CBH Talk | Voices from the Past: Tracing Black Lineage and the Power of Genealogy

Being the narrators and experts of our own pasts comes with unique challenges for Black Americans. What we know about our families matters—and everyone deserves the ability to honor their ancestors’ stories.

The Center for Brooklyn History’s new exhibition, Trace/s, explores the crucial work of Black genealogists who challenge the common misconception that the stories of enslaved people are lost to history. Join them for an evening of conversation and insight with two leaders in the field: Stacey Bell, President of the New York Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, and D. Joshua Taylor, President of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society. Moderated by CBH Chief Historian Dominique Jean-Louis, this dialogue will illuminate the resources, complexities, and breakthroughs in genealogy—centering Black experiences while also opening up the broader field of family history research.