Michigan Genealogical Council Fall Seminar

Saturday, September 18, 2021
MGC Fall Virtual Family History Seminar with Bernice Alexander Bennett
9:00 am to 5:00 pm – Virtual seminar

 

 

Award-winning author, genealogist, talk show host and storyteller, Bernice Alexander Bennett will be our speaker. Bennett is the recipient of the first Ida B. Wells Service Award from the Sons and Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passages for her dedication to broadcast the stories about enslaved and indentured ancestors of African descent. Her book, “Tracing Their Steps” is the winner of the 2021 New Generation Indie Book Award and the Phillis Wheatley Award. Bennett is a nationally recognized speaker, having presented at conferences such as the National Genealogical Society, Midwest African American Genealogy Institute, RootsTech, Afro-American Historical and Genealogy Society, the International Black Genealogy Summit, and more.

 

Please share this information with your society members, on your website, and social media postings.

 

The cost to attend is $25, with early bird savings of $5 through midnight Labor Day, September 6. 

Click here to register.

 

We look forward to you joining us on September 18!

Michigan Genealogical Council Seminar Committee

Join us for these exciting topics.

9:00 – 9:15 am: Welcome and remarks (Rozlyn Kelly, MGC President, Mark Harvey, Archives of Michigan State Archivist, Tim Gleisner, Library of Michigan Special Collections Manager)

 

9:15 – 10:15 am: Bernice Alexander Bennett – USCT Civil War Widows Pension Records Tell the Story will discuss the anatomy of a Civil War Widows Pension file and several examples to illustrate the value of using these records.

 

10:30 – 11:30 am: Bernice Alexander Bennett – Black Homesteaders at the Crossroad of Freedom will answer these questions: Who were the homesteaders? What is the Homestead Act of 1862? What are the eligibility requirements? What is the application process? and What can you find in the land entry papers?

 

11:45 am – 12:45 pm: Tim Gleisner, Library of Michigan Special Collections Manager – What can you find with your Library of Michigan Card? Learn about resources available to Library of Michigan cardholders for family history research including the Grand Rapids Press historical archives, the Michigan Chronicle, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Toronto Globe and Mail, and Michigan Sanborn maps.

 

 

1:15 – 2:15 pm: Bernice Alexander Bennett – Writing and Telling Your Story. Do you have a story to tell and don’t know how to write or tell it? This session will explore how you can turn your genealogical research into a compelling and engaging family story.

 

2:30 – 3:30 pm: Bernice Alexander Bennett – Follow the Witnesses will show how following witnesses on documents can reveal the community history.

 

3:45 – 4:45 pm: Kris Rzepczynski, Senior Archivist, Archives of Michigan– Researching Your Family’s History at the Archives of Michigan. An introduction to the Archives of Michigan, this program will explore the genealogical collections available there, including original source records, published resources, and online tools at Michiganology. Also, learn about the ongoing Michigan naturalization and probate records digitization projects.