JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi does not have a group specifically geared toward helping Black people research their family histories. A meeting this weekend will help measure the interest in starting one.
The state Department of Archives and History said in a news release that the meeting begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson.
African American genealogy societies encourage family research and connect people with resources. Researchers can use probate records, deed records, state and federal Census records and plantation ledgers.
“There are many people with a desire to trace their family history, but who don’t know where to start,” meeting organizer Joyce Dixon-Lawson said in the release.
“Creating a genealogical society could be a tool to address this issue and an opportunity to grow the genealogical community," she said. "I always recommend that people start by gathering information at home and from family members.”
Dixon-Lawson recently retired after 30 years on staff at the state archives. She earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in history from Jackson State University.
She has led introductory genealogy, African American genealogy and Native American genealogy workshops in Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama and and Indiana.
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