Family history can be a double-edged sword. In this unique program, our two author-panelists, Lee Hawkins and Martha Jones, will reveal how gaining knowledge of their family’s past and Black history in America became, first, a necessity and, finally, a powerful and productive force in their lives. Don’t miss hearing about their family history research, its impact on their lives, and how they and their families move forward.

Inspired by a stained-glass window dedicated to his grandmother in the Atlanta church where his family had prayed for generations, American historian David Levering Lewis vowed to excavate the past and tell his family’s story. Now, the National Humanities Medal recipient and two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize reckons with his legacy in full.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we present this remarkable collection of historical poetry: Frank X Walker reimagines the experience of Black Civil War soldiers who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation. He also brings to life his own ancestors who, among so many others, fought for freedom.

Join our featured author and a guest historian-expert for an insightful discussion of Nat Turner, Black Prophet, a bold reinterpretation of the causes and legacy of Nat Turner's rebellion. This new, definitive account offers a fresh look at Black history.

In this enlightening personal account, a man steeped in our country’s history and myths tells the story of his groundbreaking Slave Dwelling project—his surprising mission to sleep overnight in former slave dwellings that still stand across the United States. His account reveals the fascinating history behind these sites and sheds light on larger issues of race in America.

Most famously, people used the Underground Railroad to escape the bonds of slavery, but other enslaved people turned to legal channels through “freedom suits,” paid for self-manumission. Join 10 Million Names Volunteer Coordinator Danielle Rose to learn about the many invaluable collections of historical records that provide accounts (sometimes firsthand) of formerly enslaved individuals.

Louisiana has a unique cultural history that has shaped its available record sets, and published resources are essential for genealogists navigating family history research in the state. There are treasure troves of resources including parish records and histories, genealogies, and published records relating to land, tax, military, enslavement, and more.

Join us on an unforgettable genealogical quest – an author’s exploration of her family and its history, brought to life in Benjamin Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations of an American Family, named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker. Don’t miss Rachel Webster’s presentation and conversation with historian Kendra Field about her experience connecting with relatives across lines of color, culture, and time.

There are at least 44 million descendants of enslaved individuals living today, but slavery separated families, erased names, and obscured facts. Hear from Dr. Vincent Brown, Dr. Kendra Field, and Dr. Kerri Greenidge, members of the 10 Million Names scholars council, as they share histories and legacies of slavery in New England, the ongoing research of the 10 Million Names project, and ways to get involved.

Slavery in New England played a significant role in the region's early history. Cities like Boston and Newport were important ports for the transatlantic slave trade, with ships bringing enslaved Africans to be sold throughout the colonies. Join 10 Million Names Volunteer Coordinator Danielle Rose to learn more about the history of slavery and emancipation in New England, what records exist that detail the names and stories of these enslaved Africans, and strategies to help work through common research hurdles will also be discussed.

In this groundbreaking account, journalist, author, and professor Rachel L. Swarns follows one family through nearly two centuries of indentured servitude and enslavement to uncover the harrowing origin story of the Catholic Church in the United States. Through the saga of the Mahoney family, she demonstrates how slavery fueled the growth of the American Catholic Church and shines a light on the enslaved people whose forced labor helped to build the largest denomination in the nation.

By the conclusion of the American Civil War, an estimated 179,000 Black men had served in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 in the Navy. In this online lecture, Researcher Jonathan Hill will provide an overview of the records and tools that can be used to uncover the stories of Black Civil War veterans.

There are at least 44 million descendants of enslaved African Americans alive today, but slavery separated families, erased names, and obscured facts. The 10 Million Names Project, recently launched by American Ancestors and its partners, aims to restore their family stories to history.

Researcher Danielle Rose will provide a brief history of Black soldiers during the Revolutionary War and their motivations for joining either side, and discuss strategies for researching the stories of Black soldiers during the Revolution.

Hear about the dramatic story of W. E. B. Du Bois's reckoning with the betrayal of Black soldiers during World War I—and gain a new understanding of that era, and of one of the great twentieth-century writers.

Hear about historian David Waldstreicher's new biography of the celebrated poet Phillis Wheatley, whose extraordinary work set African American literature at the heart of the American Revolution.

Join civil rights expert Matthew Delmont for a discussion of his new work, which reveals the long-overlooked experiences of Black soldiers during World War II.

Join author Kerri Greenridge in-person or online, as she reveals the history of legendary abolitionists Sarah and Angeline Grimke and their lesser-known Black family members.

Combining her own scholarship with personal and intimate reflection, Annette Gordon-Reed's new work On Juneteenth explores the history and complex public significance of this national holiday.

Uncovering enslaved ancestors prior to the end of slavery in 1870 can prove challenging. This session will dive deep into creating a research strategy and organizing records found.

This online lecture will highlight useful collections for researching African American ancestors including court and account records, local histories, original manuscripts, rare documents, and more.

Learn about researching your ancestors from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana and get tips and solutions for getting ahead.

The history of whaling as an industry has been well-told in books, but few have shared the stories of whaling’s leaders of color, including those who joined the whaling industry as an alternative to life on the mainland and, especially, slavery.

Plymouth’s Mayflower families have been well-studied, but the biographies of the Black men, women, and children who were enslaved by those families and their descendants are vastly under-represented in historical research.

In this groundbreaking and essential debut work, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the stories of the women who raised and shaped three remarkable, heroic Americans: Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

Why do Americans tend to separate their dead along communal lines rooted in faith, race, ethnicity, or social standing? Join us for a presentation by Dr. Kami Fletcher and Dr. Allan Amanik, editors of the anthology Till Death do us Part: American Ethnic Cemeteries as Borders Uncrossed (University Press of Mississippi/Jackson, 2020).

This comprehensive and historic biography paints an unprecedented portrait of Malcolm X, setting him against the larger backdrop of American history.

Say I’m Dead unwinds the secrets and explores the experiences of a mixed race family in 20th century America.

Author Gretchen Sorin and Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Deputy Director of the The National Museum of African American History and Culture discuss Sorin’s new book and upcoming PBS documentary by Ric Burns, “Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights.”