Shows
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettBlack Ancestries- A New Model for African Descended Genealogy with Andre KearnsIn this episode of Ancestors Footprints, host Bernice Bennett welcomes marketing executive turned genealogist Andre Kearns, Founder and CEO of Black Ancestries(https://blackancestries.com/), a company that provides professional genealogy research to help people of African connect with their past. Andre shares how a career pivot became a calling: to uncover, celebrate, and preserve, the lost lineages of people of African descent. Through his innovative approach, blending research expertise, historical context, and emotional storytelling, Andre is building a new model for Black genealogy. He reflects on his own family discoveries, the emotional journeys of his clients, and how tracing l...
2025-09-1037 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Trouble of Color: An American Family Memoir with Martha S. JonesThe Trouble of Color: An American Family MemoirMartha S. Jones grew up feeling her Black identity was obvious to all who saw her. But weeks into college, a Black Studies classmate challenged Jones’s right to speak. Suspicious of the color of her skin and the texture of her hair, he confronted her with a question that inspired a lifetime of introspection: “Who do you think you are?” Now a prizewinning scholar of Black history, Jones delves into her family’s past for answers to that very question in The Trouble of Color: An American Family M...
2025-06-0533 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettIn My Ancestors’ Footsteps From Adgateville to Africa with Patricia Glover-HowardIn My Ancestors’ Footsteps: DNA, Documents, and DescendantsFrom Adgateville to AfricaJoin Patricia Glover-Howard on a personal journey to trace her ancestors from Adgateville, Jasper County, Georgia, to Africa. At the age of 13, the movie Roots ignited her passion for uncovering her family’s history. Years later, a DNA test revealed long-lost ancestral ties, leading her to connect with cousins across generations and continents. Through DNA, documents, and descendants, Patricia’s discoveries have deepened her connection to her roots and inspired her to teach others how to uncover their own family histories. Along t...
2025-04-2938 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Life and Legacy of Dr. Matilda Evans with Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr."The Life and Legacy of Dr. Matilda Evans, South Carolina's first African American woman licensed to practice medicine" The show will discuss the research and remarkable life of Dr. Matilda Evans, the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina.Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr. obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. In 2018, he established Renaissance Publications LLC, a self-publishing venture dedicated to producing works that highlight African American history through the lens of ancestry.Become a supporter of...
2025-04-0726 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Legacy of Malery Quitman Wells: Perserverance, Character and Hope with Nicole L. WellsThe Legacy of Malery Quitman Wells: Perserverance, Character and HopeThe life story of a Black Homesteader in MississippiThe descendants of Malery Quitman Wells are proud of his legacy and contributions to American history. His perseverance, courage, and astuteness are an illustration of how human resiliency lives on and is our rich heritage. Although Quitman was born a slave, he survived Mississippi during the difficulties of the Civil War and despite the odds went on to become a landowner and successful businessman defending his rights and paving...
2025-03-2733 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettMoses Williams (1776-1830), his Family & Gradual Emancipation with Dr. Ellen Fernandez-SaccoMoses Williams (1776-1830), his Family & Gradual EmancipationMoses Williams (1776-1830) was the first Black museum professional. Both he and his family went through various states of unfreedom, structured by the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780. My recent article reconstructs three generations of his family's genealogy and takes a closer look at how the indentures authorized by the 1780 Act affected the family. Dr. Ellen Fernandez-Sacco is a genealogist and independent scholar who writes on the transition from enslavement to emancipation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Puerto Rico and the US. Wi...
2025-03-2416 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettWritten in the Waters- A Memoir with Tara RobertsWritten in the Waters: A Conversation with National Geographic Explorer in Residence Tara Roberts Join Tara Roberts, National Geographic Explorer in Residence, for an unforgettable evening as she discusses her powerful memoir, Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging.A National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Tara Roberts spent the last few years following, diving with, and telling stories about a group of Black scuba divers as they search for slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into a six-part, National Geographic–produced narrative podcast called "Into the Depths," as well as...
2025-03-2042 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettConfessions of a Black Academic with Dr. Alvin J. SchexniderConfessions of a Black Academic: A MemoirThis compelling memoir chronicles a higher education career that spans more than four decades. Dr. Schexnider’s college years ran parallel to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War—both of which shaped his life and career in profound ways. He also explores the evolution of public policy, from affirmative action and equal employment opportunity (AA/EEO) to today’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Additionally, the book examines the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining Black faculty and staff, concluding with a thought-provoking look at the...
2025-03-1333 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettEconomy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood with Fatima ShaikBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.
2025-03-0740 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettAfter the Release of The Family Tree: A Lynching in Georgia with Karen BrananKaren Branan will share the many twists and turns her work for racial justice has taken since the book’s release in 2016. This includes meeting and building relationships with Black and White cousins she’d never known of, joining the movement for Lynching Remembrance and Reparations, and working with others to do the kind of research she did for her book. Karen Branan is a long-time investigative reporter and documentary filmmaker whose book The Family Tree: A Lynching in Georgia, A Legacy of Secrets, and My Search for the Truth, caused James Cone, renowned author of The Cross and the Lync...
2025-03-0439 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettBefore Jim Crow: America's Slave Codes & Black Laws with Victoria RobinsonIt is essential when attempting to trace enslaved ancestors that one become familiar with the laws of each pertinent state or territory regarding the institution of slavery. Without such a survey of the laws, valuable information can often be overlooked. Knowledge of laws and their associated records can alert the researcher to more obscure sources of information.Victoria Robinson is an experienced genealogist who, while growing up in Utah, started tracing her family history. After graduating Georgetown University, she continued to be curious of mind and passionate about genealogy. Combining these traits, she also works to help others di...
2025-02-2431 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe GulfsideAssemblyStory with Leonard Smith lllThe Gulfside Assembly Story Documentary: A Beacon of Hope and Unity The Gulfside Assembly Story is a powerful and evocative documentary that chronicles the rich history and enduring legacy of Gulfside Assembly, a historic retreat founded in 1923 by Bishop Robert Elijah Jones in Waveland, Mississippi. Against the backdrop of segregation and racial injustice, Gulfside Assembly became a sanctuary for African Americans, offering spiritual renewal, educational opportunities, and a safe place for community and recreation. The documentary traces the origins of Gulfside Assembly, born from Bishop Jones's visionary leadership and commitment t...
2025-02-1616 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettReason to Fight with Hiram JohnsonThis podcast is about an extraordinary story of persistence, loss, and discovery. It's a story about a buried family secret, the search for truth, and the emotional journey of reclaiming one woman's place in history.Hiram Johnson, is a researcher who has spent years piecing together his family's story, one that took him from oral history, dusty archives, DNA test, all the way to a prison where his grandmother's life changed forever.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.
2025-02-1621 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettBORN MISSIONARY: THE ISLAY WALDEN STORY with Margo Lee WilliamsIn 1879, Islay Walden, born enslaved and visually impaired, returned to North Carolina after a twelve-year odyssey in search of an education. It was a journey that would take him from emancipation in Randolph County, North Carolina to Washington, D. C., where he earned a teaching degree from Howard University, then to the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, in New Jersey. Along the way, he published two volumes of poetry and founded two schools for African American children. Once ordained, he returned Randolph County, where he founded a Congregational church (Strieby Church) and common school. Despite an early death at age forty, he...
2025-02-1628 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettIncidents of A Slavery and Plantation Interpreter with Ja'el GordonBeing an African American woman researching and working on plantations, Ja'el often gets the question: why work at a place with such an horrific history? There are no slave costumes or reenactments for her; this is real life. Whether she is being interrogated to see if she is teaching the watered down version or being met with the unspoken hope that she actually will water it down; every single encounter is unique. Nothing will ever stop Ja'el from researching and providing the life stories of the enslaved with dignity and facts. As a historian, she revisits this type of trauma by c...
2025-02-1640 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettBlack Homesteaders - Margo Lee Williams, Orice Jenkins, Dr. Shelley MurphyDid your ancestors own land under the Homestead Act of 1862? Join the Descendants of African American Homesteaders to hear about their research and land-owning ancestor's stories. Margo Lee Williams is the great-granddaughter of Florida Homesteader, Randel Farnell and his wife, Sallie Jacobs Farnell. Williams is an award-winning author and genealogist/family historian, having published three books. She is currently the Deputy Registrar for the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP), and a former editor of the Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. She is currently the Project Historian for the Historical Black Families of...
2025-02-1545 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettCelebrating Ten Years of Broadcasting with Bernice Alexander BennettJoin hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak on It! to celebrate 10 years of broadcasting on Research at the National Archives and Beyond with Bernice Alexander Bennett. Bernice Alexander Bennett is an award-winning author, genealogist, nationally recognized guest speaker, storyteller, and producer-host of the popular Research at the National Archives and Beyond BlogTalkRadio program. She is also the first recipient of the Ida B. Wells Service Award given by the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage for her dedication to broadcast stories about enslaved and indentured ancestors of African descent. She also received the Elizabeth Clark-Lewis Afro-American Historical and G...
2021-08-0625 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettBound to History: Leoncia Lasalle's Slave Narrative with Ellen Fernandez-SaccoBound to History: Leoncia Lasalle's Slave Narrative from Moca, Puerto Rico, 1945 Dr. Fernandez-Sacco's recent article is about interviews, enslavement, testimony, and the communities involved in a 1945 interview by the historian Luis Diaz Soler with Leoncia Lassalle then 112 years old, and her 85-year old daughter, Juana Rodriguez Lasalle's experiences under bondage. Fernandez-Sacco offers a context for the account, traces their family history, considers the multiple contexts for this narrative, the limits on archives, and how historical knowledge is made as we do genealogy that engages slavery & life post-emancipation. The need for a collaborative genealogical practice has never been so necessary. Dr. El...
2021-06-1027 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettDatabases For Family History Research of Enslaved People with Sasha MitchellYou researched your family back to the county where they were living right after enslavement; located white people in the community with the same surnames and found wills associated with their family. In addition, you may also (or instead) utilize DNA information to lead you to a specific family that held enslaved people. You have done the work of finding records of people and sometimes families linked to a place or maybe two places in time but there is no centralized or searchable place for us to leave those records for others. This discussion will focus on: • Records that are kept at t...
2021-04-2933 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettShort Subject Journaling with DearMYRTLE (Pat Richley-Erickson)Myrt has stress-free ideas for sharing family history discoveries one story at a time, using a single photo, document, heirloom or historical tidbit. It starts with a 15-minute brainstorming session. DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of genealogy blogger Pat Richley-Erickson also known for hosting genealogy webinars and Zoom “how-to” sessions, with over 1,300 videos on her YouTube channel. She began online genealogy work in 1985 with Q-Link, progressed to PC-Link then America Online’s Genealogy Forum She serves as President of the Association of Professional Genealogists Second Life Chapter. You’ll find Myrt online at Blog.DearMYRTLE.com where she has lately b...
2021-04-1533 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettFinding Empowerment on the Family Tree: The Story of Mammy with Gaynell BradyJoin Gaynell Brady, owner and educator at Our Mammy’s for a discussion about the legacy and fallacies of mammy. Genealogy remembers all of our ancestors, not just the most famous or free people. In 2013, Our Mammy's was created to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to take care of others. The company was named Our Mammy’s to reclaim the name Mammy, and to emphasize to others that a Mammy was much more than just a name. Mammy cared for generations of plantation owners, laborers, and enslaved Africans and African Americans. Mammy's strength, courage, wisdom, and tenacity...
2021-04-0838 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettReframing Narratives of Enslaver Research with Adrienne FikesDifficult truths about slavery, racial injustice, and other harm, bring up a variety of emotions and challenges for genealogy researchers and families. Adrienne Fikes wants us to reframe the narrative about the descendants of enslaved persons and enslavers gathering together to heal. This shift in perspective allows us to stand firm in our deepest truth; have consistent access to unspeakable joy; and develop the deep roots and bubble wrap we need to stay in this principled struggle to understand each other, while addressing the structural issues continuing these wrongs. How many of your 16 great-great-grandparents can you call by name? After a random t...
2021-03-2540 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Oldest Among U.S., The Elders of the Trask 250 with Nicka Sewell SmithFrom Sago and Fatima, Randall and Esther, to Moosa and Katy, learn the ancestral story of the Trask 250 from the vantage point of the oldest traceable ancestors who unite them, those who were born in the late 18th century, mostly in Africa, with descendants who number more than 5,000. Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, and reverse genealogy, and is expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, and researching enslaved communities. Nicka has diverse and varied experience i...
2021-03-1843 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettUSCT Pension Records and Genealogy Tell a Community’s Story with Tina JonesTina Jones research journey began in 2000 when she began working with the local senior citizens - many of whom were residents of two historically African American neighborhoods in Franklin, Tennessee. Franklin was the site of a significant Civil War battle and is the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee. Several historic homes operate as museums and significant local attention is paid to the community’s Civil War history. The genealogy program with 50 senior citizens soon had constructed dozens of family trees - many intersecting. She started compiling any information she could find about the experiences of enslaved people in Williamson Count...
2021-03-0434 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettFuneral Programs Tell the Community Story with Dr. Antoinette HarrellFuneral Programs serve as a wonderful legacy and memento to remember a cherished love one. These programs are given at funerals and are written with great care to honor the dearly departed. This show will discuss the genealogical value of Funeral Programs and how genealogist/family historians can partner with funeral homes, churches and others to gather, organize and compile these programs to tell the community story. Dr. Antoinette Harrell, is a renowned genealogist, author and local historian specializing in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes of Louisiana. Her books include several children's genealogy activity books and the first ever publication "Images of...
2021-02-1828 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettUncovering the Story about Jordon B. Noble with Alex Trapps-ChabalaJordan Bankston Noble, commonly known as the Drummer Boy of New Orleans was easily one of the Reconstruction era's most prominent Black men, known internationally for his military and musical career. From childhood, Jordan was enslaved and ordered to enlist in the Battle of New Orleans, Seminole, Mexican American, and Civil Wars. He was sold at least 6 times, raised a family, and spent at least 60 years of his life as a Free Man of Color. Despite all of this, his story is still not well known by the public and what has been written about him has largely been falsified. I...
2021-02-1137 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettUsing Narrative Inquiry in Family History with Walter Curry Jr., Ed.DA narrative is an oral or written account of events or experiences. While there is no mainstream research design in family history, narrative inquiry is a research method that uses oral accounts, photos, obituaries, newspaper articles, and other forms of artifacts and contextualization, as units of analysis to research and interpretation to understand the way relatives create meaning in their lives as narratives. The show will share with listeners how to incorporate narrative inquiry to research family history. Dr. Curry will provide examples of narrative inquiry from his award winning book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories From the Past (1830-1960...
2021-02-0429 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettDid My Ancestor Crash the 1855 Fusion (Republican) Convention? Kathy MarshallKathy Lynne Marshall’s most endearing tale of heroism was about her three times great-grandmother, Margaret Booker, and the grisly reason she left Beverly, West Virginia, with her young children in tow, for freedom in Barnesville, Ohio. Imagine Marshall’s surprise when an 1855 newspaper article connected Margaret’s possible father, Edward “Ned” Backus, to the Fusion (aka Republican) Convention in Ravenna, Ohio. After many unsuccessful attempts to free his wife and children, Ned’s lawyer suggested he seek legal and financial assistance at the convention. What was it like for a newly freed man traveling 150 miles from the slave state of Virginia t...
2021-01-2835 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Daughter Dialogues podcast with Reisha RaneyThe Daughter Dialogues podcast shares real-life stories from women of color who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The host, Reisha Raney, a leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. She is exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the...
2021-01-2140 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettMapping Miles from the Antebellum South to Freedom with Tanisha L. WatsonA Ruse, A Railroad, A River - Mapping Miles from the Antebellum South to Freedom Fearlessness and the clever escape from enslavement taken by Miles Eason, 3x Great Grandfather who used the Civil War as ruse for escape, inevitably breaking the color barriers of the Coal Mining boom of Philadelphia. Tanisha is content creator and microblogger behind Ancestral Bequest, a bespoke and inclusive community that is dedicated to genealogical exchange and education. Penned by her peers as The Rebel Genealogist™️, she is driven to tell compelling stories of the lives of her ancestors beyond the databases they’re often confined to. We ha...
2021-01-0743 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettGo Tell It On the Mountain: Rev. W.J. Hightower with James Morgan lllWhile researching his grandfather, James Morgan learned a lot about unique records of the AME church that enabled him to learn more about his and others' family histories! He will share his findings with us! James R. Morgan III is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Africana Studies in 2011. He is currently employed with the United States Department of State and serves as a Curatorial Consultant with the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC. James is an active Prince Hall Freemason and as such he...
2020-11-0547 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettPreserving Sites of Power, Prestige, and Significance with Dr. Joy G. KinardListeners will be able to learn the beliefs and ideals from Dr. Joy G. Kinard a historian who has worked in African American History and Historic Preservation for over 20 years and whose family has been involved for over 70 years. This show will share with listeners a different perspective on preserving African American History in their neighborhoods with municipal development on the rise all over the nation, African American historic sites are left vulnerable and are being demolished that need to be saved. Kinard will discuss examples of wins and losses in this battle using community activism, advocacy, and new trends...
2020-10-2947 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettUsing Multiple Sources to Find Your Family’s “Kunta Kinte” with Jerome SpearsAs a Family Historian and DNA Data Manager, Jerome has had the opportunity to use his family’s oral history, coupled with an extensive collection of DNA results, a well-maintained family tree and modern research resources/tools to bridge the gap between African-American persons on this side of the Atlantic Ocean with their distant cousins (in Africa). All available resources have to be brought to bear (including using: Sibling Summation techniques, various DNA testing company’s data holdings, GEDmatch and DNA Painter to successfully find distant DNA matches in Nigeria and Senegal using these methods. Finding your family’s Kunta Kinte is rew...
2020-10-2245 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettCenter for Healing and Racial Trauma with Dr. Candice Nicole HargonsLearn about the Center for Healing Racial Trauma with Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons. Intervention: The Center for Healing Racial Trauma is dedicated to using love, liberation, equity, and creativity informed therapeutic interventions to help racially/ethnically marginalized people heal from racism. Prevention: The Center for Healing Racial Trauma additionally provides continuing education and training for mental health, education, business, religious, and medical professionals, and we engage in and support activist work, to create an anti-racist world. Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons is an award-winning assistant professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sex, social justice, and lea...
2020-10-0142 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettFreedmen of the Frontier - Vols. 1 and 2 with Angela Walton-RajiAngela Walton-Raji is known nationally for her research and work on Oklahoma Native American records. Her book Black Indian Genealogy Research, African Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes, is the only book of its kind focusing on the unique record sets pertaining to the Oklahoma Freedmen. Angela has published two volumes called Freedmen of the Frontier from a blogging project that unfolded in 2017. The goal was to document 52 families from Indian Territory in 52 weeks.By the end of that year, 52 family histories had been placed on the African-Native American Genealogy blog. The families covered in the books are Indian tribal Fre...
2020-09-2451 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettNancy & William Syphax - From Slavery to Freedom with Steve HammondA Denver, Colorado native, Mr. Stephen Hammond is a retired federal employee having spent his entire 40-year career as an earth scientist with the United States Geological Survey. He is now a Scientist Emeritus with the agency. Steve has now swapped his full-time geology work for genealogy and family history research. It is a hobby he’s had since he was in grade school. His goals are to educate and inspire others to document their own family history. He is a 7th generation member of the Syphax family of Washington, DC; a line that moved by force to New Orleans an...
2020-09-1746 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettFinding Female Ancestors When Few Clues Exist with Viola BaskervilleTelling Her Story: Finding Female Ancestors When Few Clues Exist” Viola Osborne Baskerville is a Richmond native who has been tracing several lines of her own family history for over thirty years. Brief sketches about three family matriarchs led her on a hunt to find out more about them. Ms. Baskerville is a member of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), Greater Richmond VA Chapter as well as a member of ASALH, Richmond Chapter. She received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa, College of Law. As a publi...
2020-09-1042 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettAn 1829 Slave Bill of Sale & A Question with Janice Cross-GilyardHow an 1829 Slave Bill of Sale & A Question Connects Janice Cross-Gilyard to her 5th Great-Grandmother, Willoughby McWhite. Janice Cross-Gilyard will share how a segment from the PBS Show – The History Detectives has impacted her genealogy research. Jeanie Hans (From Wichita, Kansas) found a box of her grandfather’s possessions. Among some books and old gun manuals, she found a disturbing document: an 1829 ‘Bill of Sale’ for the purchase of a 17-year old “negro girl” named Willoby. Jeanie wants to know more about this young girl. Jeanie asks host Eduardo Pagan to find out what happened to Willoby. (Source: PBS Program – The History Det...
2020-09-0338 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettFinding Calvin with Renate Yarborough SandersRenate began seriously researching her paternal Yarborough line in 1997, after the death of her father. She learned that the progenitor of this line,her great-grandfather, Calvin, had been enslaved in North Carolina for the first 25 years of his life, and that during that time, he had multiple owners. Renate shares Calvin's slavery story on numerous platforms - at workshops and conferences, on webinars, and through her blog, "Into the LIGHT;" and is still working continuously to uncover more details of his life, both before and after emancipation. Renate Yarborough Sanders has been formally engaged in genealogy research for 23 years. She is...
2020-08-2749 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettOne Branch Many Discoveries with Adrienne AbiodunAdrienne Abiodun is a professional genealogist located outside of Tampa, Florida. Combined, her personal and professional genealogical pursuits span nearly two decades, fourteen years of which have been in the exploration of genetic genealogy. She is a member of the Florida Genealogical Society, and a handful of lineage societies which include: Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW), Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP) which she serves on the board for and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) where she is presently the National Vice Chair for the NSDAR DNA Network Committee and State...
2020-08-2043 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettRunaway Slave Ads of Edgefield County with Jerome A. GainesThis is a collection of runaway slave ads from Edgefield county, South Carolina. Edgefield split into multiple counties, Aiken county being one. The ads cover the 1830s-1860s. Get a different side of slavery, the side we’re not really taught about. About those who weren’t gonna stay in bondage and got away. Jerome A. Gaines, born and raised in Aiken county, South Carolina. At a young age, his Sweet grandmother would tell him little bits and pieces about their family. About 7 years ago he had the urge to conduct research and was able to get back pretty far in h...
2020-08-1330 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettQuick Start Writing Your Ancestor's Stories with Kathy Lynne MarshallAre you worried that you’ve been collecting ancestral information for years but haven’t done anything with it? In 2016, Kathy Lynne Marshall, 60, felt the mandate from her ancestors to write their stories NOW. She finally figured out a quick-start method for taking the hints and tips from African American genealogists, family lore, and DNA results to write three books in three years, winning three book awards in the process. She will share her method for determining which book to write, how to get started, and how to finish strong, to leave a written legacy for your family. Encouraging others bring...
2020-07-2849 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Moses Williams Project with Brian SheffeyJoin Brian Sheffey for a discussion of the research behind the Moses Williams Project where he will discuss the numerous repositories and databases accessed in the course of researching his life to-date. Brian Sheffey has expertise in Genetic Genealogy, mid-Atlantic & Southern genealogical research, with an emphasis on the intersection of white, black, and Native American genealogy. He has used his research knowledge to solve cases of unknown parentage from Colonial America to the present day utilizing DNA and paper trail evidence. He has deep ancestral roots in colonial Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, as well as the early Kentucky and Tenn...
2020-07-1642 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettNorth Carolina Free People of Color, 1715-1885 with Warren Eugene Milteer Jr.North Carolina’s Free People of Color, 1715–1885 Warren Eugene Milteer Jr. examines the lives of free persons categorized by their communities as negroes, mulattoes, mustees, Indians,mixed-bloods, or simply free people of color. From the colonial period through Reconstruction, lawmakers passed legislation that curbed the rights and privileges of these non-enslaved residents, from prohibiting their testimony against whites to barring them from the ballot box. While such laws suggest that most white North Carolinians desired to limit the freedoms and civil liberties enjoyed by free people of color, Milteer reveals that the two groups often interacted—praying together, working the same land, a...
2020-06-2545 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettDescendants of the Enslaved Laborers Who Built UVA -Dr. Shelley MurphyHidden in Plain Site: Researching for the Descendants of the Enslaved Laborers who built UVA Dr. Shelley Murphy was hired to conduct genealogical research for descendants of the enslaved laborers who helped to build the University of Virginia. This six month position presented challenges in conducting slave era research. She expected brick walls and set goals that would be consistent with her limited research time. Being familiar with the laws, she knew that she had to stay local for the best resources and follow the money, land, water, community and the faith of the people. Over 10 years ago, a group of UVA...
2020-06-1146 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettDNA, Oral History, Enslaved Ancestral Couple with LaBrenda Garrett-NelsonHave you considered the role DNA might play in corroborating the oral history of your family? LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG®, CGL(SM), is a trustee and President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She earned a BA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and both a Law degree and a Master of Laws degree from the New York University School of Law. After working as a corporate tax attorney for thirty-five years, she retired from a partner-level position at Ernst & Young in 2013 and turned her attention to her longtime avocation of Genealogy. S...
2020-06-0449 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Henry McNeal Turner Project with Dr. Andre E. JohnsonLearn about the digital humanities project dedicated to the writings and study of Bishop Henry Mcneal Turner. Andre E. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Media Studies in the Department of Communication & Film at the University of Memphis. He teaches classes in African American Public Address, Rhetoric, Race, Religion, and Interracial Communication. Dr. Johnson is the founding director of the Henry McNeal Turner Project—a digital humanities project dedicated to the writings and study of Bishop Turner. In addition, he has published two monographs on the life and legacy of Bishop Turner. The first one “The Forgotten Prophet: Bishop...
2020-05-2843 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettA Family’s Journey to Freedom with John Baker Jr.John F. Baker Jr. is the author of The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Family’s Journey to Freedom published by Simon & Schuster(2010). Baker tells the story of his ancestors, who were enslaved on Wessyngton Plantation owned by the Washington family as well as the story of the hundreds of other African Americans connected with the plantation for more than two centuries. It is a story of family, faith, and community. Baker has managed to create groundbreaking research in African American history and American history. He uses historical records to trace genealogy such as Slave bills of sale, Freedme...
2020-05-2041 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettNever Say Never! with Dorris Keeven-Franke and Keith WinsteadNever say Never! Discovering the Untold Story of Archer Alexander Keith Winstead of Louisville, Kentucky sent Dorris Keeven-Franke a message in October of 2018 inquiring about a post on Archer Alexander and Muhammad Ali. Neither imagined the journey of discovery that lay ahead. Winstead, a third cousin of Ali, and a great great-great-grandson of Archer Alexander, had spent the past 30 years researching his family history and had just discovered the family connection through DNA. That journey has taken them all the way from St. Charles, Missouri where Keeven-Franke lives to Washington DC to stand at the Emancipation Memorial, where Archer portrays the...
2020-05-1339 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettDescendants of Slaves & Slave Holders Sharing Records - Cheri Hudson PasseyWhat would it look and feel like if the descendant of an enslaved ancestor and descendant of slave holder would collaborate to share family records? Cheri Hudson Passey is a Professional Genealogist, Instructor, Writer, and Speaker and the owner of Carolina Girl Genealogy, LLC which provides research services as well as instruction and coaching through her Genealogy 1-on-1 classes. Cheri is the host of the genealogy chat show GenFriends seen on YouTube and is a genealogical researcher, subcontracted by Eagle Investigative Services, Inc., for the US Army Past Conflict Repatriations Branch. Cheri enjoys volunteering and serving the genealogy community. She is...
2020-05-1240 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettOvercoming False Assumptions to Find My 4th Great Grandmother - Lisa LissonA false assumption in the genealogy research process led to years of being unable to find out who my 4th great-grandmother really was. An accidental discovery in a courthouse basement led to her true identity. Learn how to think outside of the genealogy research box to find the female ancestors hiding in the family tree. As a genealogy researcher and creator of the Are You My Cousin? blog, Lisa Lisson takes the overwhelm out of genealogy research and keeps researchers moving forward finding their ancestors. Whether researching ancestors alongside clients or writing how-to articles and books, Lisa uses her 12 years...
2020-05-0834 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe View From My Seat - Commentary with Linda NanceThe View from My Seat - Commentary presented by the Annie Malone Historical Society discussing the Netflix Miniseries - Self-Made. Linda Nance is currently the Founding President of the Annie Malone Historical Society. As the previous Director of Resources for the Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center, she annually coordinated activities involving five different fundraising events, opened two cafes, secured Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credits, and conducted a successful Challenge Grant campaign.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.
2020-05-0734 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett"Why You Can't Find Your Ancestors?" with Tony BurroughsHave you wondered why you can't find your ancestors? Tony Burroughs will explore reasons why you are having problems finding your ancestors. Tony Burroughs is founder and CEO of the Center for Black Genealogy. He is an internationally known genealogist who taught genealogy at Chicago State University for fifteen years. Burroughs researched Olympic Gold Medal sprint champion Michael Johnson’s family history and consulted on the Smokey Robinson genealogy, the Oprah Winfrey genealogy, Reverend Al Sharpton-Strom Thurmond genealogy, African American Lives2, Who Do You Think You Are, The Real Family of Jesus and consulted with Chicago Public Schools, New York Public S...
2020-05-061h 04
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettMy Patriot Ancestor and Our Path to the DAR - Barbara Ricard LandixBarbara Ricard Landix is a native of New Orleans and a recently inducted member into the Pleasant Run Chapter, NSDAR of Texas DAR. Barbara will share her journey to become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution based upon her seventh generation grandfather Pierre Belly. Barbara is a charter member of The Louisiana Creole Research Association, Inc., known as LA Creole, that was founded on August 21, 2004 as a New Orleans-based, non-profit family research and educational organization. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.
2020-04-3054 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Forced Migration from Bertie County,NC to Madison,MS with Freddi EvansIn 1820, exactly two hundred years ago, with the signing of The Treaty of Doak’s Stand, more than five million acres of Choctaw ancestral land in what is now Madison, County, MS was ceded to the United States. As a result, white planters flocked to the area forcing thousands of enslaved black people to migrate with them often leaving family members behind. A number of those planters originated in Bertie County, NC including John Johnston, who migrated there in 1820 and brought with him his body servant, who was her third paternal great grandfather, an enslaved man named March. Other planters fr...
2020-04-2825 minAncestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettSo You Have Some Brick Walls - Get Over it! with Dr. Shelley MurphyJoin Dr. Shelley Murphy for a discussion about the challenges we face when researching African American ancestry. Shelley will share her experiences with brick walls and some ways that might help you combat some of the brick walls we all have and will face. For some, the words “So What?” seem like a curt reply to a simple question. For Shelley Murphy, however, they are the driving force behind her genealogy research and her high-energy presentations. Known affectionately as “familytreegirl”. More than thirty years later, Shelley has become a genealogy force to be reckoned with. She is a co-founder and faculty fo...
2020-04-2128 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettAlmost Disappeared: Unearthing My Family History with Alvin BlakesAlmost Disappeared: Unearthing My Family History is a blog that will primarily share genealogical resources and methodology, and add a new voice to those who feel they have been chosen to call the names of their ancestors and tell their stories. Alvin Blakes is a lifelong organizer and community worker who has been researching African history since he was a teenager, and has traveled to Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and all over the United States to pursue his studies. For over 20 years, he has researched his family’s history from Woodville, Wilkinson County Mississippi, back to the late 1700s in th...
2020-04-2027 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettFinding Angela, Finding Myself with Nichelle SmithIn 2018, Nichelle Smith started researching 1619 and the story of the first enslaved Africans to land in the Virginia colony. She became fascinated by a woman named Angela, the only African woman listed by name in the colony's 1625 muster. Four hundred years later, her resilience and survival is so remarkable that Angela was the subject of a recent archaeological dig at Historic Jamestown. Nichelle wanted to walk her path and tell her story. Little did she know that she would have to go all the way to the interior of Angola to do it. Two months after that reporting trip to Angol...
2020-04-1742 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettSelf Made with A'Lelia BundlesSelf Made is Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker. A’Lelia Bundles is the author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, the 2001 New York Times Notable Book about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother. Renamed Self Made for the 2020 edition, this biography is the inspiration for the four-part Netflix series starring Oscar winner Octavia Spencer that premiered on March 20. Ms. Bundles is at work on her fifth book, The Joy Goddess of Harlem: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, about her great-grandmother whose parties, arts patronage and international travels helped define the er...
2020-04-1637 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettThe Archive Lady - Melissa BarkerJoin Melissa Barker for a conversation about archiving and preserving records. Melissa Barker is a Certified Archives Manager and Public Historian currently working at the Houston County, Tennessee Archives. She lectures, teaches and writes about the genealogy research process, researching in archives and records preservation. She conducts virtual webinar presentations across the United States for genealogical and historical societies. She writes a popular blog entitled A Genealogist in the Archives and is a well known Book Reviewer for the FGS Magazine FORUM and Utah Genealogical Association Magazine Crossroads. She writes a bi-weekly advice column entitled The Archive Lady published at Ab...
2020-04-1623 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettArrival of the First Africans in Virginia with Ric MurphyRic Murphy is an educator, historian, lecturer and award-winning author. He has served as board chair of several organizations and on numerous additional national and local not-for-profit boards. His achievements also includes serving as the National Vice President for the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Association Ric's new publication the Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia is coming out in June (History Press, 2020) and The Legacy of theFirst Africans in Virginia (History Press, 2021). He is a descendant and born to write the true story about the arrival of the first documented Africans to arrive in English North America in 1619.
2020-04-0714 min
Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander BennettAround the World with Supergirl - Denise L. BennettA travel video series chronicling Denise’s many adventures around the world. From her 1st international trip to Moscow at 14 to her most recent journey to Ghana, Denise shares her love of international travel with a dose of geography, Black history, travel hacks, and humor. Current episodes include Fiji, Ghana, Cartagena, and Bermuda with many more to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZiRT133JwBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.
2020-04-0415 min