Gwinnett library to host free genealogy workshop

Start your African American genealogy research this month at OneStop Centerville

Genealogy helps Atlantans connect the dots.Tech advancements and support organizations allow for deeper dives into genealogy.James and Mary Ellen Molohon of Illinois died in a wreck involving a runaway train. They are the great-great-grandparents of Karen Molohon.A photo of Madelyn Nix’s father, William N. Nix (right) and uncle, James E. Nix, in uniform during their service in World War II, helped Nix research her family tree.Luis Childers, right, hugs his cousin, Seth Agbee, during his trip to Africa to meet members of his extended family who he located through research that began on 23andMe.

The search for our roots has led many people to DNA websites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe. Those sites can tell you something about your genetic makeup, but they’re no substitute for digging into old-fashioned records.

Unfortunately, for many Black Americans, public records research can prove challenging — a fact addressed in the upcoming Trace Your Roots: An African-American Genealogy event at OneStop Centerville in Snellville.

The free event will teach you what to do when you find incomplete records — or none at all — and how to overcome these and other hurdles.

“Learn how to overcome the challenges of tracing African American genealogy and discover your family history, by using the tools available through free library genealogy databases — including Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest,” the event’s website states.

Organizers recommend registration, since the program will be held in the community room at OneStop, which is in the same building as the Centerville library branch.


IF YOU GO

Trace Your Roots: An African-American Genealogy

2-3 p.m., Saturday, February 25

OneStop Centerville: 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville, GA 30039

Phone: 770-978-5154