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Black History Revealed

Getting Started with African American Genealogy

Uncover your ancestral roots in this all-day, interactive genealogy workshop as part of DC Public Library's 'Our City, Our Stories' program series and to celebrate Black History Month!

Uncover your ancestral roots in this all-day, interactive genealogy workshop as part of the DC Public Library's 'Our City, Our Stories' program series and to celebrate Black History Month! Designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike, this program will equip you with the tools and knowledge to dive into your family history and connect with your heritage. Join us for engaging presentations, hands-on activities, and the opportunity to connect with experts and fellow attendees. Let’s celebrate Black history together, one story at a time.

Our City, Our Stories is a series that will feature informative programs about local government and governance and educate residents on how they can be involved in the process, while also presenting cultural programs featuring authors, artists, and subject matter experts from Washington, DC.

Black History Revealed will take place in the auditorium located on the 5th Floor of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library. Drop in for a session or two or stay all day.  Registration is encouraged, but not required. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your roots and celebrate the richness of Black history.

Workshop Schedule:

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM: Check-in and Welcome
Take your seat and get ready to dive in as you meet the workshop presenters, connect with fellow participants, and review the day's agenda.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM: Why Genealogy Matters
Presentation
Discover the motivations behind genealogy and its importance in uncovering African American heritage. Explore inspiring stories and learn how tracing your family’s past can empower your present and future.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Getting Started with Genealogy: Four Steps to Uncovering Your Family History
Interactive Session
Learn the fundamentals of family tree building. Our experts will guide you through starting your tree, gathering vital records, leveraging oral histories, and leveraging DNA testing.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch Break
Enjoy a break to refuel and network with fellow attendees.

1:00 PM - 2:45 PM: 10 Essential Tools for Tracing African American Ancestry
Workshop
Discover the top 10 essential resources for African American genealogy, with an in-depth guide on who they cover, what they reveal, where to find them, and why they’re invaluable, featuring examples from historical newspapers to vital records and Freedman’s Bureau archives.

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM: Exploring Local Resources
Presentation
Discover the genealogy resources available at DC Public Library, including archives, databases, and research guides tailored to African American history.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Lightning Round Q&A and Closing Remarks
Interactive Session
Wrap up the day by addressing your burning genealogy questions in a fast-paced Q&A session or participate in a focused mini-workshop based on attendee interest.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

  Andre Kearns is a native Washingtonian, accomplished genealogist, writer, and speaker dedicated to uncovering and sharing the rich histories of his ancestors, with a focus on enslaved and free people of color in Virginia and the Carolinas. 

 Andre serves as a Director at Large for the National Genealogical Society, where he chairs the Development Committee. He is also a charter member of the Society of the First African   Families in English America, a member of the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, and an active member of the DC Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. 

 A sought-after speaker, Andre has presented at prominent events such as RootsTech, the African American Historical and Genealogical Society Conference, and delivered the keynote address   at the 2022 National Genealogical Society Family History Conference. His engaging lectures inspire audiences to delve deeper into their heritage to uncover history and inspiration in their   family tree. 

 Andre’s publications include multiple articles in the Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society and his forthcoming book, Finding Cornerstone Stories: Drawing   Inspiration from Your Family’s History. His work has been featured in USA Today, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and WTOP News, enriching public understanding of genealogy with his insightful   perspectives. 

 In addition to his written work, Andre has appeared on popular podcasts such as Conversations with Kenyatta and Genealogy Adventures Live, reaching diverse audiences and inspiring them to connect with their ancestry. His own genealogical journey, including his participation in BYUtv’s Relative Race, reflects his passion for making genealogy accessible, transformative, and deeply personal. 

Andre holds degrees from Morehouse College and Harvard Business School, blending rigorous research with heartfelt storytelling to make genealogy both accessible and inspiring for everyone. 

Andre lives in Washington DC with his wife and two sons.

Lisa Fanning, an Indiana native and former DC transplant, is a genealogist, genetic genealogist, and family historian who has spent the past 30 years unraveling the rich tapestry of her family's American history in the South and Midwest. Fueled by a lifelong passion for discovery, her research delves into the histories of enslavement and migration in middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia. She has also explored Tri-Racial Isolate communities in North Carolina, free African American settlements in southern Indiana, and the extraordinary journey of the Anderson family, emancipated in 1712 in Norfolk, VA. Lisa is proud to be the 8th great-granddaughter of Kate Anderson, the matriarch of the Anderson family, who was born in 1670.

Lisa is also a genetic genealogist who volunteers her expertise for groundbreaking initiatives such as the DNA Doe Project, the Tulsa Race Massacre DNA Identification Project, and the DNA Search Squad, using DNA and genealogy research to help identify the unidentified. She is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the National Genealogical Society and serves on the leadership team of the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI). Lisa has delivered numerous presentations on her family history and contributed as a genealogy consultant for Before the Bulldozers: Historic Southwest D.C. Exposed. Her work has been featured on WOIO/Cleveland 19’s Unidentified television program, and she participated as a panelist in a national PBS virtual event for Season Ten of Finding Your Roots.

Beyond her contributions to genealogy, Lisa is an award-winning artist with a distinguished professional career spanning three decades. She has been a driving force in diversifying the U.S. workforce by building educational and career pathways for underrepresented groups in international affairs, higher education, and healthcare. Lisa holds a B.A. in French and an M.A. in Intercultural Communication, specializing in French language and culture. She currently serves as the Director of Multicultural Access, Success, and Outreach at the Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech).

 Tyrone Goodwyn’s mother was a Jacobs.  Her family started as Angolan servants on Eastern Shore Virginia in mid-1600s and moved to southeast NC as free people of color by mid-1700s.   There, they were Revolutionary War patriots and foundational to free communities along the south and Midwest. 

 His father’s line hailed from central Virginia, Dinwiddie County.  His 2024 research tied father’s grandmother to one of a set of Indigenous American girls who were stolen from South Carolina   and enslaved in Dinwiddie around 1700.

 Born and raised in Tidewater Virginia, Mr. Goodwyn is a graduate of The College of William and Mary, Old Dominion University, and George Mason University. His degrees are in Marketing, and   Information Systems.

 Retired from Telecomm IT leadership, he is currently working with Colonial Williamsburg and Custis museums identifying the persons enslaved by the Custis/George Washington/Robert E. Lee   family dynasty, from 1600s Eastern Shore to 1800s Mt. Vernon and Washington DC.  To further that work, he founded the Gabriel Jacobs EPOCH Initiative in the History department of Old   Dominion University, where he directs two history interns.

 He is the Vice President of the North Carolina Genealogy Society, and a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Virginia Genealogical Society. He is also a member of the DC and   the Hampton Roads chapters of African American Historical & Genealogical Society; and the League of the Descendants of the Enslaved of Mount Vernon.

With his cousins Luke Alexander and Kevin Graham, he speaks across NC and SC on free men of color who created America via Revolutionary War service. Dozens were Jacobs and their kin. Hundreds fought, overall.
 

 Luke Alexander is a genealogist and community historian focusing on African-American and Indigenous heritage in the Carolinas. He has ancestry from several of the earliest recorded   families of African origin in America, along with being of direct descent from the Lumbee, Waccamaw and Cape Fear Native-American nations.

 Luke serves as vice-president of the Benjamin and Edith Spaulding Descendants Foundation, Inc. engaged in philanthropic activities in his ancestral hometown Farmers Union, NC.   Additionally, Luke currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Genealogical Society. Luke is also an inducted member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR)   with lineage from his 4th great-grandfather William (Loughry) Lowry (1758-1847), a patriot ancestor of the Lumbee and Tuscarora communities of Robeson County, NC.

 Luke has provided historical commentary on-air for WECT News, the NBC affiliate in Wilmington, NC. With co-author Andre Kearns, Luke was published in the Afro-American Historical   and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Journal (2020) and the inaugural SOFAFEA Journal (2022) with articles on their shared ancestor Emanuel Cumbo, a free man of Angolan descent who   owned land near Jamestown, Virginia circa 1667. Luke is also an administrator of DNA research projects with Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) and GEDmatch.

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