Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett
Welcome to Ancestor's Footprints—the podcast where the past comes alive! Whether you're a curious beginner, an avid genealogist, or someone who believes that uncovering family history is a lifelong journey, this show is for you. With each episode, we'll bring you incredible stories, expert insights, and practical tips to help you trace your roots and connect with your heritage. I’ve lined up passionate experts who will not only share their knowledge and resources but also answer your most pressing genealogy questions. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden gems in your family’s history and inspire you to take the next step in your journey. So, get ready to explore, discover, and honor the footprints your ancestors left behind. Your story starts here. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.
Episodes
Genealogy often feels like a treasure hunt, and genealogists, like treasure hunters, run into “dead ends” all the time. One important method for getting back on track is to look for living relatives who can fill in the gaps in our family stories. With step-by-step guidance, methodologies, and practical examples, Genealogy in Reverse. Finding the Livin...
Dr. Antoinette Harrell, a genealogist, family historian, and local historian in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, is renowned for her pioneering work in uncovering the peonage system that persisted in the Southern United States long after the abolition of slavery. She has been instrumental in helping countless families trace their ancestry and has brought national attention to hidden histories through her research and documentari...
Collaborative Genealogy is a powerful, yet underused tool when it comes to building a family tree. With it, people can grow their trees farther than possible when working alone.
Emmaline MacBeath is a genetic genealogist and a children’s author under the pen name Emmaline Rose. She specializes in African-American genealogy and the use of DNA to identify unknown family. Connecting people to their family sto...
Long before the Great Migration, African Americans were already building lives and communities across Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Join professional genealogist Mica L. Anders as she uncovers the forgotten stories of Black pioneers, homesteaders, and entrepreneurs who helped shape the state from the 1850s through the 1890s. From Civil War veterans claiming land under the Homestead Act...
In this episode, Cherekana Feliciano will share her journey to search for her Civil War ancestor, Larkin Woodruff's pension file. She will describe what she learned from those files and the amazing surprise discovery made along the pension file journey.
Cherekana Feliciano is a genealogist, public history enthusiast and law school graduate. She has been conducting family history research for...
Martha S. Jones grew up feeling her Black identity was obvious to all who saw her. But weeks into college, a Black Studies classmate challenged Jones’s right to speak. Suspicious of the color of her skin and the texture of her hair, he confronted her with a question that inspired a lifetime of introspection: “Who do you think you are?” Now a prizewinning scholar of Black history, Jones...
These records provide an invaluable window into the lives of newly emancipated African Americans, as well as the broader post-Civil ...
Over a decade ago, Irish woman Martine Brennan took a DNA test which surprisingly revealed that she had unknown African American cousins. With no family oral history to guide her she began the search to find her connection to her cousins.
Martine Brennan is an London-born Irish woman, public historian & genealogist. Creator of the database of Irish slaveholders in South Caro...
In this episode, genealogist and legacy coach Terri Ward, known as The Front Porch Genealogist, provides a heart-centered conversation about the many ways people show up to do the work of family history. Drawing from her work in Coastal Georgia, and her unique framework of four genealogy archetypes: Porch Sitters, Torch Tenders, Root Tenders, and Lineage Liberators, Terri explores how identity, curiosity,...
The Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) is an educational institute dedicated to advancing African American genealogical research through structured, in-depth training. Since its founding nearly 13 years ago, MAAGI has provided a unique and immersive learning experience, bringing together researchers, historians, and genealogists at all levels. MAAGI’s mission is to equip family historians & genealogists with ...
The McGowan Funeral Home Collection Project is an effort to safeguard historical records, stories, and legacies that might otherwise have been lost, and to breathe new life into these memories for current and future generations. The collection holds significance in showcasing Dallas's cultural, familial, and historical identity, emphasizing the importan...
From Adgateville to Africa
Join Patricia Glover-Howard on a personal journey to trace her ancestors from Adgateville, Jasper County, Georgia, to Africa. At the age of 13, the movie Roots ignited her passion for uncovering her family’s history. Years later, a DNA test revealed long-lost ancestral ties, leading her to connect with cousins across generations and continents. Thr...
If you don’t share your story, someone else will—through assumptions, incomplete facts, or their own biases. Owning your narrative means preserving your truth, your experiences, and your legacy, exactly as you want it to be remembered. It’s about reclaiming your voice and making sure your story is told authentically, before it’s rewritten or forgotten.
Anita He...
What do the Haitian Revolution, the War of 1812, and Denmark Vesey’s planned revolt have in common? Abraham Ashe—an enslaved man turned free person of color in Charleston whose life touched every corner of Black Atlantic history.In this episode, researcher and storyteller Joel Johnson uncovers the extraordinary story of his 5th great-grandfather, Abraham Ashe. Visiting Charleston and m...
The show will discuss the research and remarkable life of Dr. Matilda Evans, the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina.
Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr. obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. In 2018, he established Renaissance ...
The life story of a Black Homesteader in Mississippi
The descendants of Malery Quitman Wells are proud of his legacy and contributions to American history. His perseverance, courage, and astuteness are an illustration of how human resiliency lives on and is our rich heritage. Although Quitman was born a slave, he survived Mississippi during the difficulties of the ...
Moses Williams (1776-1830) was the first Black museum professional. Both he and his family went through various states of unfreedom, structured by the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780. My recent article reconstructs three generations of his family's genealogy and takes a closer look at how the indentures authorized by the 1780 Act affected the family.
Dr. Ellen Fer...
A National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Tara Roberts spent the last few years following, diving with, and telling stories about a group of ...
This compelling memoir chronicles a higher education career that spans more than four decades. Dr. Schexnider’s college years ran parallel to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War—both of which shaped his life and career in profound ways. He also explores the evolution of public policy, from affirmative action and equal employment opportunity (AA/EEO) to today’s efforts to dismantle ...
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