MELISSA BARKER
Melissa Barker is a Certified Archives Manager and Public Historian currently working at the Houston County, Tennessee Archives & Museum. She is affectionately known as The Archive Lady. She lectures, teaches, and writes about the genealogy research process, researching in archives and records preservation. She conducts virtual webinar presentations across the United States for genealogical and historical societies. She writes a popular blog entitled A Genealogist in the Archives and is a well-known genealogy Book Reviewer. She has been a Professional Genealogist for 21 years with an expertise in Tennessee records. She has been researching her own family history for the past 35 years.
REGISTER HERE: Zoom presentation 1:00 pm (Eastern) October 19, 2024
REGISTER HERE: Zoom presentation 1:00 pm (Eastern) October 19, 2024
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“Statistics say that less than 10% of all the world’s genealogical records are online”. This statement has been said by many genealogy professionals and archivists, including myself. The truth be told that percentage is probably more like 3%-5%. As genealogists, we are living in a time when there are huge amounts of genealogy records being put online daily. We can do research in the comfort of our own homes with our pajamas and fuzzy slippers until 3 o’clock in the morning if we want to. Unfortunately, we have been lulled into thinking that “everything is online”. When, most of all genealogy records are sitting in repositories waiting to be discovered by the genealogist. This presentation will show why you need to contact or visit an archive and seek out those records that are not online. |
A little bit about us...
Formed in 2011, the African-American Genealogy Group of Kentucky is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth to focus on aspects of genealogical research unique to the African American community. "The Group" meets monthly on Third Saturdays and at other times when we have the opportunity to share.
Our membership is open to anyone interested in researching, preserving, and sharing the stories of Kentucky's African-American generations. When you join AAGGKY, you associate with people from all walks of life. We serve on Boards of historical and genealogical societies, museums, libraries, research institutes and foundations.
Our mission is to fill the void created where the history of Black Kentuckians have been omitted or inadequately researched and recorded. Our members hail from coast to coast, north to south, with connecting ties to the Commonwealth.
We are plumbers, janitors, teachers, preachers, presidents, and truck drivers. We are African. We are Caucasian. We are Native. We are American. We are Kentuckian. We are as economically and culturally diverse as our heritage suggests. We are inclusive; seeking only to promote African-American genealogical research and the values of family, fellowship, and education. These are principles which bind us together. We invite you to tell us about yourself and your research - your story.
Won't you join us today?
Formed in 2011, the African-American Genealogy Group of Kentucky is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth to focus on aspects of genealogical research unique to the African American community. "The Group" meets monthly on Third Saturdays and at other times when we have the opportunity to share.
Our membership is open to anyone interested in researching, preserving, and sharing the stories of Kentucky's African-American generations. When you join AAGGKY, you associate with people from all walks of life. We serve on Boards of historical and genealogical societies, museums, libraries, research institutes and foundations.
Our mission is to fill the void created where the history of Black Kentuckians have been omitted or inadequately researched and recorded. Our members hail from coast to coast, north to south, with connecting ties to the Commonwealth.
We are plumbers, janitors, teachers, preachers, presidents, and truck drivers. We are African. We are Caucasian. We are Native. We are American. We are Kentuckian. We are as economically and culturally diverse as our heritage suggests. We are inclusive; seeking only to promote African-American genealogical research and the values of family, fellowship, and education. These are principles which bind us together. We invite you to tell us about yourself and your research - your story.
Won't you join us today?
"I too am of the hills, my folks have corn rowed tobacco, laid track, strip mined, worshipped and whiskied from Harlan to Maysville, old Dunbar to Central...We put the heat in the hot brown and gave it color.
Indeed some of the bluegrass is black."
- from Kentucke by Frank X Walker
Poet Laureate of Kentucky 2013 - 2015