Announcing US Black Heritage Family Builders Program

Question

Hello WikiTreers!

I'm very excited to announce our newest program called Family Builders. What is it? We will build trees from scratch for anyone with US Black heritage who can give us enough information to get us back to the 1940 census or similar time period records. They do not need to be WikiTree members to apply, but will need to create an account before we can add the family tree information. 

Our project is already adding thousands of brand new profiles, but this will be even more meaningful because we will be adding an entire tree for a person who can then share that tree with their family. We will also help anyone transfer their tree from another platform.

You can read more about the program on our team page: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:US_Black_Heritage_Family_Builders_Team

You can share this with your family, friends, genealogical groups, even complete strangers! We want to build everyone's trees!

You can bookmark our request form in order to share it

Comments

Please help WikiTree spread the word about this wonderful program. An easy way to do it is to reshare this Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=124768013277906&id=101106325644075
Thanks!

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Shared and tagged a few people that have a lot of connections!!

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Dr. Henry Louis Gates just gave us this wonderful quote to help with promotion:

"I believe every African American should trace their family tree, but it can be hard or expensive to get started. The Family Builders Program will generously assist thousands of Black Americans in restoring the names of their ancestors."

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This is actually a question: My genealogical focus for many years has been Knox (and surrounding) County in Ohio, mainly because I'm descended from an early settler there and they have such extensive records available online. (They never had a courthouse fire, and have taken care to preserve records at the county level.) There were early African-American citizens there, dating from the 1820s on...and perhaps even earlier. They were not, at the time they lived in Ohio, slaves. Is there any interest in these families being included in the USBH families program? If so, is there a "sticker" to identify them as USBH profiles?

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Hi Carole, absolutely yes! We document all African-Americans across time in US history regardless of freedom status. We add the {{African-American Sticker}} to all of their profiles. If they were free, we use the category [[Category: <state>, Free People of Color]]

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I added 5 USBH profiles yesterday and am in the process of tagging and categorizing them, starting with this profile. I'm pretty sure I have the Sticker right, but I cannot get the Category to show. This family all indicated they were born in Pennsylvania, but they were living in Ohio in 1850. I've tried [[Category: Pennsylvania | Ohio, Free People of Color]], and also just using either Pennsylvania or Ohio instead of the two. None of them will appear on the profile. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Here's the profile: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-583653 It isn't complete; I have more Bio to add.

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The category is there.  The categories only show as a list at the bottom of the profile now.  You can jump down there by clicking the categories tab towards the top of the profile ( the line of tabs just above the name), or just scroll to the bottom of the page.

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Thank you, Carolyn! Just about the time I think I understand how to do something, that "something" changes! 

Answer 1

This is a great addition to WikiTree and the USBH Project. Congratulations on this program!

Answer 2

Wow, this sounds totally awesome Emma! I’d love to help in some area if possible.

Comments

Let me know if you want to work on trees or research. I'll invite you to the spreadsheet. It will be a little while until the requests come in.

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I'd love to help research!

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Hi L.B. Family Builders are members of the US Black Heritage Project, which we'd love to have you join here:

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1244495/the-black-heritage-project-could-really-use-more-volunteers

Or you could follow the tag family_builders and look for research help requests posted here in g2g by family builders who need help while they're working.

Answer 3

Oooh!

This will help my cousins for sure!! Let me know if you need help doing some building!

Comments

Yay! I can't wait to help them build trees.

Answer 4

I would love love love to help and be apart of this project!

Comments

Lizz, I'm sending you a message since I need to check in with you about the PATH and we can talk about this program too. Thanks!

Answer 5

It goes without saying, I am definitely interested in the Family Builder program! 

Comments

I got you added Denise. Thanks!

Answer 6

I would love to help with this project!  I think this is a wonderful idea to help others uncover their family history!

Comments

Hi Michelle, Family Builders need to be a part of the USBH Project so they understand our conventions and standards. We'd love to have you become a part of our project. Just let me know and I can send you the info. If you'd prefer to be a part of research help instead, you can follow the tag family_builders. Members will post when they get stuck on research. Thanks!

Answer 7

Wonderful idea!  Hope more people can connect with their heritage!  I have built what I could on the pedigree of one of my best friends.  The profiles are all open, and it's a very interesting heritage!  Please add them to your project (or categorization):

George Elebeck's Pedigree

Comments

There is some wonderful diversity in his tree! I've added the project sticker to many of the profiles. Thanks!

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Skye, I went fishing around in here and found something fun your friend might enjoy (I'll add it to George's page as well, but you might not be watching it:)

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88651673/performance-of-the-sacramento-melody/

another performance here: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88651427/performance-from-the-sacramento-melody/

Answer 8

WOW and Wonderful :)

Answer 9

I am a black Canadian building my tree. Hoping that this project will fill in my tree!

https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Griffith-Family-Tree-10490

Comments

Hi J. Unfortunately, we're only able to focus on USA research at this time, but don't hesitate to ask for research help in g2g. Canadian researchers will be available to help you with specific research questions.

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I took a quick look at your tree and see that some recent ancestry is out of Canada .... do you know if you had any relatives that moved from Dominica or Cuba to the United States?

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Hi Elaine,

No, I can't think of anyone who may have moved from the Caribbean to the States. If I think of anyone, I will let you know.

Thank you!

Answer 10

I would like to nominate the descendants of Joshua Halsey as candidates for this family builder program.  I checked and he does not appear to have a WikiTree profile.  See THIS CNN ARTICLE about him.  

In keeping with WikiTree policy about not naming living people, I am not putting any descendant names here, but a couple are mentioned in the article.  Perhaps even a mini-project about the 1898 Wilimington, North Carolina massacre would be appropriate to start.

Answer 11

I'd love to help, please sign me up ;)

Answer 12

This is a great idea!  How far back are the volunteers willing to go?  Is it just to the 1850 census or further?

Comments

Hi D, We are promising to do our best to get all the family ancestors filled in to the 2nd great grandparents if we can find the documents. In some cases, we may not get that far and in other cases we might keep on going if we're on a roll finding records. We mainly want everyone to have at least a "basic" tree. 

Answer 13

This has long been an interest of mine, even though I have very few ancestors involved, because I have realized through researching my own family just how very, very DIFFICULT (if not impossible) my own research would be if my family members weren't even included by name in the Census records before 1870! Please add me in on this! (I'm in St Charles, Missouri, and have access to the county records here, which are not online.) I will work on either trees or research, or both. Whatever's necessary.