Upcoming Events

Commemoration of the Early County Massacre
Dec
28

Commemoration of the Early County Massacre

On December 28, 2024, the Early County community will host the first-ever commemoration of the Early County Massacre, an event dedicated to honoring the lives lost and the resilience of the survivors during this dark chapter of history. The commemoration will take place on the grounds of the historic Early County Courthouse, a symbolic venue that represents reflection and the aspiration for justice.

This solemn yet empowering gathering will bring together descendants of the victims and survivors from as far away as California and Connecticut. For many, this will mark their first visit to Blakely, as they reconnect with their ancestors' legacies and the shared history of the region.

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Genealogy - Virtual - AAHGS ATL
Nov
23

Genealogy - Virtual - AAHGS ATL

Facebook Event

People that research African-ancestored individuals in America are often plagued by the theoretical “1870 Brick Wall.” This phrase stems from the necessity to identify who enslaved an ancestor to find information on them before they were recorded as free on the 1870 census.

Orice Jenkins' presentation involves three short case studies, proving that it’s possible to break through that barrier. One focuses on traditional genealogy, one uses DNA research, and the other resulted from unintentional fate. These examples serve to inspire everyone to try their hand at slavery-era research.

If you would like to attend the meeting, email to aahgsatlanta@gmail.com by November 22. 2024

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Genealogy - AAHGS National Conference
Oct
12

Genealogy - AAHGS National Conference

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Genealogy for a Tragedy: The Early County Massacre

According to the Equal Justice Initiative, over four thousand people were lynched in the American South between 1877 and 1950. Many of their names have been lost to time, even though their descendants may be living within miles of their lynching sites. Some of them have been memorialized as martyrs, but their stories and ancestral backgrounds have been obscured by misinformation and cultural erasure. Grandison R. Goolsby was lynched in Early County, Georgia in 1915, but primary sources about his life were not discovered and published until over 100 years later. The task was Herculean, but not impossible due to advances in genealogical technology, social media, and traditional networking. This presentation will show how sound methodology was used to reconstruct the Goolsby Family Tree and sort through conflicting evidence, while honoring the memory of the victims and survivors of the Early County Massacre and reuniting their descendants.

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Genealogy - IAAGG Annual Conference
Sep
21

Genealogy - IAAGG Annual Conference

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Featured Speakers

  • Dr. Evelyn A. McDowell, Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage Lineage Society

  • Orice Jenkins, Three Ways to Identify An Enslaver

  • Dr. Angela Sutton, The Builders and Defenders Database out of Nashville, Tennessee: A Collaboration Between Scholars, Genealogists, and Descendants of the Civil War

  • Anita L. Wills, In My Mother's Voice: Uncovering the Path to Our Family History

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Genealogy - Williamsburg, VA
Mar
23

Genealogy - Williamsburg, VA

Lemon Project Symposium

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Panel 26: Reassembling the Pieces: Restoration for Descendants of a Race Massacre (Virtual)

Moderator: Bernice Alexander Bennett

Panelists: Shar Goolsby, Orice Jenkins

In 1915, lynching mobs were searching through the dirt roads of Early County, Georgia for a man named Grandison Goolsby, killing his family members as they hunted. 108 years later, genealogist Orice Jenkins cold-called Grandison’s great-granddaughter, Shar Goolsby, after spending five years researching her family. He shared the details of her ancestor’s life and death in a way that she never heard before. Together, they embarked on a pilgrimage to Early County, where their families had lived since the 1830s.

The panelists will discuss the physical and psychological journey of discovering this information. As a family historian, Orice has gone through the work of identifying each of the victims and survivors of the massacre and contacting their descendants, reuniting relatives that had been separated for generations. As a student of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Shar is developing a plan to build an inclusive wellness retreat center in Early County, on the same land her ancestors walked on, tangibly repurposing what had been taken from her family. Both Orice and Shar desire to give back to their ancestral homeland after being forcefully removed due to racialized violence.

The panel will be moderated by one of Orice's mentors, Bernice Alexander Bennett, who will lead the discussion on how Orice and Shar draw from the knowledge of their ancestors to bring healing and restoration to their families. They descend from farmers, politicians, freemasons, carpenters, educators, landowners, and they are dedicated to honoring the memories of their ancestors by seeking justice for their community.

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Hadley, MA
Jul
26

Hadley, MA

Sunken Garden Concert w/ Afro-Semitic Experience

All Wednesday Folk Traditions concerts begin at 6:30 pm in the Sunken Garden at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, 130 River Drive, Route 47, Hadley, MA 01035. General admission is $12, or $2 for children 16 and under. Tickets are available for purchase the day of the concert. Free admission for up to 4 adults and children with EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare card. Picnickers are also welcome on the museum grounds beginning at 5:00 pm. This is a smoke-free site. Please also note that pets are not allowed on the museum grounds. 

In case of rain: concerts will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church at 98 N Maple St Hadley, MA 01035. If concerts are moved, information will be posted to the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Facebook page.

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