HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — Connecting to your family roots is what the I am Black History: A 4-part Series on Researching Your Genealogy is all about.
A local cultural organization has teamed up with the High Point Museum to help people who are looking to connect the missing pieces of their family tree.
“There’s a lot of emotional stuff there that I don’t think a lot of people realize that they may deal with once they start that process of trying to find out who they are and where they came from,” said Phyllis Bridges, CEO of Yalik’s African American Art & Cultural Movement.
For many Black people, knowing exactly where their ancestors are from is hard to find even with resources like Ancestry.com and 23andMe.
“So much of it has been lost, never documented and, of course, 1870…was the first time we were part of the census, so that’s huge right there to make it back that far,” Bridges said.
That’s why Bridges, local historian and genealogy scholar, presented the idea to the museum this Black History Month.
They’re hosting a virtual four-part series focused on genealogy and how to find those missing pieces of your family puzzle.
“You don’t have to be afraid because I think some people might be afraid of what they may find. Just have that courage because it can be a life-or-death manner,” Bridges said.
That was the case for High Point Museum Education Curator Sara Blanchett, who was the first presenter in this series.
“We don’t have the fortune of knowing that we got this medical issue from this parent or this grandparent,” Blanchett said.
Adopted at a young age, Blanchett recently started down the path of genealogy to find out her family’s health history. To her surprise, it went deeper than information on her family’s health.
“It notified me I had a half-brother,” Blanchett explained.
While Blanchett’s experience has been positive, Bridges wants people to understand what you might find comes with an emotional aspect as well.
“If you’re going to go back in the past to search, be prepared, be brave about it. It may be good. It may be bad,” Bridges said.
The series includes ways of utilizing social media to find family members and consultations showing people how to further their genealogy experience.
The interactive event on Feb. 26 allows people to register for time slots where a genealogy coach walks you through how to navigate your journey.
“Bring any information that you might have already gathered. Be ready to prepare to talk about where you’re stuck at. Is it a certain record that you’re looking for? how can you connect with another state to find information?” Bridges said.
The next event is this Saturday at 11 a.m. It will focus on how systems of racism and capitalism have impacted people’s search for family. It is virtual and will be held via zoom.
Click here for more information.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel
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