Tracing African American Family History
A vital research companion for anyone exploring African American family history-linking genealogy, historical context, and cultural connection across all 50 U.S. states.
Tracing African American Family History: A Practical Guide to Reconstructing Roots Through Records, Oral History, and DNAis a practical and empowering guide for tracing Black family history across the United States. Written by Paul Crooks-renowned for pioneering African Caribbean genealogy research-this book bridges genealogy with cultural history to support individual researchers, educators, librarians, and community-based genealogy programs.
Drawing on years of experience responding to questions from African American audiences at online events, Crooks developed this resource to meet a long-standing gap: a guide that maps out the records, archives, and historical context unique to each U.S. state while offering insight into the shared African diasporic experience.
With a strong emphasis on encouraging discovery rooted in strength and resilience, this guide is grounded in the West African principle of Sankofa-reclaiming the past to inform and strengthen the present.
Ideal for public libraries, genealogy educators, historical societies, and independent researchers, this guide offers:
- State-by-state breakdowns of key genealogical resources
- Tools for tracing African American ancestry through slavery, emancipation, and migration
- Explanations of record types, including Freedmen's Bureau, military pensions, census data, and more
- Reflections that frame genealogy as both personal and cultural history
- A supportive approach to exploring ancestry with dignity and purpose
Tracing African American Family History is more than a research guide-it is a tool for remembrance, resilience, and reclaiming legacy.