June 13-18, 2021
This course will cover antebellum through 21st century records and tools for African American research in the South. The class will examine genealogical sources, common hurdles, and strategies for solving African American research problems. The course will focus on critical thinking and developing research plans when approaching African American genealogy.
Faculty
- Ari Wilkins, Coordinator
- Deborah A. Abbott, PhD
- Sharon Batiste Gillins
- Tim Pinnick
- Shamele Jordon
- Franklin Smith
Course Schedule (all times are Central Daylight Time)
| Time (CDT) Sunday, June 13, 2021 | Topic | Instructor |
| 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Welcome to TIGR 2021 | TIGR 2021 Coordinators, Faculty, and Staff |
| Time (CDT) Monday, June 14, 2021 | Topic | Instructor |
| Basic African American Research | ||
| 8:00 am – 8:20 am | Orientation | |
| 8:30 am – 9:45 am | Analyzing the African American Family in Census Records | Ari Wilkins |
| 10:00 am – 11:15 am | Challenges, Brick Walls and Critical Thinking in African American Research | Deborah A. Abbott |
| 11:30 am – 12:45 pm | Researching African American Family History: The Same and Different | Sharon Batiste Gillins |
| 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm | Lunch Break | |
| 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Strategies for Identifying and Using Newspapers | Tim Pinnick |
| 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Underutilized African American Sources | Ari Wilkins |
| 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm | Research & Personal Research Assessment: Developing a Research Plan | Ari Wilkins |
| PREREQUISITE WORK: | Select one line that you would like to research. Thoroughly document your line from 1940 to the 1870 census. | |
| Homework | Based on what you learned today, develop a research question and determine what sources you should examine. |
| Time (CDT) Tuesday, June 15, 2021 | Topic | Instructor |
| Antebellum and Reconstruction Records | ||
| 8:00 am – 8:20 am | Discussion | |
| 8:30 am – 9:45 am | County Courthouse Preparation Primer | Shamele Jordon |
| 10:00 am – 11:15 am | Tracing the Enslaved through the Enslaver: Deeds, Estates, and Tax Records | Sharon Batiste Gillins |
| 11:30 am – 12:45 pm | African Americans in Military Records | Shamele Jordon |
| 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm | LUNCH | |
| 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Freedmen’s Bureau: The Purpose, the Organization, and the Records | Sharon Batiste Gillins |
| 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Identifying the Last Enslaver | Ari Wilkins |
| 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm | Review | |
| Time (CDT) Wednesday, June 16, 2021 | Topic | Instructor |
| Library Day | ||
| 8:00 am – 8:20 am | Discussion | |
| 8:30 am – 9:45 am | Surprises in Special Collections | Sharon Batiste Gillins |
| 10:00 am – 11:15 am | Plantation Records and Other Manuscript Collections | Ari Wilkins |
| 11:30 am – 12:45 pm | Researching at Public Libraries | Franklin Smith |
| 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm | LUNCH | |
| 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Incorporating University Libraries in Your Research Plans | Tim Pinnick |
| 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm | African American Toolbox Building | Tim Pinnick |
| 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm | Review | |
| Time (CDT) Thursday, June 17, 2021 | Topic | Instructor |
| Looking Back From 20th Century Tools | ||
| 8:00 am – 8:20 am | Discussion | |
| 8:30 am – 9:45 am | The Slave Narratives | Sharon Batiste Gillins |
| 10:00 am – 11:15 am | Digital Tools for Bridging the Gap from Freedom to Enslaved | Shamele Jordon |
| 11:30 am – 12:45 pm | Genetic Genealogy: The African American Experience | Franklin Smith |
| 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm | LUNCH | |
| 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm | Using Maps for Genealogical Clues | Shamele Jordon |
| 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Breaking the Brick Wall: The Boykin Family Case Study | Deborah A. Abbott |
| 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm | Review | |
| Time (CDT) Friday, June 18, 2021 | Topic | Instructor |
| Wrapping up a Research Question | ||
| 8:00 am – 8:20 am | Discussion | |
| 8:30 am – 9:45 am | GPS: Reasonably Exhaustive Research and African American Genealogy | Deborah A. Abbott |
| 10:00 am – 11:15 am | Gaining Insight by Building a Community | Tim Pinnick |
| 11:30 am – 12:45 pm | Where Do I Go from Here? Q&A Wrap-up | Ari Wilkins |