"Following the footsteps of the French family from Kentucky to Chicago"
Join the AAGGKY on 19 June 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) for our Third Saturday meeting via Zoom. Our presenter, Trina Michelle Robinson, will discuss how she traced the migration of her maternal ancestors as they moved from bondage to freedom in the years before the Civil War. Their journey includes life in Kentucky in the early days of the state's founding, purchasing the freedom of family members, getting an education in the early days of Berea College and success in Chicago soon after their migration. She will also discuss how she uses different storytelling techniques to explore her ancestry to help her process all the information she has learned about her family.
Trina Michelle Robinson explores the relationship between memory and migration through film, sound, archival materials and text. Her work has been exhibited throughout the country and she told the story of exploring her ancestry with The Moth Mainstage on stages throughout the country including New York’s Lincoln Center and NPR’s Moth Radio Hour. She previously has worked in print and digital media as a managing editor and production director and is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Fine Art at California College of the Arts where she was awarded the graduate 2020 Yozo Hamaguchi Award.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87374140203?pwd=YkNSamhCdWIzaCt3SXpSZTg1aDcrUT09
Join us - this sounds like a good time!“
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Early Frankfort’s Black Businesses, Buildings, and Big Time Operators”.
Join us on Saturday 15 May 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET when Russ Hatter, the "Story Keeper of Frankfort, will provide us with an account of the history of African American life in Kentucky's Capital City through past businesses, iconic buildings and citizens of note.. This will be a fun and educational event for all Kentucky researchers.
After 40 years as a radio announcer, Russ Hatter quit the radio business to begin a new career as Assistant Curator of Historic Sites for the Parks and Recreation Department in Frankfort, Kentucky. He retired in 2013 and now works part-time at the museum in the research department. Born in Cincinnati and educated at Kentucky Christian College and Kentucky State University, Hatter combined his love for theatre and history in creating the Downtown Frankfort Walking Tours and the popular October Murder & Mayhem Tours. Hatter has also participated in the publication of several books on historic Frankfort, Kentucky.
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BRICK WALLS & RABBIT HOLES
17 April 2021 @ 1:00 pm EDT
Have you been butting your head against a brick wall?
This month the AAGGKY will be focusing on your personal brick walls. We will choose four questions and allot 20 minutes for group discussion and comment. To give us a head start, please submit your brick wall question by April 13th and we will include them in our meeting reminder notice.
BRICK WALL RULES
Submit ONE specific problem you need help with. Be prepared to give very brief (3-5 min) but detailed background information. Please include:
At our Third Saturday of February program on February 20, 2021, Shirl Marks guided us through 169 years of the history of Mountain Island in Owen County, Kentucky. Mountain Island was left to freed slaves by their former owner, James Herndon and six generations later, the descendants of those former slaves are seeking to preserve the ownership and history of the island. Shirl was joined by family members, who share in the effort to preserve their family history.
Shirl Marks is a Co-founder and charter member of the AAGGKY and is President and Founder of Stonetown Haven, a historic African American house and settlement in Stamping Ground, KY. .
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Join the AAGGKY on 19 June 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) for our Third Saturday meeting via Zoom. Our presenter, Trina Michelle Robinson, will discuss how she traced the migration of her maternal ancestors as they moved from bondage to freedom in the years before the Civil War. Their journey includes life in Kentucky in the early days of the state's founding, purchasing the freedom of family members, getting an education in the early days of Berea College and success in Chicago soon after their migration. She will also discuss how she uses different storytelling techniques to explore her ancestry to help her process all the information she has learned about her family.
Trina Michelle Robinson explores the relationship between memory and migration through film, sound, archival materials and text. Her work has been exhibited throughout the country and she told the story of exploring her ancestry with The Moth Mainstage on stages throughout the country including New York’s Lincoln Center and NPR’s Moth Radio Hour. She previously has worked in print and digital media as a managing editor and production director and is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Fine Art at California College of the Arts where she was awarded the graduate 2020 Yozo Hamaguchi Award.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87374140203?pwd=YkNSamhCdWIzaCt3SXpSZTg1aDcrUT09
Join us - this sounds like a good time!“
=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Early Frankfort’s Black Businesses, Buildings, and Big Time Operators”.
Join us on Saturday 15 May 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET when Russ Hatter, the "Story Keeper of Frankfort, will provide us with an account of the history of African American life in Kentucky's Capital City through past businesses, iconic buildings and citizens of note.. This will be a fun and educational event for all Kentucky researchers.
After 40 years as a radio announcer, Russ Hatter quit the radio business to begin a new career as Assistant Curator of Historic Sites for the Parks and Recreation Department in Frankfort, Kentucky. He retired in 2013 and now works part-time at the museum in the research department. Born in Cincinnati and educated at Kentucky Christian College and Kentucky State University, Hatter combined his love for theatre and history in creating the Downtown Frankfort Walking Tours and the popular October Murder & Mayhem Tours. Hatter has also participated in the publication of several books on historic Frankfort, Kentucky.
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BRICK WALLS & RABBIT HOLES
17 April 2021 @ 1:00 pm EDT
Have you been butting your head against a brick wall?
This month the AAGGKY will be focusing on your personal brick walls. We will choose four questions and allot 20 minutes for group discussion and comment. To give us a head start, please submit your brick wall question by April 13th and we will include them in our meeting reminder notice.
BRICK WALL RULES
Submit ONE specific problem you need help with. Be prepared to give very brief (3-5 min) but detailed background information. Please include:
- Your name and contact information (phone/email)
- What is your specific problem; what are you trying to prove or disprove
- What is the date range
- What surname(s) are involved
- What region or area
- What type of document are you looking for
- Some places you have already searched
At our Third Saturday of February program on February 20, 2021, Shirl Marks guided us through 169 years of the history of Mountain Island in Owen County, Kentucky. Mountain Island was left to freed slaves by their former owner, James Herndon and six generations later, the descendants of those former slaves are seeking to preserve the ownership and history of the island. Shirl was joined by family members, who share in the effort to preserve their family history.
Shirl Marks is a Co-founder and charter member of the AAGGKY and is President and Founder of Stonetown Haven, a historic African American house and settlement in Stamping Ground, KY. .
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We celebrated our 10th Anniversary on January 16, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Dr. Kathy Bullock presented the program "Singing in the Spirit: The African American Sacred Music Tradition". Our afternoon also included the installation of officers for 2021-2022 and a tribute to our Charter Members.
Spirituals and gospel music are much more than pleasing songs to listen to—they are powerful representations of the triumphant spirit and faith that have defined African-American music and people. Bullock takes the audience on a musical journey from West Africa, through the middle passage, to the North American shores where the African-American culture was forged. Through songs, stories, and performance, this program lets the audience experience the beauty, joy, and power of this music and culture.
Spirituals and gospel music are much more than pleasing songs to listen to—they are powerful representations of the triumphant spirit and faith that have defined African-American music and people. Bullock takes the audience on a musical journey from West Africa, through the middle passage, to the North American shores where the African-American culture was forged. Through songs, stories, and performance, this program lets the audience experience the beauty, joy, and power of this music and culture.
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NOW ACCEPTING ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS for 2021: $30 INDIVIDUALS - $50 ORGANIZATIONS
CHECK/MONEY ORDER: AAGGKY | P.O. BOX 1211 | FRANKFORT, KY 40602
PAYPAL: Click <Join Us!> above
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NOW ACCEPTING ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS for 2021: $30 INDIVIDUALS - $50 ORGANIZATIONS
CHECK/MONEY ORDER: AAGGKY | P.O. BOX 1211 | FRANKFORT, KY 40602
PAYPAL: Click <Join Us!> above
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Welcome to the web home of the
African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky!
Also known as AAGGKY or simply, "The Group," we are a not-for-profit organization formed in 2011 by several like-minded individuals interested in the preservation of African American history and heritage in the Bluegrass.
Are you interested in learning about United States Colored Troops, slave records, conducting oral histories, or planning family reunions? So are we. Share our passion. Share your stories. Browse our site to learn more about our organization, upcoming events, what we offer and how you can join.
Are you interested in learning about United States Colored Troops, slave records, conducting oral histories, or planning family reunions? So are we. Share our passion. Share your stories. Browse our site to learn more about our organization, upcoming events, what we offer and how you can join.
"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
by Frank X Walker
Poet Laureate of Kentucky 2013 - 2015