthropic activities in his ancestral hometown Farmers Union\, NC. \; \;Additionally\, \;Luke \;currently serve s on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Genealogical Society.&nb sp\;Luke \;is also an inducted member of the Sons of the American Revo lution (SAR) \; \;with lineage from his 4th great-grandfather Wil liam (Loughry) Lowry (1758-1847)\, a patriot ancestor of the Lumbee and Tu scarora communities of Robeson County\, NC.
\n\;Luke \;has provided historical commentary on-air for WECT News\, the NBC affiliate in Wilmington\, NC. With co-author Andre Kearns\, \;Luke \;was publi shed in the Afro-American Historical \; \;and Genealogical Societ y (AAHGS) Journal (2020) and the inaugural SOFAFEA Journal (2022) with art icles on their shared ancestor Emanuel Cumbo\, a free man of Angolan desce nt who \; \;owned land near Jamestown\, Virginia circa 1667. \;Luke \;is also an administrator of DNA research projects with Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) and GEDmatch.
\nhttps://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/1 2767745 URL;VALUE=URI:https://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/12767745 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/dclibrary/Genealogy.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR