Recording Available – Healing the Historical Trauma of Slavery Through Genealogical Research

We were fortunate to have Sharon Leslie Morgan, renowned genealogist and founder of Our Black Ancestry, help commemorate Juneteenth at the Cambridge Public Library. Morgan’s workshop, Healing the Historical Trauma of Slavery Through Genealogical Research, was recorded on June 17, 2021. The workshop was part of the Cambridge Room’s Lunchtime Virtual Lecture Series.

The following is a description of the workshop and a short bio of Sharon Leslie Morgan:

Juneteenth Commemoration: Healing the Historical Trauma of Slavery Through Genealogical Research
Has your genealogical research forced you to confront the racial wounds of the past – from slavery to the many forms of racism it engendered?  Facing “historical trauma” is as necessary for African Americans researching their ancestors who were enslaved as it is for White people who discover their ancestors were enslavers. 

To commemorate Juneteenth, join us for a workshop with Sharon Leslie Morgan, renowned genealogist and founder of Our Black Ancestry, as we learn about historical trauma and how it affects people today.  Morgan will introduce the STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) model for healing historical trauma and show how genealogical research can help heal the trauma of slavery.   

Sharon Leslie Morgan is a writer and genealogist. She is the founder of Our Black Ancestry, an online community dedicated to providing resources for African American genealogical research, preserving historic materials and properties, and promoting healing of wounds that are the legacy of slavery.

Morgan is the co-author of Gather at the Table: The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade. She is also a contributor to Slavery’s Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race & Reconciliation, and The Little Book of Racial Healing: Coming to the Table for Truth-Telling, Liberation, and Transformation.  In 2019, Morgan received the prestigious James Dent Walker Award from the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society. 

A staunch advocate of racial justice, Morgan has taken STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) training at Eastern Mennonite University and is actively involved with Coming to the Table, an organization that promotes linkages between descendants of people who were enslaved and descendants of the families that enslaved them for the purpose of healing from the trauma of slavery.

RootsTech 2021 Available for Free

Rootstech is the largest family-history technology conference in the world has made their 2021 virtual conference freely available to all until February 2022. There are over 1,500 sessions in 9 categories, including places, records, and research (a topic that looks quite useful.) Take advantage of this great genealogy resource here.

Genealogy and Local History Workshops at the Cambridge Public Library

Please join us for virtual Lunchtime Lectures from the Cambridge Room, happening every Thursday from 12-1 pm.  Click on the links below for more information and to register.

April 1: Who’s Little Joe:  Photo Detecting 101

April 8: Linked Descendants:  African American Genealogy Prior to 1870

April 29: The Forgotten Irish of Mount Auburn Catholic Cemetery

May 6: Preserve Your Family Treasures

May 13: American Treasures from the Cambridge Public Library’s Archives and Special Collections

May 20: Buns, Beards, Bodices and Bustles:  Understanding Ancestors Through Clothing

June 3:  Getting Started in Irish Family Research

June 10:  Interview Techniques to Tell Your Family’s History

June 17:  Healing the Historical Trauma of Slavery through Genealogical Research

Juneteenth Celebration, Wednesday June 19: Robert Johnson’s Cambridge Connection

Robert Johnson’s signature from the Johnson Family Bible, a new Cambridge Room acquisition.

Join us to commemorate Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the former Confederate States of America, by exploring the fascinating life of Robert Johnson, fugitive slave and abolitionist, and his connection to Cambridge.

We will offer two programs on the same evening:  a genealogy workshop and a reception and talk.

Workshop:  The Robert Johnson Family Tree:  Researching an African American Abolitionist Family
We will explore the paths our genealogical research took, plot out the Robert Johnson Family tree and his connection to Cambridge, and offer tips for researching African American genealogy.

Date & Time:
6:00pm – 6:45pm, Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Location:
Main Library, Cambridge Room
REGISTER HERE

Talk and Reception:  The Robert Johnson Family Bible
Come see an important new Cambridge Room acquisition and learn about Robert Johnson, fugitive slave and abolitionist, and his family’s connection to Cambridge.  This is the first in a series of programs featuring gems from the Library’s Archives and Special Collections.

Date & Time:
7:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Location:
Main Library, Cambridge Room
REGISTER HERE

Join Us for a Digital Storytelling Screening

Discovering Our History, Telling Our Stories
Join us to view the work of the graduates of CCTV’s Digital Storytelling Class. This screening will feature several short films produced by our students, based on family history research conducted through the library’s Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop Series. Hear from the students about the process of creating these films and the impact that it has had on them and their families.

Date & Time:
6:30pm – 8:00pm, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Location:
Main Library, Lecture Hall

REGISTER HERE

Free Workshop: United States Census and Genealogy, Wednesday March 7, 6-8 PM

 

The United States Census and Genealogy
We will cover the history of the US census, its use for genealogical research, especially how each census offers a different set of facts, and explore searching techniques and common problems.  We will briefly explore possible alternatives for non-appearing ancestors.
Date & Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Location:  Main Library, Community Room

REGISTER HERE

Spots Still Available for Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop Series

Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop Series
Join us for a 4-week, beginner’s genealogy workshop. For two-hours each week, we will demystify the overwhelming process of sorting through online records as well as give tips for how best to make use of research visits to local repositories. We will help you find ancestors, organize your research, and start a family tree. Come with a new question every week and leave with an answer and something tangible to bring home, such as a copy of a birth certificate. By taking this class, you will be automatically eligible to enroll in a FREE, two-part course on digital storytelling taught by CCTV. Learn how to make a digital film about your family’s history based on your genealogical research. Create a treasured digital keepsake to pass on to family members. Registration is mandatory.
Dates & Times:
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday, March 14, 2018
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday, March 21, 2018
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday, March 28, 2018
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Location:
Main Library, Community Room

REGISTER HERE

Researching Your Jewish Ancestry: Free Workshop

Researching Your Jewish Ancestry
Join us for a free, two hour workshop on researching Jewish ancestry, in collaboration with New England Historical Genealogical Society, the nation’s leading organization for genealogical research.

Family history research into Jewish ancestry brings with it a number of unique issues. From a multitude of languages, to the dramatic border changes in the European areas from which your ancestors emigrated, to the many names used by the family members, identifying your family and connecting them to the old country requires tenacity. When identified, however, your ancestors can bring a sense of belonging and a connection to history. Join Rhonda McClure, Senior Genealogist at New England Historic Genealogical Society, to learn some tips, best practices, and common challenges surrounding Jewish genealogical research.

Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist, is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer specializing in New England and celebrity research as well as computerized genealogy; is compiler of more than 120 celebrity family trees; has been a contributing editor for Heritage Quest Magazine, Biography magazine and was a contributor to The History Channel Magazine and American History Magazine. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of ten books, including the award-winning The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition, Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors, and Digitizing Your Family History. Some of Rhonda’s areas of expertise include: Immigration and naturalization, Late 19th and early 20th Century urban research, New England, Mid-West, Jewish, German, Italian, Scottish, Irish, and French Canadian research.  Registration is mandatory.
Dates & Times:
6:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Location:
Main Library, Community Room

REGISTER HERE

Space Still Available in Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop

Are you looking for something fun to do in the new year?  Join the Cambridge Public Library for our popular 4-week beginner’s genealogy workshop series.   Classes will be held at CCTV, located at 438 Massachusetts Avenue.

Wednesdays, 6-8 PM
January 10, 17, 24, & 31
Instructors:  Alyssa Pacy, Archivist, and Drew Griffin, Senior Librarian
Location:  CCTV computer classroom, 438 Massachusetts Avenue

Join us for a 4-week, beginner’s genealogy workshop. For two hours each week, we will demystify the overwhelming process of sorting through online records as well as give tips for how best to make use of research visits to local repositories. We will help you find ancestors, organize your research, and start a family tree. Come with a new question every week and leave with an answer and something tangible to bring home, such as a copy of a birth certificate. By taking this class, you will be automatically eligible to enroll in a FREE, two-part course on digital storytelling taught by CCTV. Learn how to make a digital film about your family’s history based on your genealogical research. Create a treasured digital keepsake to pass on to family members. Registration is mandatory for the series.  To register, please contact Keaton Fox at keaton@cctvcambridge.org.

Free Classes & Workshops in 2018

Do something new in 2018 and take a free class at the Cambridge Public Library.  Learn about your ancestry or the history of your Cambridge house.  Preserve your family photographs or learn how to become an expert in the U.S. Census.  We are offering a series of free classes and workshops between January and March, 2018.

Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop Series
January 10, 17, 24, 31, 6-8 PM

Introduction to Digital Storytelling
January 22 & 29, 6-8 PM

Researching the History of Your Cambridge Home
February 7, 6-8 PM or February 8, 3-4 PM

Preserving and Organizing Your Family Photographs Workshop Series
February 21 & 28, 6-8 PM

The United States Census and Genealogy
March 7, 6-8 PM

Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop Series
March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 2-4 PM

Register now for one of our six new classes being offered in early 2018.  Spaces are filling up fast!