Submitted by Phyllis Lane, EdD.
In the late seventies I attended a lecture at University of Puget Sound at which Alex Haley, the author of the seminal best seller Roots, was the guest speaker. He told the story that evening about the journey he took to trace his family roots from the time when his ancestors were captured, enslaved, and sold, as well as how they survived merciless treatment by enslavers. Mr. Haley told us that evening that it was through stories passed down and told by his family, family records, public records, and countless interviews and travels that he began to uncover his family’s, his ancestors’ deep roots. I clearly remember that he encouraged each of us in the audience to pursue our own family roots. I remember thinking, “How could I do such thing … How and where would I start? When would I have the time or resources.”
Over the ensuring years I had some fits and starts, but more “fits” than “starts”! Then, in 2023, Alisha Chang, Program Organizer, invited me to a day-long workshop entitled “A Proud Heritage,” my first exposure to genealogy research. As a participant, I learned that each of us is now the “storyteller” for our families. Throughout the day resources and support available to those of us who want to capture our family story were revealed through Connection Stations staffed by people with in-depth expertise and experience in the field of genealogy. They helped participants set up search accounts and guided me, a genealogy novice, to identify that what might appear to be an insignificant fact, location, name, etc., could be a lead connecting me to MY family Roots. These folks are brilliant! Guest lecturers and genealogists from across the country presented information about best practices, search engines and ideas about how to approach our research for family members living before and after Emancipation. The day was filled with energy as participants shared their family stories. At the close of the day, we were encouraged to continue our search to discover our family history and to use the resources available through both the African American Family Focus Group and Family Search.
I attended the program in 2024 and plan to be there on March 22. This workshop is truly a gift to our community!
Event Info
- Date/Time: Saturday, March 22, 2025, 9 am-2 pm
- Location: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1102 S Pearl St., Tacoma, WA 98465
- Register: Click here.
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