FAMILY + HISTORY

How Black People Overcome Dead Ends in Their Family Tree

Advice about conducting a genealogical search

Man in a pink hoodie standing near a woman holding a flower | Photo by Antoni Shkraba via Pexels

When the chattel slavery system ended, Black Americans began the daunting task of searching for their family, friends, and loved ones, often unsuccessfully. Many published advertisements in newspapers describing their last known whereabouts…