Black Genealogy Research Group

10/27/2025

Hello BGRG Members and Friends

Please join the Black Genealogy Research Group (BGRG) on Saturday November 1st for our annual meeting. We have had an amazing year! Together let's celebrate our successes, show gratitude for our community and share our personal family history accomplishments.

We will dedicate time at the meeting to discuss the leadership and volunteer needs of BGRG. As we head into 2026, BGRG and our community needs your time, talents and support. Black Family History is America's Story Too!
This is our last meeting for 2025 – Be part of the joy and journey!

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting..

Topic:: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: Nov 1, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83865763796?pwd=3bULS5bFxWM8UrV5IdleIPMNGtfcbD.1

Meeting ID: 838 6576 3796
Passcode: 626133

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10/01/2025

October 2025 - This is a quick reminder that spaces for our annual Black Family Heritage Celebration are filling up quickly. We have a wonderful group of presenters. Below is a summary of the sessions. Hope to see you there.
Here is the link for registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-family-heritage-celebration-2025-tickets-1717175731839?aff=oddtdtcreator

Keynote Presentation

Seeing with Other Eyes by Esther Mumford, Historian
Drawing on her life's work as a researcher, lecturer, consultant, author, curator and small press partner, Esther will share insights which began with her experience conducting oral history interviews of elderly Seattle African Americans in the mid-1970's.

Kick off Family History Month with us! Celebrate Black Families, Legacy and Joy! Every family has a story. Discover yours.

08/28/2025

Hello BGRG Members and Friends,
Join Seattle BGRG for a special presentation on Saturday September 6th at 11:00am (PDT).

Black Farmers & The Black Freedom Struggle

This presentation will (re)introduce Black Farmers Collective and the work we're doing to advance Food Justice Locally. We will also discuss the broader history and ongoing struggles of Black Farmers in America.

Bio: Brukab serves as community educator for Black Farmers Collective and co-manages Yes Farm, an urban learning farm and p-patch in the Yesler Terrace neighborhood of Seattle. His background is in Black Studies, which he taught at the University of Washington and Western Washington University. He is also the steward of his own farm this year, Alemu Desalegn Farm, as part of Black Farmers Collective's incubator program.

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting..
Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: Sep 6, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83865763796?pwd=3bULS5bFxWM8UrV5IdleIPMNGtfcbD.1

Meeting ID: 838 6576 3796
Passcode: 626133

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

08/28/2025

Hello BGRG Members and Friends,
Join Seattle BGRG for a special presentation on September 6th at 11:00am (PDT).

Black Farmers & The Black Freedom Struggle

This presentation will (re)introduce Black Farmers Collective and the work we're doing to advance Food Justice Locally. We will also discuss the broader history and ongoing struggles of Black Farmers in America.

Bio: Brukab serves as community educator for Black Farmers Collective and co-manages Yes Farm, an urban learning farm and p-patch in the Yesler Terrace neighborhood of Seattle. His background is in Black Studies, which he taught at the University of Washington and Western Washington University. He is also the steward of his own farm this year, Alemu Desalegn Farm, as part of Black Farmers Collective's incubator program.

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting..
Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: Sep 6, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83865763796?pwd=3bULS5bFxWM8UrV5IdleIPMNGtfcbD.1

Meeting ID: 838 6576 3796
Passcode: 626133

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

07/29/2025

BGRG is doing something new for our Saturday, August 2nd meeting. WE ARE MEETING IN-PERSON!
This will be a time for us to gather, meet in small study groups and learn from each other. We will have three groups led by BGRG members. The topics offered will be:
• Tracing Ancestors from the 1870 Census back to Enslavement Records
• Finding Clues in Vital Records
• Research Resources and Tools to Explore

Date: Saturday, August 2nd, 2025.
Time: 11:00 am to 1:30 pm
(Please note, the library opens at 11:00 am)
Location: Skyway Library, Meeting Room
12601 76th Ave. S., Seattle 98178

Please bring a laptop or tablet, your research materials, questions to ask and tips to share.
Light refreshments and drinks will be served.
We hope to see you there!

06/05/2025

Hello BGRG Members and friends,
Join BGRG on June 7 for a very special presentation.


Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People
Presenter: Robyn N. Smith, Genealogist

Our ancestors did not live in a vacuum. They lived, worked, socialized and married alongside a group of people. Researching this larger group of people often leads to greater success in genealogical research.

Bio:
Robyn Smith has been researching her family and others for over twenty-five years. She specializes in court and land records, genealogy skill building and slavery research.
A respected speaker in the field, Robyn has taught widely at genealogy conferences, for genealogical societies across the U.S. and for institutions such as the Maryland State Archives, the National Archives (Atlanta), RootsTech 2025 and the Smithsonian African American Museum.


BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: Jun 7, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81580506499?pwd=9VymgSuJb7A8a62FyNL0c68e3JbzNa.1

Meeting ID: 815 8050 6499
Passcode: 944972

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

05/01/2025

Join BGRG on May 3 for a very special presentation, The Morgan Family Legacy - Descendants of General Morgan.

Have you ever wanted to write down the story of your family story but didn't know where to start? Join BGRG and Marilyn Morgan as she shares her genealogy journey and the process of creating her family history book: The Morgan Family Legacy. Ms. Morgan will share tips and bits of wisdom she learned along the way.


Bio
Marilyn Morgan is an acclaimed author, historian and photographer based in Seattle, Washington. Her diverse body of work includes Careers in Criminology; Baffling Murder Mysteries; Seattle Historic Houses of Worship and Trailblazing Black Women of Washington. Her career spans various media platforms, including roles as writer for The Boeing Company, magazines and websites. As an historian, Marilyn is devoted to amplifying the voices of historic Black women through her writing and lectures, shedding light on their enduring contributions and remarkable lives.
Be sure to attend and invite a friend!

The meeting will open at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Zoom for members and attendees to network with each other.

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: May 3, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81580506499?pwd=9VymgSuJb7A8a62FyNL0c68e3JbzNa.1
Meeting ID: 815 8050 6499
Passcode: 944972

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

04/03/2025

Share Your Family Stories!
Join BGRG on Saturday April 5th for a tutorial introducing the free StoryCorps App: Brightness In Black. Bill Butler will share this creative tool and demonstrate how to capture family stories and memories. Includes easy to understand instructions for download, set-up and use.

Bio
William “Bill” Butler hails from Norfolk, Virginia, but grew up in Seattle, Washington. He is dedicated to supporting the missions and visions of various organizations through his diverse skills in Digital Storytelling, Audio Visual production, education, and community activism. Currently, Bill serves as a teacher in the Seattle Public Schools and is an active member of Holgate Church of Christ. His favorite scripture is, “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Bill is deeply involved in the community through his participation in several organizations, including the Black Child Development Institute, the Black Genealogy Research Group, and Multi-Care Communities. He believes that everyone needs a creative outlet, and he finds inspiration and challenge through Wa Na Wari’s “Seattle Black Spatial Histories.
Be sure to attend and invite a friend!

Fellowship and partnering with others dedicated to learning their family history has a positive impact on advancing your own research!

The meeting will open at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Zoom for members and attendees to network with each other.

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: April 5, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81580506499?pwd=9VymgSuJb7A8a62FyNL0c68e3JbzNa1

Meeting ID: 815 8050 6499
Passcode: 944972

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

02/25/2025

Join us March 1 for our presentation,
" Strategies for Overcoming African American Genealogy Challenges"
with Bessida Cauthorne White


The legacy of slavery creates obvious challenges for African American genealogists. This session will provide strategies for overcoming those challenges, with an emphasis on African American research in Virginia. Practical examples will be shared that will be of particular interest to the many researchers who have roots in Virginia, but may also be of interest to those who are researching other states.
A genealogist for more than forty years, Bessida Cauthorne White is family historian for nine families and manages DNA for forty persons. Her recent genealogy efforts include identification of the enslaved and their present-day descendants at Menokin and Stratford Hall, historic homes in Virginia. She has led the research for multiple Virginia historical highway markers. White is a co-founder of two Virginia genealogy societies, including Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical Society, which she serves as president.

Be sure to attend and invite a friend!

The meeting will open at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Zoom for members and attendees to network with each other.

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: Mar 1, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81580506499?pwd=9VymgSuJb7A8a62FyNL0c68e3JbzNa.1

Meeting ID: 815 8050 6499
Passcode: 944972

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

02/25/2025

Join us March 1 for our presentation,
" Strategies for Overcoming African American Genealogy Challenges"
with Bessida Cauthorne White


The legacy of slavery creates obvious challenges for African American genealogists. This session will provide strategies for overcoming those challenges, with an emphasis on African American research in Virginia. Practical examples will be shared that will be of particular interest to the many researchers who have roots in Virginia, but may also be of interest to those who are researching other states.
A genealogist for more than forty years, Bessida Cauthorne White is family historian for nine families and manages DNA for forty persons. Her recent genealogy efforts include identification of the enslaved and their present-day descendants at Menokin and Stratford Hall, historic homes in Virginia. She has led the research for multiple Virginia historical highway markers. White is a co-founder of two Virginia genealogy societies, including Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical Society, which she serves as president.

Be sure to attend and invite a friend!

The meeting will open at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Zoom for members and attendees to network with each other.

BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: Mar 1, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81580506499?pwd=9VymgSuJb7A8a62FyNL0c68e3JbzNa.1

Meeting ID: 815 8050 6499
Passcode: 944972

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

01/31/2025

Join us February 1 for our presentation, Black Legacy Homeowners – Our ancestors overcame the intentional obstacles of redlining and restrictive covenants to become homeowners. Homeownership has been and remains a cornerstone of building strong communities and creating generational wealth. Join BGRG and learn about a local grass-roots group dedicated to empowering and supporting Black Homeowners in the Seattle area.

Pre-Assignment: Who was the first Black Legacy Homeowner in your family?

Be sure to attend and invite a friend!

The meeting will open at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Zoom for members and attendees to network with each other.

Topic: Seattle BGRG Meeting
Time: February 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
BGRG of Seattle is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81580506499?pwd=9VymgSuJb7A8a62FyNL0c68e3JbzNa.1

Meeting ID: 815 8050 6499
Passcode: 944972

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...