The Ask an Expert series features Q + A’s with people who are experts in a particular field or who have a depth of knowledge around historic preservation. We ask experts a variety of short answer questions and ask for their advice to Black preservation projects and leaders.
Would you be willing to be featured as an expert? Send us an email here.
Q: Introduce yourself! Tell us a little about you. How did you get started in your field? What kind of projects have you worked on?
I grew up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and remember being drawn to genealogy and history at an early age. I devised my own family survey when I was twelve and sent it out to my extended family. Later, working as a historic interpreter and tour guide at various South Carolina historic sites, I found ways to utilize genealogy as a lens for studying history. Many of the projects I’ve worked on have involved reconstructing marginalized communities. I spent more than a decade at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site in Beech Island, SC conducting genealogy for more than 70+ families of African descent and reconstructing the communities they lived in across four plantations and over more than 200 years. I love unearthing the stories that have been hidden or forgotten – they are the most powerful.
Q: What’s your genealogy research superpower? What are you best at?
My genealogy research superpower is utilizing genealogy and history together to help reconstruct communities and show how local and regional history impacted those communities. I’m also good at reading really old, practically indecipherable handwriting!
Q: How does your work in genealogy intersect with preserving African American historic spaces?
Genealogy helps tell the story of how people/families/communities are connected to our historic spaces. On a recent project researching a small community of Black Civil War veterans in Walterboro, SC, I was able to discover that the marriages these out-of-state veterans made to local women led to their families becoming founding members of Hopewell Presbyterian Church – a church that is largely defunct today and with a history that had been lost. Using genealogy to help tell stories like that of Hopewell and its founding families, as well as the community they lived in, have led to being able to reestablish the importance of these communities and their contributions to local history and, in a larger sense, their importance to state and national history as well.
Q: What do African American preservation projects and leaders need to know about genealogy? How is it relevant to them?
Genealogy can help you understand how people are connected to a space over time. It can be powerful for helping research historic homes, churches, cemeteries or businesses which often saw multi-generational use or ownership. But genealogy can also help reconstruct the histories of individuals who helped build or design historic spaces, principals or faculty of schools, founders of historic institutions, etc. A good genealogist can be an invaluable addition to a research team, especially on a project where social history is an important element.
Q: What first steps would you recommend for people who are not professionals in genealogy?
Many libraries may have reference librarians who specialize in genealogy and local history, local history rooms with genealogical and historical resources, as well as free access to online genealogical research sites such as Ancestry.com. You can also begin your own genealogical research for free with non-subscription sites such as FamilySearch.org. You can also search for professional genealogists who may be able to help with your project by reaching out to local genealogical societies, state genealogical societies or searching for certified genealogists through the Association of Professional Genealogists (www.apgen.org).
Q: What is something many people may not realize about your area of work? (a helpful tip, rule, process, or insider knowledge that people new to this type of work might not realize?)
More information is being digitized daily and made available online every year through multiple online repositories. There are many records that have been buried in local libraries, in church basements, in boarded up storerooms in the local courthouse, lost in someone’s attic or just ignored in readily available public records. Never think that there is no information available on the places that you’re hoping to protect or the people associated with it. There is more information out there than you could imagine and it is becoming increasingly accessible to researchers.
Q: If you had to give just one piece of advice to folks who are looking to bring genealogy into their preservation project, what would it be?
Don’t ignore genealogy as an important tool for your project, particularly with a space associated with a community or a number of different families or individuals. I’ve used genealogy as a starting point for many different projects including preservation projects, historical research, tourism projects, educational initiatives, etc. to great effect. Don’t give up if you seemingly can’t find information right away! There are many free resources available online, as well as a number of subscription sites that you can join for a month or two, as well as many local experts who can assist you with your project.
Q: What do you think needs to be done to move the needle forward on preserving Black history?
We need to make sure that local resources regarding Black history are accessible, that Black communities have the tools they need to advocate for their own history and that we agitate for diverse stories and diverse voices to be included when telling the overall history of the State of South Carolina.
Al Hester, Historic Sites Coordinator, South Carolina State Parks
May 15, 2024
The Learning Lab series provides practical tips, advice, and guidance on specific historic preservation topics that are relevant to African American preservation projects. We hope these posts help community members and leaders better navigate the complexities of historic preservation work successfully.
Short Description of topic
Family history is history, and genealogy can be a useful tool in historic preservation. Learning who was associated with a Black historic property is the key to understanding its history – how it was built, how it was used, and how it changed over time. Genealogy can be a good first step in identifying former property owners and residents. It is also a tool for finding descendants who may know about the property’s past, including the family stories and traditions that have been passed down over generations. They may also be willing to share historic photographs, architectural plans, or records that can aid in making good historic preservation decisions.
African American Genealogy: Ten Tips for Using Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com “hints” can be really useful, but don’t accept them uncritically without reviewing them carefully. If possible, try to see if you can find additional sources to verify the information.
Make use of the South Carolina death records. Though they only begin around 1915, they include clues to earlier generations. For example, they hold valuable genealogical information, like parent’s names and burial place information, that is difficult to find elsewhere. They are especially helpful when you are trying to find ancestors before the 1870 census, since those parents that are listed may have been enslaved and were not listed in the censuses before 1870.
If you find someone with shared ancestors, consider sending them a message to their Ancestry.com profile to compare notes–especially if they have information that isn’t included in other trees. They may have family memories that have been passed down.
If you find sources that are not included in Ancestry.com, consider adding a photograph/scan or a description of them in your ancestor’s profile. It is great to come across a tree that has that kind of unusual information, and by adding it you’ll be enriching everyone’s research.
Remember to use obituaries. Obituaries, especially from the later 20th century, often include long lists of survivors, including grandchildren, siblings, etc. This information can really help you fill in gaps and find descendants.
If you are lucky enough to be researching a place that had city directories, these can be very useful for determining past property owners or occupants such as renters over time.
When working on a Black history preservation project, Ancestry.com can help you find descendants whose ancestors were associated with a particular historic property. You may know who the historic owners or residents were, and genealogy is a good way to connect people in the past to people in the present. Descendants often have important information about a property that isn’t recorded anywhere else. It can also be a very positive thing for descendants to be involved in historic preservation decisions.
Remember that ages, names, and even racial descriptions can change in primary source documents over time. Sometimes the person compiling the information made an error, or sometimes people had several first names that they used at different times. For example, in the photograph of the death certificate above, William Pulaski Corley is listed just as “Pulaski Corley”. In the case of mixed race people, they might have been recorded as different racial categories over time. Try to look at other corroborating information such as other family members in the household, occupation, residence location, etc. before you decide whether or not a person is the one you are looking for.
Newspaper databases are often linked to Ancestry.com, but you may need a separate subscription to access them. It is worth it to subscribe, since it will open up access to a lot of important information, especially obituaries. But there are also free newspaper databases (such as Historical Newspapers of SC, https://historicnewspapers.sc.edu/) that aren’t linked to Ancestry–so you may want to find those, and then bring in the information you find manually.
Finally, don’t just copy other people’s trees–they may include errors that have been passed from person to person. But do look at them closely and see if you can verify some of the information to add to your tree. Use them as a lead, but do your own research!
The Ask an Expert series features Q + A’s with people who are experts in a particular field or who have a depth of knowledge around historic preservation. We ask experts a variety of short answer questions and ask for their advice to Black preservation projects and leaders.
Would you be willing to be featured as an expert? Send us an email here.
Q: Introduce yourself! Tell us a little about you. How did you get started in your field?
In 1985, I was granted the privilege of learning how to trace my own relatives. From 2007-2014, I served as a FamilySearch Missionary. I am jointly responsible for founding Genealogy Just Ask, LLC, which can be found at www.genealogyjustask.com.
On December 27, 2022, I had the honor of being a featured guest on “Genealogy Quick Start,” discussing my topic “Catching Clues from an Obituary to the Underground Railroad.” The link can be found here: https://bit.ly/3VQrIPu. Then on June 17, 2023, I presented for the UCCRP Juneteenth Celebration in Union, South Carolina as a South Carolina Humanities grant funded guest speaker.
In August 2023, Allison Garner Kotter reviewed my book, “My Best Genealogy Tips: Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors,” in the Crossroads Journal, a publication by the Utah Genealogical Association. She said that it “gives amazing examples and tips for multiple research strategies specific to researching formerly enslaved ancestors.”
I presented at the Charleston, SC FamilySearch – “Genealogy University: Come and Learn, Go and Search” where I presented Freedom Records, WPA Slave Narratives, and the FamilySearch’s Research Wiki.
Q: What kind of projects have you worked on?
I have participated with the UCCRP Research/History Committee. I have written blog posts. I researched the African Americans that were lynched..I worked on finding Fairview Cemetery burials in Greenwood, SC. We found over 800 burials. They are now on Find-A-Grave. The descendants ask me for obituaries and death certificates when they email me.I worked on the Jamestown project owned by Terry James. I found pertinent historical records. I even found Black ancestors before 1865 in the Darlington Museum in the church records.
Q: How does your work in genealogy intersect with preserving Black historic spaces?
The patron has lasting experience because we find historical records that relate to Black historic spaces. Genealogy not only connects people but also connects people to places and locations. Genealogy can help tell a more full and complete story of a Black historic place.
Q: What do African American preservation projects and leaders need to know about genealogy?
The African Americans who know their genealogy and oral history will appreciate coming to preserved Black historic spaces. These patrons need assistance with starting a family tree. That can be accomplished by going to FamilySearch.org. That site is always free. They can learn how to find historical records. All they have to do is go to the Research Wiki at FamilySearch.org. They can look for resources in the area where their ancestors lived. This is very important. Most patrons do not know how to do their family history. The professional will not teach them. We at Genealogy Just Ask teach them how to find their ancestors. This becomes their own experience.
Q: If someone asked for your advice on the first step they should take in genealogy for their historic preservation project – what would you say?
I would tell them to reach out to the community. Have a place where they can come together regularly. Together they can put together the oral history and assist each other with their family history.
Q: What is the first thing you tell people who are new to doing genealogy research?
Have you asked your relatives’ friends for any photos, stories, or documents? Take out your phone and record. Some of it can be added to FamilySearch.org (if it is your family) and the Black historic spaces.
Q: How do you get more people to be involved?
One idea is to reach out to the people not living in the area. They have ancestors who were from the community. You will be surprised how many will participate.
