Rosenberg Library offering free genealogy research for Black History Month
Rosenberg Library offering free genealogy research for Black History Month
Each of us has a family history and roots planted by ancestors who got us where we are, but for African Americans tracking that history can be difficult, if not impossible. So for Black History Month, the Rosenberg Library in Galveston is offering to help.
GALVESTON, Texas - Each of us has a family history and roots planted by ancestors who got us where we are, but for African Americans tracking that history can be difficult, if not impossible. So for Black History Month, the Rosenberg Library in Galveston is offering to help.
MORE: FREE Black History events happening every weekend in Houston during February
The Freedman's Bureau will share information on how to research family history and feature discussions on Black History.
According to Genealogist Sharon Gillins, it can be extremely difficult to trace Black ancestry due to thousands of slaves being recorded not as people, but as property.
MORE BLACK HISTORY MONTH COVERAGE
Her own great-grandparents, for example, were actually willed to their enslaver by his father. For this reason, Gillins says descendants owe it to their ancestors to learn their history and share it.
(Photo courtesy of Sharon Gillins)
(Photo courtesy of Sharon Gillins)
The events will be held on the following days:
- Saturday, Feb. 5; 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 12; 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 19; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
There are many free resources online where people can search historic records such as Freedman’s Bureau Archives and FamilySearch.org