Family genealogy, especially in the Dutch-settled Hudson River Valley, is akin to an intricately woven fabric. An upcoming online event hopes to show how interrelated the history of white and black Americans is in the region.
On Sunday, February 1, from 2 to 4 pm, the African American Archive of Columbia County, in collaboration with the Hudson Area Library, will host the third in their Speaking About History lecture series: “The Long Road Home: Genealogy and Race in the Hudson Valley.”
This is an in-person and online event. Reservations are required via Eventbrite. Online reservation is located here. In-person reservations are available here.
The following members of a panel will discuss their genealogical experiences:
● Debra Bruno discusses researching her Dutch family and their slave-holding past as well as her encounter with Eleanor Mire, a descendant of one of those Debra’s family enslaved. This research and encounter led to the publication of Bruno’s bestselling book, A Hudson Valley Reckoning: Discovering The Forgotten History of Slaveholding In My Dutch American Family.
● Together, Bruno and Mire will discuss the emotional consequences of connecting, sharing thoughts and feelings as well as addressing and dispelling uncomfortable truths about family and national histories.
● Lisa Fludd-Smith, co-founder, president of the African American Archive of Columbia County, will share her feelings as a descendant of the Black Van Ness and Van Alen families and the discovery that her ancestors were enslaved by Columbia County’s most prominent residents.
She and Peter Smith, co-founder and genealogist of the Archive,explain how this research not only led to a creation of a family tree which, to date, has more than 2,000 entries dating back to mid-1700s, but also fostered the establishment of the African American Archive of Columbia County.
The panel will be moderated by Vicki Jimpson-Fludd, co-founder and executive director of the African American Archive of Columbia County.
An audience Q&A will follow the discussions. Refreshments will be served. Information on preserving and digitalizing family records, documents and photos will be available.
The African American Archive of Columbia County, New York exists to document, preserve, and share a deeper understanding of the history of Black people in the upper Hudson Valley.
The Hudson Area Library History Room houses a collection that pertains to the history of the City of Hudson, Greenport and Stockport; as well as Columbia County and New York State.
Read more about genealogy in New York State or learn about New York’s Black history.
Illustration made with made with Google AI provided.
Source link
