Eye on Africa: Bringing Genealogy Research Into Focus for African-Americans

DNA testing and online resources have added new dimensions to genealogy research among African-Americans. So have television shows like Finding Your  Roots on PBS and NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?

And yet, experts say exploring one’s family tree is not only a matter of technology. Karin Berry, a Philadelphia journalist, teaches classes on the subject. She says exploring your ancestry begins with conversations and documents.

TVC: The advances in DNA testing have gotten a lot of people excited about learning more about their roots. But, you advise a low-tech approach to start with; basically, talking to your family members. Can you tell us more about how to go about that?

Berry: The very first move you should make when beginning your family research is to find out the names of your family members and where they lived. The best source is the oldest or most knowledgeable family member who can tell you who your grandparents, great-grandparents and other relatives were. Aim to find out where they lived, the state and the county, so you can start researching in those locations.

Ask about events instead of dates, because most of us can’t remember things like what year we were in the first grade, but we may remember going to elementary school with our cousins or how we met our spouse. Take notes. You may want to record your interview on video. Start searching the U.S. Census, beginning with the newly released 1940 Census, which is available for free online. Millions of people who are alive now were alive in 1940.

Once you identify your relatives, then you can move on to DNA testing.

TVC: We live in an era where the words “scandal” and “shame” have lost a lot of their punch. Still, our family members may have some lingering qualms about airing what they might consider “dirty laundry” in the family history. How can we broach delicate subjects with our loved ones?

Berry: I struggle with this in my research. I haven’t come up with a solution that satisfies me. I have discovered several family secrets, most through looking at records. Two secrets were told to me by family members.

The dilemma for me is whether to record the “correct” version of relationships, or to go with what the record says. I attended a seminar about it years ago, and the moderator’s stance was that they should be written down for the record.

None of my family secrets are recorded in my genealogy software. But I agree with the panelist: There should be a record.

But I can’t bring myself to write them down! I haven’t talked to anyone about what I’ve been told or have discovered.

I have discussed this issue with other researchers. Their experience is that most people don’t want to discuss family secrets, no matter what the pressure, or the person in question is dead. So for most of us it isn’t even at the point where the subject can be introduced.

TVC: I think many African-Americans assume public records will be inaccurate or incomplete, especially as we go back further into the books. Or, they may find the prospect of sifting through old documents a bit daunting. Can you demystify this process for us?

Berry: African-Americans can easily search for family members in every census starting with the 1870 Census, the first one conducted after Emancipation. All African-Americans are included in subsequent censuses (1870-1940). Free African-Americans are counted in the 1790-1860 Censuses.

However, when starting your research, African-Americans should be aware of several obstacles.

My main rule is: Don’t assume anything. Don’t assume that if the record says “white,” that the person was white; that laws prohibiting certain legal transactions for slaves (marriage, land ownership) were adhered to and check local customs; that your ancestor was a slave.

Above all, don’t assume that black people won’t be in a record, especially vital records (marriage, death, birth). I was intimidated at the prospect of breaching that 1870 Census barrier — where was everyone in 1869?

I decided to check marriage records in Caswell County, N.C., between 1865-1866 (the end of the Civil War) and 1870, figuring that African-American marriages would be included with the county’s marriage registers. I was right. The records of African-American marriages were integrated with the other marriages, although the brides and grooms were identified as “Col.” for “colored,” and later, as Negro. Actually, this helps to identify the right people. I found a great-great aunt I didn’t know about, from her marriage record, which identified her parents.

• We may not be included in indexes, so try to find the actual public record instead. (Using the original record instead of the index is the best idea anyway.)
• Check the “back of the book” — some records are segregated by race, so look for the “Colored,” “Negro” or “mulatto” sections.
• Check county records that were created according to race: cohabitation registers (created after the Civil War by Southern states for former slaves to record their long-term relationships, since slaves weren’t allowed to marry, voter lists (men-only, of course), freedmen records (some counties required African-Americans and mixed-race citizens to register when they moved to a county), and school registers.
• Use city directories (they are like the phone book but without telephone numbers). They are an excellent source for researching black people between Censuses. I have found my family members identified as African-American — usually marked “(Col.)” or “(c).”
• Many directories list occupations and identify wives. For example, I found my great-great grandmother in the Springfield, Ohio, directory identified as “wid. of Bedford Enoch,” and my great-grandmother’s name included with her husband’s: “Alex Long, 515 Dibert, grinder, (Minnie).”

Researching slave ancestors is a major challenge. Before you start, research where slaves appear in state, county and local documents. The major records to use are tax lists, wills and deeds. I like to check exactly what records are available before a research trip so I won’t waste time looking at the wrong records.

TVC: There are many new tools online to help us research our ancestry. Which ones do you recommend for people who may not be tech-savvy?

Berry: If you can type in a website address and hit Enter, you’re good to go. There are genealogy apps for smartphones, and you can use GPS to search for cemeteries.

TVC: What happens when you reach a dead end or a stumbling block? This is where many folks may want to give up. What’s your advice?

Berry: I read every “brick wall” article I can get my hands on to get a different approach. I re-read my notes a lot. I have discovered information I didn’t remember I had. I create timelines and include every event in an ancestor’s life. This helps me to focus.

Even so, I still have a lot of brick walls.

Above all, Berry advises: “Don’t give up on researching your family. Remember that the key is finding people in documents.” She recommends the websites Afrigeneas.com, ccharity.com and cyndislist.com to scour the Internet for updated records on African-Americans. There are several ongoing projects that are making documents about us available online.

Learn more:

• Read Berry’s column on getting started at TheRoot.com
• 23andme.com
• Ancestry.com
• AfricanAncestry.com

TheVillageCelebration.com contributor Holly Edgell is also a genealogy buff. Read about her roots in this post on her blog.