Would you like to join the US Black Heritage Project?/2 [closed]

+25 votes
1.2k views

The US Black Heritage Project works on profiles for those enslaved in the U.S. across all times in history, the descendants of those slaves, as well as Americans of African descent.

Some of our goals are to add, connect, and honor members of the African-American community as well as welcoming new WikiTree members and helping them to connect to their ancestors.

If you are a WikiTree member, have signed the Honor Code, and would like to join us, please:

**Answer below** with what activity(s) you would like to help us with and which team you would like to be on: (current choices are 1) Profile Improvement, 2) Slavery, 3) Topics--see our project page for more information. More teams will be created as more members are added).

Do you want to help, but you can't commit to regular activity? Follow the black_heritage tag and watch for posts from us asking for help on specific tasks/projects.

Want an easy task you can do now? Please add the African-American sticker to all of your profiles from this community. This will help us honor them, work on them, and watch our number of profiles grow. {{African-American Sticker}}

Thanks so much!

closed with the note: we have a new post here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1244495/the-black-heritage-project-could-really-use-more-volunteers
in Requests for Project Volunteers by Emma MacBeath G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
closed by Emma MacBeath
Would love to join. Very new to Wikitree. I am trying to learn the format. Thank you.
I would like to suggest that your project adopt the profile for Frazier Baker [[Baker-43872|Frazier B. Baker (-1898)]], a black school teacher and postmaster who was murdered in the late 1800's by a white mob, who also murdered his youngest daughter and attempted to kill his whole family.
Larita, I just sent you a private message which will come to your email.

Alison, I picked up that profile for Frazier. Thanks!

Emma
I'm interested in the Enslaved People section.  I've assembled a land history for a particular property that includes about 28 first names of enslaved people among three enslaving families. I could use some advice for properly recording them within WikiTree.
I would like to join the project. I have multiple contributions already.
I would like to join the Black Heritage Project.  I am currently working on creating profiles for my enslaver ancestors and the enslaved people who worked on their properties.  I would like to know how to improve my work and insure the documentation can do the most to benefit those who need this information.    Thank you!  Judy
Thanks, Judith! I've sent you a message.

37 Answers

+17 votes

I would like to join the project as part of the Profile Improvement and Topics teams smiley

by Anonymous Martin G2G6 Mach 2 (28.6k points)
Thanks Maxx. I sent you a private message with more information.
+15 votes
I wouldn't mind lending a hand in this project the best way I can.

I had previously taken on a Tuskegee Airman Robert Cole and allot of work was accomplished too.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cole-23375

~Brian Kerr
by Living Kerr G2G6 Pilot (327k points)
Just an FYI...

I had added the appropriate tag as per the project page and It appears that I now fit the criteria for joining this project.

Thanks a Bunch! :-)

~Brian Kerr
Hi Brian, sending you a PM with more information. Thanks! Emma
I had just responded to your PM. Thank you very much! :-)

~Brian Kerr
+13 votes
I, too, would like to join this project.  A branch of my family tree is descended from a freed slave, Jackson-32511.

I think that Enslaved People and Profile Improvement are two teams that I can help.
by Candyce Fulford G2G6 Pilot (117k points)
Hi Candyce, I had sent you a message a couple of weeks ago, but sometimes my emails go astray. I'll resend it. Emma
Thank you.  I'll look for your message.
+11 votes
I do not have the spare time to actually join the project, but would suggest that your project might like to adopt a profile that I created last year for Nannie Helen Burroughs. It is so far unconnected, but I have sources for her parents, which are listed in the bio.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Burroughs-2172
by Alison Gardner G2G6 Mach 8 (82.0k points)

thank you so much for creating this profile, Alison! I sent you a request to add the project. I understand that you don't have time to regularly work on project needs, but any time you can add a new profile or add to an existing one, that really helpssmiley

Thank you for taking it on!
+12 votes

As per the discussion in email. 

I guess profile improvement (if you consider my usual "style" as improving profiles cheeky) and / or topical would be best.  (I have an interest in firsts, notables, and notable women (who seem to be listed twice on the US Black Heritage Project Teams page).)

by Melanie Paul G2G6 Pilot (419k points)
I've got you on our list. Thanks, Melanie! I love all the work you do to make profiles great.
+15 votes
Sign me up, Emma! I enjoyed working on Gate's family.
by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
Welcome Pippen!  And I think Team Gates did a fantastic job as shown by Dr. Gates reaction to the presentation!
Hi, Bartley! Gates’ reaction touched me. I felt glad to be a part of it.
+12 votes
I would like to join this project, Emma, with emphasis on Profile Improvement/Connecting.
by Natalie Trott G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
Got you added!
+11 votes
I would like to join the project as part of the Enslaved People team.  I'm already trying to identify descendants of slaves held by my own ancestors, so this seems like a good fit.  Also, in the past I have worked on Wikipedia articles for some of the black Texas Legislators that were elected during the Reconstruction period.
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/forever/index.html
by Randall Merriott G2G6 Mach 1 (10.8k points)
I just sent you a message about the project. Thanks! Emma
+12 votes
I have been researching family history since 1988 and am interested in Topics and Profile Improvements section.
by Living Connor G2G1 (1.4k points)
Thanks for volunteering, Kevin. I just sent you a private message with more information. Thanks! Emma
+11 votes
Hello,

I would like to help out with the Enslaved People part of the project and will add the sticker to profiles I create. I am currently working on gathering information about people enslaved by my ggg- and gggg-grandfathers' households in Panola County, Texas. So far I only have 1850 and 1860 the slave schedules, without names attached. I'll probably stick with tracking down as much as I can about people enslaved by my relatives first and then could expand to help improve other profiles. I'm also in the process of adding information to beyondkin.org and am following the projects of https://enslaved.org/.
Thanks - Sacha
by Sacha Heath G2G3 (3.9k points)
Thanks, Sacha. I just sent you a private message with more project info. Emma
+11 votes
Hello. I would like to work on the Enslaved People project. In researching my family tree, I discovered records documenting names of several enslavers in early New Jersey, as well as manumission records. I want this information brought to light for anyone else searching.
by Christine Hill G2G Crew (770 points)
Thanks, Christine. I just sent you a private message with more project info. Emma
+12 votes
Please include me in the Black Heritage Project.  I am currently documenting those people enslaved by my ancestors in hope of building records for descendants searching for their ancestors.  Any help in doing this the correct way is appreciated!
by Boni Quandt G2G4 (4.6k points)
Thanks, Boni. I just sent you a private message with more information about the project. Emma
Boni, I've been doing the same thing with some of my ancestors who were slave holders. Researching the families of the slaves they held.  It's really interesting.  And you may learn some stuff about your ancestors that you may not like.  But it's history.  And it's good to know our history.
+12 votes
Hello, I would like to join this project.  I'm interested in the US Black Heritage Enslaved People Team.

Thank you,

Donna
by Donna Wilson G2G1 (1.2k points)
I just sent you a message with more information. Thanks, Donna! Emma
+8 votes

I would like to join the Black History Project in the area of Profile Creation/Improvement.  I've already created many profiles of Black families from Culpeper, Virginia, extending to New York and Tennessee, in an attempt to find a connection for them to the Global tree.  When I first started trying to connect them, I did not realize they were Black families and the difficulties of finding connections but now it has become my personal challenge to eventually get them connected!   One question on the African-American sticker, should I add these to all these profiles that are identified by records as Black?  Also, I saw this from Fold3 today that Dept of Defense is asking for help in identifying remains of Buffalo Soldiers (92nd Infantry Div) from WWII, by trying to find relatives who will do DNA tests.  Maybe WikiTree can help spread the word.  More info here

by Katie Bryant G2G6 Mach 5 (59.6k points)
Hi Katie, we have a monthly challenge for those of us trying to add as many new profiles for Black Americans as we can. We would love you to join that as well. The sign up for March is here: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1194986/join-us-black-heritages-connecting-challenge-march-2021 Any new profiles that you've already created that fits the rules, count for March.

Yes, we are currently adding the African-American sticker to all profiles for Black Americans, so we can count how many profiles we have and to help us connect these families.

I'll send you more information about the project by private message. Thanks!
+7 votes
I'd be interested in the profile improvement and historical teams. This is a longtime interest of mine, I majored in American history and sort of minored in African-American history, and I got very interested when asked to help clarify questions about Benjamin Banneker's ancestry a few years ago. I'm an admirer and very slight acquaintance of Stanley Crouch and just added him to the tree.
by John Crouch G2G1 (1.1k points)
Hi John, your experience with these older profiles will be much appreciated! I'm sending you a private message with more project information. Emma
+7 votes
I would like to start out with the connections challenge
by Julie Peterson G2G6 (9.9k points)
Hi J, I've seen your contributions on the challenge tracker. Thanks so much for adding new profiles! You don't need to be a project member to participate each month.
+9 votes
I'm interested working on the Enslaved People section. When I find a family that lists slaves and descriptions of them, I'd like to have a place to start adding those descriptions somewhere for others to view and add to as well. I am personally interested in researching the peoples of Tennessee, but also early North Carolina and Virginia peoples.
by Stephanie White G2G5 (5.9k points)
Fabulous, Stephanie! I sent you a message with more information. Emma
+9 votes

Hi Emma,

I would like to join the US Black Heritage Enslaved People Teams. When I was researching a family member's ancestry, I came across a church register in Union Co., Kentucky that listed baptisms for slaves and often listed the names of their parents and the slave holder. I have been able link many of them to people in the 1870 and/or 1880 Federal Census. If possible, I would like to start entering their names into WikiTree.

by Lisa Christensen G2G Crew (750 points)
This is amazing, Lisa! I sent you a message with more information. Emma
I am interested in finding my 3rd great grandparents, parents.
Hi L'Tanya. I remember working on some of your Shankle family on behalf of a distant cousin of yours. Which 3rd great grandparents are you looking for?
+9 votes
Would love to join! Such important work.
by Kelley Conner G2G5 (5.9k points)
Thanks, K. I just sent you a message with more information. Emma
+8 votes
My husband recently discovered that at least one of his ancestors who owned slaves fathered children with them. we have worked to find as many descendants and relatives of those children as we can.  We started in FamilySearch and are now adding profiles here. I would like to Join the profile improvement team.
by Cindy Van Dam G2G6 (9.3k points)
thanks, Cindy. I've sent you a message with more information about the project.

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