Annual Genealogy Workshop Focuses on African American and Native American History

The Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Butler Center for Arkansas Studies is hosting its annual genealogy workshop on Saturday, July 20, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater in Library Square, 100 Rock Street. Theater doors will open at 9:00 a.m. The program is free and open to the public; there is no registration for this event. Paid parking is available at the CALS parking deck and surface lot, as well as other free and paid lots in the River Market area.

This workshop is geared to helping genealogists of all levels sharpen their fact-finding skills and enlarge the scope of their research. The workshop topics include finding Native American ancestry in African American families, using search engines and databases for African American genealogy, and mapping the Freedmen’s Bureau.

This year’s speaker, Angela Y. Walton-Raji, is known nationally for her genealogical and historical research, particularly her work on African American genealogy, the Civil War west of the Mississippi, Oklahoma Native Americans, benevolent societies, and 19th-century women. Her book Black Indian Genealogy Research is the only one of its kind focusing on the unique record set reflecting Freedmen found within the Dawes Records. Her most recent book, Freedmen of the Frontier, highlights freed families from Indian Territory who were part of the so-called Five Civilized Tribes. She is a founding member of AfriGeneas.com, host of the weekly genealogy podcast “The African Roots,” and a founding member of the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute.

Schedule:
Doors open at 9 a.m.
9:30 a.m.—Nurses, Matrons, Laundresses & Cooks
10:45 a.m.—Finding Indian Ancestors in African American Families
11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.—Lunch on your own.
1:15 p.m.—Using Search Engines & Databases for African American Genealogy
2:15 p.m.—Mapping the Freedmen’s Bureau

Contact the CALS Butler Center at 320-5700 or visit CALS.org for more information.