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Piecing Together the Past: Tools and Techniques for

African American Genealogy

Join us for a FREE virtual program on January 21st at 2:30 p.m. ET!

This class offers a practical guide for exploring African American family history focusing on resources and methods to overcome obstacles in research. Participants will learn to use federal and state records, including censuses, oral histories, Freedmen's Bureau records, slave schedules, and church records, as well as lesser-known resources like Freedman’s Bank records, military pensions, and local community archives. We’ll discuss tips for DNA analysis to connect with lost branches, and ways to build a family tree despite record gaps. Illustrated through compelling case studies drawn from real research experiences, this session will provide you with the tools to build and preserve a family history across generations.

Sarah Day is a young genealogist and is a current student at BYU, seeking a genealogy bachelor's degree. She was a presenter at RootsTech in 2021, 2022, and 2024. She has also presented at a number of other conferences and for societies. She will also be presenting at RootsTech in 2025. Sarah was a team member for the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment and is currently a researcher for the Century of Black Mormons project. She specialises in the areas of the United States, African American and DNA but has also done work in Denmark, Italy, Eastern Europe, Armenia, and the Philippines.Sarah is also working towards earning the Accredited Genealogist Credential from ICAPGen, specializing in the Southwest region of the United States. She has already passed her level one and has taken her level two and three and is currently awaiting the results.