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| From left to right: Tatyana Oyinloye, ASA staff, and Black History commissioners Carla Coleman, Jesse Hargrove and Ricky Lattimore pose with Gen. Gracus Dunn at the 40th Annual Conference on the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. |
Three members of the Black History Commission of Arkansas, a
governor’s representative and an Arkansas State Archives employee recently
attended a national conference focused on 400 years of black history.
“Because of slavery, it can be very
difficult for African Americans to locate their ancestors,” said Tatyana
Oyinloye, coordinator of the African American History Program at the Arkansas
State Archives. “In part, this conference is a place to educate and teach new
avenues of finding African American ancestors.”
The 40th National Conference of the Afro-American
Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc., (AAHGS) in Washington, D.C. drew hundreds
of people and featured keynote
speakers who addressed genealogy and history. Arkansas Black History
Commissioners Carla Coleman, chair; Dr. Jesse
Hargrove, vice chair; and Pastor Ricky Lattimore attended the conference, which
was themed “400 Years of Black History: The Struggles, Challenges and
Perseverance.” Oyinloye and Jennifer Siccardi, a representative from the
Governor’s Office, also attended.
Conference sessions included presentations on African American
genealogy, oral history and plans for DNA testing. Attendees also heard about
significant history, such as the story of Elizabeth
Proctor Thomas, a free black woman whose home was torn down during the Civil War
to create Fort Stevens near Washington, D.C.
The conference is the largest, international African American conference
that promotes African American family history,
genealogy and culture, according to the AAHGS website.
Commissioners and Oyinloye visited historical sites and learned about history
that paved the way for African Americans across the U.S.
“Every year, I learn new things that help me help people in
Arkansas get one step closer in researching their family history,” Oyinloye
said. “You also have the opportunity to share your stories with others from
across the U.S. People have actually found long-lost relatives during these
conferences.”
Oyinloye said she visited the Lincoln Memorial, U.S. Capitol,
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, African American Civil War Memorial and
Museum, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and Historic Sotterley
Plantation in southern Maryland. “I actually was able to go inside an original
slave cabin,” Oyinloye said.
Commissioners and ASA staff have attended this conference for many
years. During their Nov. 14 quarterly meeting,
commissioners said the experience was amazing and that the conference was full
of little-known facts. The information will lead to better research skills,
more understanding and a better ability to preserve African American history in
Arkansas, they said.
