If you’ve ever been to an American plantation, it doesn’t take long to see the obvious and painful duality of manicured gardens and opulent architecture, alongside crudely built and coarsely bare dwellings that housed the people enslaved there. One can hardly not compare these to visits with ones you might take to a Polish or German concentration camp.

Imagine getting a call that you are related to a freedom fighter from the 18th century. That's what happened to Lisa Shepperson, age 58, who recently learned she is a descendant of Elizabeth Freeman.

“I am so elated about it. It’s such a blessing,” she said, standing next to Freeman's grave in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, this week.

The first identified living descendant of Berkshire County and civil rights icon Elizabeth Freeman was in Sheffield, Massachusetts today on the day that celebrates her successfully suing for freedom from enslavement. WAMC News was there.

For the first time, genealogists have identified a living descendant of Elizabeth Freeman, the first African American woman to win a lawsuit for her freedom in Massachusetts.

‘I didn’t have the words’: Genealogists link woman to Elizabeth Freeman, who helped end slavery in Mass.

Genealogists tracked down a descendant of Elizabeth Freeman, the formerly enslaved woman whose freedom case helped end slavery in Massachusetts.

On August 6, ABC News Live ran a 10 Million Names feature story on ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas. In the piece, Pierre journeys to Jenkins Plantation in West Virginia, where his ancestor was enslaved. The plantation is situated so that his ancestor would have been able to look across the river to Ohio, a free state. Pierre talks with 10 Million Names scholar Vincent Brown about the lives of his ancestors and grapples with the harsh realities and legacy of slavery. This piece also aired on Good Morning America, and other ABC shows, reaching an audience of millions.

In a July 24 interview with New Orleans TV station WWLTV, 10 Million Names Research Director Cynthia Evans discussed the mission and impact of the 10 Million Names project alongside members of the Louisiana chapter of the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS, a 10 MN partner), who make the important point that fascinating stories are just waiting to be found with some genealogical exploration!

In a story that aired July 26, members of the Baltimore chapter of the AHHGS group talked with CBS journalists about their research findings, and what those discoveries mean to them as Black Americans. This story focuses on why it’s so important for Black Americans to journey into the past, and leads with our 10 Million Names partnership with AAHGS.

To mark Juneteenth, ABC News' Linsey Davis shows how the 10 Million Names project has worked to help the descendants of enslaved people trace their ancestry, something many never discover. Dr. Kendra Field and Dr. Kerri Greenidge of the “10 Million Names Project” discuss its important mission to connect descendants of enslaved Americans with their own history.

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10 Million Names is a collaborative organization working to help African Americans learn more about their genealogy and family history. NBC Chicago’s Evrod Cassimy reports.

ABC News’ Linsey Davis goes on a journey, uncovering her family’s history, as part of a partnership with 10 Million Names, and how it connects with the long fight for voting rights in America.

Researching enslaved ancestors can be a challenge. Fortunately, American Ancestors is working hard to recover the names of the millions of people who where enslaved in the United States via the 10 Million Names Project. In this episode, professional genealogist and Director of Research Services Lindsay Fulton speaks about the 10 Million Names Project, its purpose, and how you can get involved.

President and CEO Ryan Woods talks with WBZ's Nichole Davis about the importance of this work, how they're tracking down those whose names have been lost to history, and what you can do to help.

A Boston-based group is trying to track down the names of everyone who was ever enslaved in the U.S. American Ancestors' newest initiative, 10 Million Names, combines the work of historians and genealogists to bring the past to the present.

10 Million Names chief historian Dr. Kendra Field and Founding Director Richard Cellini were interviewed in the latest episode of GBH's Under the Radar with Callie Crossley.

ABC News Correspondent Alex Presha sat down with 10 Million Names historians Dr. Kendra Field and Dr. Vincent Brown to discuss the impact of first-hand accounts, exploring the legacy of slavery through rare and historic audio interviews with formerly enslaved individuals that were recorded in the 1940s and ’70s.

Don't miss the new feature documentary "Roots Recovered: Reclaiming Our Names," produced in partnership with the 10 Million Names Project. It's a challenging genealogical journey to recover the names of enslaved ancestors. A growing number of African Americans are up to the task.

Kelli Cook interviews Dr. Kerri Greenidge, Historian and associate professor at Tuft University and member of the 10 Million Names advisory board, about the importance of this groundbreaking project.

Members of the Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society (FHWGS) in Ypsilanti are working to uncover their family history. The 10 Million Names Project is working to make research like this possible for more Black Americans than ever before.

In this interview, Kendra Field and Richard Cellini discuss how the research of 10 Million Names and use of new innovations in AI technology can help Black Americans uncover lost information about their family legacies.

Inspired by the work of 10 Million Names, co-anchor of Good Morning America Michael Strahan pays a visit to Shankleville, a freedom colony in East Texas founded by his ancestors.

Dr. Kendra Taira Field speaks with guest host Craig LeMoult about the mission of 10 Million Names, and how the project will help millions of African Americans connect to their family histories.

10 Million Names historian Dr. Kendra Taira Field was a guest on Reverend Al Sharpton's MSNBC show "Politics Nation" last Saturday, where she shared important observations African American family history and the 10 Million Names Project.

10 Million Names Project Digs Into History of Black Families. A leading online platform for Black cultural and business news covers 10 Million Names and its mission.

10 Million Names debuted to 3 million viewers around the US on August 2 when this piece ran on Good Morning America, the nation’s most-watched morning news show.

Alabama’s most visited online news site, Alabama.com, highlights 10 Million Names and the more than 250 family history sessions that took place at the National Association of Black Journalists in early August 2023.

Read a profile of 10 Million Names Chief Historian Dr. Kendra Taira Field on Tufts Now, the Tufts University’s daily news platform.