ATLANTA — The Archives of Georgia and the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the African American Genealogical and Historical Society will present the African American History and Genealogy Event February 2-4. The three-day event will focus on the issue of African Americans in Georgia, with an emphasis on education, history and genealogy.
On February 2, the event will feature speakers who will discuss African American education in Georgia.
From 9:30-10:30 am, Collection Archivist Tamika Strong will present “Road to Desegregation: An Overview of Georgia’s Response.” Strong will provide an overview of information collected and presented in a series of workshops and presentations over the past year as part of a National Endowment for the Arts grant awarded to the Archives of Georgia for their “Georgia Response to Desegregation” programming. .
From 10:45-11:45 am, Madelyn Nix and Doris Thomas will present “A Moment in Time: A Discussion on School Desegregation.” Both Atlanta natives, Nix and Thomas will share firsthand accounts of their experiences with segregated and integrated schools during the time Georgia was working to desegregate schools.
On February 3, speakers will discuss African American history in Georgia.
From 9:30 to 10:30 am, award-winning author and historian Velma Maia Fann will present “Mamie George Williams: Getting Everything of Career Value.” Fann will speak about her investigation into Mamie George Williams, the first woman to represent Georgia in a Republican National Convention and the first African-American woman to serve on the Republican National Committee.
From 10:45-11:45 am, DeKalb County Executive Director Michael Thurmond will present “African Americans in Georgia: An Overview History.” A Clarke County native and award-winning author of “Freedom: Georgia’s Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865,” Thurmond will explore the history of African Americans in Georgia.
The series will feature two-track presentations on African-American genealogy in Georgia during the February 4 session.
Track 1: Basics of African-American genealogy. This one-day workshop is designed to introduce participants to the basic principles and methodology of African American genealogy and will cover initial steps, locating resources, documenting and evaluating records, and creating timelines.
The last session of the workshop will offer attendees the opportunity to work one-on-one with AAHGS members to receive hands-on assistance with their research. Space is limited. Use this link to register for Track 1 by January 28: https://forms.office.com/r/t91xXa4Tp6.
Track 2: African American genealogy in Georgia.
From 9:30-10:30 am, Collection Archivist Tamika Strong will present “Resources for Tracing Your African American Roots in the Georgia Archives.” Strong, an avid researcher and presenter, will share the resources available in the Georgia Archives that can be used to trace a family’s roots.
From 10:45 to 11:45 am, genealogist Doris Posey will present “Analysis and Evaluation of Your Research Papers.” A researcher with more than 25 years of research experience, Posey will share tips on how to analyze and evaluate documents found during genealogy research.
1-2 p.m. AAHGS: Metro Atlanta Chapter President Tammy Ozier will present “Georgia Enslaved Ancestors Research.” Ozier will share tips and techniques for researching enslaved ancestors that she learned during more than 20 years of tracing her own ancestors back to the mid-18th century.
From 2:15-3:15 pm, genealogists Janice Bryant and Stephanie Powers will present “Using DNA to Enhance African American Research.” Facilitators from the AAHGS-DNA Special Interest Group will share how researchers can use DNA results to enhance and complement their desk research.
A companion exhibit, “Treasures from the Vaults: African American History in Georgia” will be open for viewing. Closes on March 18.
This event is sponsored in large part by a grant from the Clayton County Tourism Authority.
The Archives of Georgia is a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The Archives of Georgia identifies, collects, manages, preserves, provides access to, and publicizes records and information about Georgia and its people, and assists state and local government agencies with the management of their records.
