Research at the National Archives and Beyond!

Join Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano for a conversation with Charles Holman regarding the parents of his great-great grandmother who escaped slavery. Charles is the great-grandson of an enslaved person who in freedom became a civil rights leader and one of the first lawyers of color in his state.  Since that time nearly 150 years ago, civil rights has been a dedicated mission in Charles' family as well as Charles' personal calling

Join Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano for a conversation with Ethan West as he shares his research regarding his West ancestors (Dolph and Millie West), various research trips through Tennessee, and the powerful connections and relationships that evolved from his journey.  It is empowering to know your lineage and it is essential to understanding what needs to be done now and in the future. Everyone has a story!

  Join Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano for a conversation with Akosua Moore and Kimberly Morgan. Akosua Moore and Kimberly Morgan were two strangers brought together through genealogical and historical research. At the center of their connection is a man named Stephen Binyard, who is Moore's ancestor and is buried in Edgerly Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina. The two women met in person for the first time in 2014 and during this first encounter, they discovered that not only were they researching the same person but they also shared the same dream - to do genealogical research with Dr. Henry Louis Gates for "Finding Your Roots". Since then, not only has their research into Stephen Binyard uncovered a larger history about the lives of the formerly enslaved people buried in Edgerly Cemetery and who were once enslaved on Edgerly Plantation, but the two women have also realized their dream of working for "Finding Your Roots"! 

  Join Janice & Cherekana for a discussion with Command Master Chief (CMC), United States Navy, Larae Frazier Baker. CMC Baker was selected for the Command Senior Chief program and then selected for CMC in 2016. Several months later, she was chosen for CMC reporting onboard the USS Gravely (DDG 107), Norfolk, VA from 2016-2019. While assigned, she was deployed to the SIXTH Fleet AOR as the Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG-1) Flag Ship in support of NATO partnerships. CMC Baker is currently serving onboard USS Arlington (LPD 24), Jacksonville, FL. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Work Force Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Her decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (4 awards), and various unit and campaign awards.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! with Leslie Anderson for a conversation about Stories from the 1st U.S. Colored Cavalry. The 1st U.S. Colored Cavalry included free men, freedmen, freedom-seekers, and white officers from the United States and around the world. Who were they? Where did they come from? Where did they go? And what of those who didn't survive? Many who returned to civilian life established families and contributed to their communities. Others struggled with debilitating injuries, madness, and broken hearts. This program examines the pre-and post-war lives of selected troops and officers by using pension applications and sources from local history. Learn about strategies and sources that you can apply to your research.   Leslie Anderson, a native Virginian, is the owner of Anderson Historic Research, LLC, and a former reference librarian at Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections Branch. Named a Virginia Humanities Scholar in 2020, she won the 2013 NGS Family History Writing Contest. Her publications include, Virginia Slave Births Index, 1853-1865 (Project Editor), Alexandria (Co-author), and the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. Leslie holds a Master of Science in Library Science, and her genealogical education includes GRIP, IGHR, and Gen-Fed. She's a member of AAHGS, NGS, and VGS. She blogs at "1st U.S. Colored Cavalry: Private Lives, Public Records."  

Join Janice and Cerkana of Speak on It! for a discussion with Dr. Evelyn McDowell, chair of Rider University's accounting department in Lawrenceville, NJ.  She co-chaired the task force who recommended the removal of the name “Van Cleve” from an 18th-century house on Rider University's campus following the discovery that its namesake, Benjamin Van Cleve, supported slavery. Rider University removed the name “Van Cleve” from an 18th-century house on its campus following this discovery. McDowell is a founding board member of the National Society of the Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage, a lineage society that works to preserve the memory and history of slavery.

Join hosts Janice and Cherekana for a conversation with Melvin J. Collier, Author, Genealogist, Presenter, and Blogger.  Melvin will share information regarding his website:  Roots Revealed and his book, 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended. Melvin J. Collier has been conducting historical and genealogical research for over 25 years, starting at the age of 19. He is a former civil engineer, who used his passion for African American history and historical preservation to foster a career change. He then earned a Master of Arts degree in African American Studies, Clark Atlanta University, in 2008, with additional graduate coursework in Archival Studies from Clayton State University.

Join hosts Janice and Cherekana for a conversation with author, Kathy Marshall:  Lots of Roots investigation led Kathy Marshall on another thrilling journey into her family's tangled historical past, finding black and white ancestors she'd never known, leading to places she'd never been, and uncovering secrets that did not want to be told. The family only knew that Grandpa Austin Marshall smoked sweet-smelling cigars, sported a white linen suit, jingled coins in his pockets, and was born in Columbus, Georgia. So how did he put his son through medical school on a Pullman porter's salary? Marshall will share some of her research methodologies, which may help you find results too.

Join host Janice and Cherekana for a conversation with Warren Eugene Milteer Jr, Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  We will discuss his new book, Beyond Slavery's Shadow: Free People of Color in the South. Warren is also the author of North Carolina's Free People of Color, 1715-1885 (LSU Press, 2020), the independently published Hertford County, North Carolina's Free People of Color and Their Descendants (2016), as well as articles in the Journal of Social History and the North Carolina Historical Review. Milteer was the recipient of the Historical Society of North Carolina's R. D. W. Connor Award in 2014 and 2016 for the best journal article in the North Carolina Historical Review.

Join hosts Janice and Cerekana of Speak On It! for a conversation with Rodney Sam about the Legacy: Marie Senegal - his African Ancestor. Marie is Rodney Sam's paternal 7th great-grandmother and the oldest known ancestor of African descent.  She was born in 1699 in Africa and was in the French colony of Louisiana by the 1720s. She is described as "Marie Senegal" and was emancipated out of slavery in 1769 by Andre Masse, an early French trader, and rancher, in Louisiana with her family. Rodney descends from her daughter, Marie-Flore, who was manumitted over a decade earlier. Rodney Sam is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University. His family has deep Louisiana Creole roots that extend to the beginning of the colony. He is passionate about learning about the history, genealogy, and culture of his Louisiana Creole ancestors.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! for a conversation with Frederick DeShon Murphy. At History Before Us, we understand the importance of history to our collective humanity and we are committed to collecting and preserving it. We are born from many years of family research and a passion for preserving the oral stories taken from the people before us who were part of certain periods of history. With careful attention to historical events came a burning desire to share the knowledge gained via various modalities of education. Our goal is to preserve for future generations, these valuable stories, and experiences that will never return. We are committed to making sure that the masses have insight into historical events with the firm belief historical knowledge provides a background for making solid decisions in the future. As the old saying goes, “he who refuses to learn from the past is doomed to repeat it.” History Before Us understands that history is the lens through which we can put our present experiences into perspective. It is the one thing that shows us who we truly are, and how we arrived at our present state of being. Website: http://www.historybeforeus.com Documentary: http://americansouthfilm.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryBeforeUs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryBeforeUs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historybeforeus

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! for a conversation with Desi L. Campbell. The African American Experience is a vehicle to serve African Americans in genealogical research through various workshops, seminars that will enable them to pursue their own family history and create a lasting presentation of their findings. We encourage African Americans to have a sense of pride and dignity based on their cultural heritage and to assist them in acquiring a growing cultural awareness. We develop sustainable initiatives that examine the African American Experience through genealogy research. Desi is on a mission to help African Americans discover their family history beyond 1870.  His experience in researching wills, probate records, and deeds enables researchers to discover information prior to their ancestor's freedom. Desi also uses his experiences with ancestry DNA, 23 and Me, Family Tree DNA, and GEDmatch to connect relatives of his clients that may not know who they are.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! for a conversation with Taneya Y. Koonce and Renate Yarborough Sanders about North Carolina Genealogy. Let's Talk North Carolina Genealogy! is a platform hosted by Renate Yarborough Sanders and Taneya Y. Koonce. Initially created in June 2020, as a one summer YouTube show to support and provide North Carolina-focused genealogical education for researchers, the initiative has now grown to include an interactive Facebook page, occasional special programming, and a monthly Research Chat, using Zoom,  which has strengthened the  mission to provide a caring, supportive and educationally-enriched community of and for North Carolina researchers. And, by popular demand, Let's Talk North Carolina Genealogy! returned in 2021 with Season 2 of its summer series and will continue the chats through December of this year.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! for a conversation with Ruth D. Hunt about honoring her enslaved Great Great Grandfather - Richard "Dick" Lewis. Ms. Hunt has been researching her great, great grandfather Richard for over 40 years. Early on, she began with the oral history passed down from her Great Aunt Okie Clark, an entrepreneur, who owned a local restaurant with her husband Skipper in Glade Springs, Virginia.  She feels honored, privileged, and proud to paint the picture of her enslaved Great, Great Grandfather and serve as a scribe to tell his story. Ruth D. Hunt has changed the lives of many and is praised for her masterful achievements in the profession of genealogy. Like Alex Haley (her mentor) she wants to awaken people's consciousness and inspire all races to embark upon their personal journeys, explore their Roots, and interconnecting relationships.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! as they discuss Phyllis Elmore's family history. Phyllis was born in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of four, she was sent to the tiny town of Livingston, Alabama to be raised by her grandmother Lula Horn (1883-1988), who made beautiful quilts out of the clothing of her loved ones. Each strip of fabric tells the story of the wearer's life and death. She shared these mostly tragic and sometimes witty tales with little Phyllis as she sewed their clothes into a quilt that threaded broken lives back together. Phyllis now shares these profound stories with the world as Grandmother Lula told them to her.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! for a conversation with Stacey Bell on Family Matters! The importance of knowing your family's story. Every life has a story, but stories of the lives lived by Black people are not told often enough.   We should use genealogy and history to tell the stories of our families as Black people in the diaspora because their lives mattered. Stacey Bell, BS, MPA,  is currently the Program Chair and former Vice President of The Afro American Historical & Genealogical Society – New York Chapter,  current Girl Scout Greater New York Board Member, Urban Women's Safe Haven DV Shelter - Community Advisory Board President, and Genealogist.

Join Hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak On It ! for a conversation with Flora Morris Brown on Sharing Your Family Stories. Flora Morris Brown is an author, publishing coach, and certified Guided Autobiography Facilitator and Trainer who confesses to being a reformed coffee snob and having an unhealthy love of British murder mysteries. She helps everyday people--even those insecure about their writing skills--write their life stories to pass on their experiences, values, and memories to their families to treasure now and as part of their unique legacy. Dr. Brown earned a B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. She enjoyed teaching junior high through university levels over a 40-year career, the last twenty of which were at Fullerton College from which she retired as Professor Emeritus. Drawing from the highlights of happiness research and her adventures as a wife, mom, and educator, Dr. Brown wrote the bestselling book Color Your Life Happy: Create Your Unique Path and Claim the Joy You Deserve. Her most recently released book is Redesigning My Resilient Life:  A Guided Journal for the Pandemic, Social Unrest, and Political Turmoil She invites you to visit her website florabrown.com to learn about her current programs, get free downloads, and discover how to connect with her on social media.

Join hosts Janice and Cherekana of Speak on It!  to celebrate 10 years of broadcasting on Research at the National Archives and Beyond with Bernice Alexander Bennett.   Bernice Alexander Bennett is an award-winning author, genealogist, nationally recognized guest speaker, storyteller, and producer-host of the popular Research at the National Archives and Beyond BlogTalkRadio program. She is also the first recipient of the Ida B. Wells Service Award given by the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage for her dedication to broadcast stories about enslaved and indentured ancestors of African descent. She also received the Elizabeth Clark-Lewis Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Genealogy Award in 2019 for original research in support of African American Genealogy. Bennett is on the Board of Directors for the National Genealogical Society.  

Did your ancestors own land under the Homestead Act of 1862? Join the Descendants of African American Homesteaders to hear about their research and land-owning ancestor's stories. Margo Lee Williams is the great-granddaughter of Florida Homesteader, Randel Farnell and his wife, Sallie Jacobs Farnell. Williams is an award-winning author and genealogist/family historian, having published three books. She is currently the Deputy Registrar for the Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP), and a former editor of the Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. She is currently the Project Historian for the Historical Black Families of Sandy Spring project with the Sandy Spring Museum. Orice Jenkins is from Hartford, Connecticut, and is the great-great-grandson of Vandy Hutchins and Betty Horn. He is a recording artist, performer, educator, and genealogy researcher. His most recent album, 'Centennial Cole', is a celebration of a great voice from the past: Nat 'King' Cole. Released on Truth Revolution Recording Collective in September of 2019, this body of work has been featured in Jazziz, JazzWeekly, and JazzTimes magazines.  An avid genealogist for over 30 years, Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, aka "familytreegirl," was born and raised in Michigan.  She conducts genealogy workshops at local, state, and national conferences. Murphy is known for her inspiring & interactive "SO WHAT" with genealogy research, along with interesting problem-solving methodology lectures such as the use of Timelines. Murphy is also a coordinator and instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) and serves on the Boards of the Library of Virginia. Albemarle Charlottesville and Fluvanna Historical Societies.    Music: Sweet Mellow Spice - AK Alexander

Join Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely for a conversation about why individuals of African descent should return to the continent of Africa to reclaim and embrace their African Heritage. Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely champions the aspirations of women, youth, education, economic-social development and community relations. Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely graduated from the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary College in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Religious Studies. She has received numerous honors as a Community Fellow (1981-82) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an Education Policy Fellow (1982-83) of the International Education Leadership (IEL), a Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania and Nigeria (1984-85); Master of Education Degrees from Harvard University (1982), Teachers College and Columbia University (1983) and a Doctorate of Education Degree from Teachers College (1990).   Opening Music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions, Inc.  

Karen Branan will share the many twists and turns her work for racial justice has taken since the book's release in 2016. This includes meeting and building relationships with Black and White cousins she'd never known of, joining the movement for Lynching Remembrance and Reparations, and working with others to do the kind of research she did for her book. Karen Branan is a long-time investigative reporter and documentary filmmaker whose book The Family Tree: A Lynching in Georgia, A Legacy of Secrets, and My Search for the Truth, caused James Cone, renowned author of The Cross and the Lynching Tree and founder of Black Liberation Theology to write “every American should read this book.”   Opening music - Sweet Mello Spice by AK Alexander Productions

Bound to History: Leoncia Lasalle's Slave Narrative from Moca, Puerto Rico, 1945 Dr. Fernandez-Sacco's recent article is about interviews, enslavement, testimony, and the communities involved in a 1945 interview by the historian Luis Diaz Soler with Leoncia Lassalle then 112 years old, and her 85-year old daughter, Juana Rodriguez Lasalle's experiences under bondage. Fernandez-Sacco offers a context for the account, traces their family history, considers the multiple contexts for this narrative, the limits on archives, and how historical knowledge is made as we do genealogy that engages slavery & life post-emancipation. The need for a collaborative genealogical practice has never been so necessary.  Dr. Ellen Fernandez-Sacco is an independent scholar whose current work focuses on the genealogy and family history of people transitioning into freedom after 1870 in Northwest Puerto Rico. She's co-founder and moderator of Sociedad Ancestros Mocanos, a discussion group that began in 2004. She's also a panelist and curator for Black ProGen Live, hosted by Nicka Smith & True Lewis.  Her publications & blog posts engage themes that constrain family histories and shape institutions also involved with genealogy that includes enslavement, eugenics, museum displays, and the aftereffects of violence. How do we navigate institutions designed to prevent the formation of a sense of historical self and agency? What Lasalle's account urges us to consider are the ways that genealogy navigates structural racism, then and now.    Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander

In 1879, Islay Walden, born enslaved and visually impaired, returned to North Carolina after a twelve-year odyssey in search of an education.  It was a journey that would take him from emancipation in Randolph County, North Carolina to Washington, D. C., where he earned a teaching degree from Howard University, then to the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, in New Jersey. Along the way, he published two volumes of poetry and founded two schools for African American children. Once ordained, he returned Randolph County, where he founded a Congregational church (Strieby Church) and common school. Despite an early death at age forty, he would leave an educational and spiritual legacy that endures to this day. Born Missionary uses Walden’s own words as well as reports from newspapers and church publications to follow his journey from enslavement to teacher, ordained minister, and community leader.  Margo Lee Williams is a graduate of Marquette University, and has her M. A. in Sociology from Hunter College, and an M. A. in Religious Education from The Catholic University of America. She is a frequent lecturer for the Family History Centers in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area, and a former editor of the Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.  She is particularly interested in the community and family histories of people of color in the southeast, especially those in North Carolina and Virginia. Born Missionary is her third book.   Opening Music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions      

Being an African American woman researching and working on plantations, Ja'el often gets the question: why work at a place with such an horrific history?  There are no slave costumes or reenactments for her; this is real life. Whether she is being interrogated to see if she is teaching the watered down version or being met with the unspoken hope that she actually will water it down; every single encounter is unique. Nothing will ever stop Ja'el from researching and providing the life stories of the enslaved with dignity and facts. As a historian, she revisits this type of trauma by choice and, her purpose is to help others process, not suppress. Ja'el Gordon, Louisiana-born Genealogist and Historian is a graduate of Southern University (Baton Rouge) with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She worked for the Division for Student Affairs and created a plethora of successful, engaging events and programs for the student body and community. In 2015, she received her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Southern University - New Orleans and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Jackson State University’s Higher Education program.  Ms. Gordon has owned her genealogy business for several years where she provides family history and genetic genealogy research through educational program facilitation. She specializes in antebellum and enslaved history research in Louisiana and Mississippi. Her research provides corrective narratives of the enslaved, and descendant tracing for present and lost plantations around the State of Louisiana with a special focus on the River Road plantations. She is a Charter Member and President of Louisiana AAHGS Chapter and proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,Inc and, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women.          

It is essential when attempting to trace enslaved ancestors that one become familiar with the laws of each pertinent state or territory regarding the institution of slavery.  Without such a survey of the laws, valuable information can often be overlooked.  Knowledge of laws and their associated records can alert the researcher to more obscure sources of information. Victoria Robinson is an experienced genealogist who, while growing up in Utah, started tracing her family history. After graduating Georgetown University, she continued to be curious of mind and passionate about genealogy. Combining these traits, she also works to help others discover their roots. For nearly 30 years, she has worked as a senior librarian at the Annandale [VA] Family History Center, where she assists patrons and staff with their research and serves as the staff expert in African American genealogy.  She has presented at various local and national genealogy/history conferences over the past 19 years on the topics of research methodology, and using various strategies to uncover African-American family history and genealogy.   Opeing Music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander

You researched your family back to the county where they were living right after enslavement;  located white people in the community with the same surnames and found wills associated with their family. In addition, you may also (or instead) utilize DNA information to lead you to a specific family that held enslaved people. You have done the work of finding records of people and sometimes families linked to a place or maybe two places in time but there is no centralized or searchable place for us to leave those records for others. This discussion will focus on:     • Records that are kept at the County level     • Why enslaved people may use the surnames of the seller, buyer, the grantors or the grantees or another name altogether     • Finding enslaved people that may be sold across the county or state lines      • Searching for a family member that may have been split up Sasha Mitchell is a family and community historian, former chair of African American Heritage for Asheville & Buncombe County, NC. Researching for over 30 years. A mother of 3 sons, age 22, 20 & 17, a former foster mom, a seamstress, miniaturist, and budding woodworker. She works as Operations Manager at Dogwood Alliance, a non-profit devoted to protecting the forests of the South. She loves genealogy research for its power to connect people to history, to places in time, and to communities. And at a time when DNA is exposing connections between white and black families that have long been hidden, family history is helping people to heal and build connections. Opening Music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions  

Get the latest information on the release of the 1950 US Census population schedules on April 1st, 2022. We'll cover how to access the images, how to locate your ancestors based on their address and enumeration district, and share information on how you can volunteer to index the 1950 US Census! Thomas MacEntee is a genealogy professional specializing in using technology and social media to improve genealogy research and to connect with the family history community. http://stevemorse.org   Opening Music: Sweet Melow Spice - AK Alexander Productions

Myrt has stress-free ideas for sharing family history discoveries one story at a time, using a single photo, document, heirloom or historical tidbit. It starts with a 15-minute brainstorming session. DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of genealogy blogger Pat Richley-Erickson also known for hosting genealogy webinars and Zoom “how-to” sessions, with over 1,300 videos on her YouTube channel. She began online genealogy work in 1985 with Q-Link, progressed to PC-Link then America Online’s Genealogy Forum She serves as President of the Association of Professional Genealogists Second Life Chapter. You’ll find Myrt online at Blog.DearMYRTLE.com where she has lately been chronicling new additions to her “ancestor trunk” under the popular title 52 THINGS.   Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions

Join Gaynell Brady, owner and educator at Our Mammy’s for a discussion about the legacy and fallacies of mammy.  Genealogy remembers all of our ancestors, not just the most famous or free people.  In 2013, Our Mammy's was created to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to take care of others. The company was named Our Mammy’s to reclaim the name Mammy, and to emphasize to others that a Mammy was much more than just a name. Mammy cared for generations of plantation owners, laborers, and enslaved Africans and African Americans.  Mammy's strength, courage, wisdom, and tenacity is displayed on every family tree.  Mammy is often stereotyped as an uneducated, submissive, dark skin, overweight maternal woman. Gaynell Brady is an educator and museum professional who is passionate about learning, genealogy,  and museums.  She currently serves as the Owner/Educator at Our Mammy’s LLC, where she teaches families about genealogy and African American history. In her current role as Owner/Educator at Our Mammy’s, she develops and implements hands-on history and genealogy lessons for children using historical research from her family tree.  Past professional experiences include The National World War II Museum, National Park Service Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve and New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Louisiana State Museum, and River Road African American Museum. Gaynell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies from Southern University at New Orleans.  She is currently a PhD candidate at Capella University.   Opening Music: Sweet Mellow by AK Alexander Productions

Difficult truths about slavery, racial injustice, and other harm, bring up a variety of emotions and challenges for genealogy researchers and families. Adrienne Fikes wants us to reframe the narrative about the descendants of enslaved persons and enslavers gathering together to heal. This shift in perspective allows us to stand firm in our deepest truth; have consistent access to unspeakable joy; and develop the deep roots and bubble wrap we need to stay in this principled struggle to understand each other, while addressing the structural issues continuing these wrongs. How many of your 16 great-great-grandparents can you call by name? After a random tweet led her to information about her roots, Adrienne Fikes M.Ed, PCC (she/her) created the #16Greats Challenge, encouraging other GenXers and younger to learn the names of their 16 great-great-grandparents, or understand why they can’t. Adrienne is a seventh-generation Virginian, with deep roots in North Carolina, and is part of the 1st generation to grow up in the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. Adrienne is the Soul Power Coach™ of SoulPowerCoach.com, an executive coach and consultant, TEDx speaker, and author of Finding Your #UnspeakableJoy: Right There Where You Are. Adrienne has a M.Ed in Human Growth and Development, BS in Psychology, and is a NCBH Adult Mental Health First Aid Responder. She serves on the International Coaching Federation Metro DC Board, launching it's Racial Justice Community of Practice. Adrienne has been deeply involved in advocating for restorative justice within Alexandria's Equal Justice Initiative Community Remembrance Project, and is the co-founder of Racial Justice Alexandria.  Adrienne is a member of the James Dent Walker DC Chapter of AAHGS.  

From Sago and Fatima, Randall and Esther, to Moosa and Katy, learn the ancestral story of the Trask 250 from the vantage point of the oldest traceable ancestors who unite them, those who were born in the late 18th century, mostly in Africa, with descendants who number more than 5,000.  Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, and reverse genealogy, and is expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, and researching enslaved communities. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in media with a background in audio, video, and written communications. She's appeared on TODAY Show, CNN, MSNBC, on the series Who Do You Think You Are and has been interviewed by Oakland Tribune, The Undefeated, National Geographic, and TIME. She is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show with more than 125 episodes focused on people of color genealogy and family history.   Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AKA Productions  

Dr. Penny Walters, author ofThe Psychology of Searching (Amazon, 2020) asks why is compiling a family tree now such a popular hobby. We will look at kinship, homelands, ethnicity, becoming obsessed with searching, race memory, and putting all the pieces in our jigsaw. Why do we research ancestors we share so little DNA with? Are we searching for who they were, or who we are? Once we have started our search, some discoveries reveal painful realities (including injustices and enslavement), uncovering our relatives’ secrets and lies, and numerous ethical dilemmas can arise. These are covered in depth in the book Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy’(Amazon, 2019).   Dr. Penny Walters www.searchmypast.co.uk has been a University lecturer for 30 years in Psychology and Business Studies. Penny's interest in genealogy started after having her first child and then wondering about her biological parents, as she was adopted. DNA testing has revealed 94% Irish heritage; and fascinating insights into her Black British children’s African heritage. Penny lectures internationally and writes articles about a variety of genealogy topics including ethical dilemmas, the psychology of searching, ethnicity and identity, adoption, and Irish heritage. Penny has lectured at Roots Tech London and USA; APG PMC; Brigham Young University; throughout Ireland; nationally and regionally at UK events; Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), the Society of Australian Genealogists and Vivid-Pix.   Music: Sweet Mellow Spice with AK Alexander   

  Tina Jones research journey began in 2000 when she began working with the local senior citizens - many of whom were residents of two historically African American neighborhoods in Franklin, Tennessee.  Franklin was the site of a significant Civil War battle and is the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee. Several historic homes operate as museums and significant local attention is paid to the community’s Civil War history. The genealogy program with 50 senior citizens soon had constructed dozens of family trees - many intersecting. She started compiling any information she could find about the experiences of enslaved people in Williamson County to understand more fully the context in which the people she was researching had lived.  Tina tracked down slave narratives of people with ties to the area, newspaper clippings, probate documents, and diary entries.  It all helped paint a fuller story - and highlighted an aspect of local history that had been almost entirely overlooked: the contributions of black men who served in the who joined the US Navy and the US Army’s Colored Troops during the Civil War. She now specializes in researching these men and telling their stories. She raises money to install brick pavers inscribed with their names in the County’s Veterans Park through her “Slaves To Soldiers” project. Inspired partially by this work, a local group called the “Fuller Story” has formed to erect a statue depicting a local US Colored Troop soldier on the town square.    Opening music: Sweet Mello Spice by AK Alexander Productions  

Funeral Programs serve as a wonderful legacy and memento to remember a cherished love one. These programs are given at funerals and are written with great care to honor the dearly departed. This show will discuss the genealogical value of Funeral Programs and how genealogist/family historians can partner with funeral homes, churches and others to gather, organize and compile these programs to tell the community story. Dr. Antoinette Harrell, is a renowned genealogist, author and local historian specializing in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes of  Louisiana. Her books include several children's genealogy activity books and the first ever publication "Images of America - African Americans in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes. In addition to her books, she is also the host of Nurturing Our Roots Genealogy Zoom Sessions. Dr. Harrell has been featured in many national and international magazines and other media such as on Vice for her peonage and genealogy research attracting over 3 million viewers.    Opening music: Sweet Mello Spice by AK Alexander Productions

Jordan Bankston Noble, commonly known as the Drummer Boy of New Orleans was easily one of the Reconstruction era's most prominent Black men, known internationally for his military and musical career. From childhood, Jordan was enslaved and ordered to enlist in the Battle of New Orleans, Seminole, Mexican American, and Civil Wars. He was sold at least 6 times, raised a family, and spent at least 60 years of his life as a Free Man of Color. Despite all of this, his story is still not well known by the public and what has been written about him has largely been falsified. In this episode, meet Jordan Noble's 5X great grandson Alex Trapps-Chabala to give clarity to his life and his legacy.  Alex Trapps-Chabala is a Bay Area-based historian and genealogist on a mission to help all BIPOC people learn about their family histories in a safe, informative, and engaging way. He is a 4th generation Bay Area native, deeply connected to his roots on the Gulf Coast. Alex is a Black Queer activist with a knack for disrupting harmful norms, deconstructing anti-Black ideas about our pasts, and facilitating healing via our ancestors' experiences.       

A narrative is an oral or written account of events or experiences. While there is no mainstream research design in family history, narrative inquiry is a research method that uses oral accounts, photos, obituaries, newspaper articles, and other forms of artifacts and contextualization, as units of analysis to research and interpretation to understand the way relatives create meaning in their lives as narratives. The show will share with listeners how to incorporate narrative inquiry to research family history. Dr. Curry will provide examples of narrative inquiry from his award winning book, The Thompson Family: Untold Stories From the Past (1830-1960). Dr. Curry is a genealogist, educator and author who focuses his genealogical research in eastern Aiken County and western Orangeburg County, South Carolina.   Opening Music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions.    

Kathy Lynne Marshall’s most endearing tale of heroism was about her three times great-grandmother, Margaret Booker, and the grisly reason she left Beverly, West Virginia, with her young children in tow, for freedom in Barnesville, Ohio.  Imagine Marshall’s surprise when an 1855 newspaper article connected Margaret’s possible father, Edward “Ned” Backus, to the Fusion (aka Republican) Convention in Ravenna, Ohio. After many unsuccessful attempts to free his wife and children, Ned’s lawyer suggested he seek legal and financial assistance at the convention. What was it like for a newly freed man traveling 150 miles from the slave state of Virginia to north-central Ohio, five years before Abraham Lincoln was voted the first Republican President? Marshall will discuss her research process and reveal the many twists and turns which culminated in an unbelievable story that was broadcast in many newspapers east of the Mississippi River. The new knowledge of who Edward’s likely slaveowner was, as well as serendipitous information from the Beverly Heritage Center, helped to confirm who Margaret’s actual mother was. For thirty-six years, Marshall was a researcher, analyst, personnel consultant, and technical writer for the California Highway Patrol. Since 1993, she has been the owner and sculptor/author for her Kanika Marshall Art and Books business (www.KanikaMarshall.com), self-publishing since 2017: The Ancestors Are Smiling!, Finding Otho: The Search for Our Enslaved Williams Ancestors, Finding Daisy: From the Deep South to the Promised Land, and The Mystery of Margaret Booker. She has also been published in the National and Northern California AAHGS Quarterly Newsletters.   Opening Music: Sweet Mellow Spice with AK Alexander Productions  

The Daughter Dialogues podcast shares real-life stories from women of color who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for  America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  The host, Reisha Raney, a leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. She is exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the founding of the USA. This is not an official podcast of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR).    Reisha Raney is the owner of Encyde Corporation, providing business analysis, systems engineering, independent testing and post implementation solutions for some of the world’s largest systems, ranked in the top 4% of all women owned businesses in the United States by the National Association of Women Business Owners.  She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Spelman College and Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Reisha is the founder  and host of DaughterDialogues.com and the Daughter Dialogues podcast. She is also the first black state officer in the Maryland State Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Her DAR journey has been featured in The Washington Post, The Japan Times, USA Today, NBC News, and on the Colors podcast by WTOP (Washington D.C.’s top news radio). The Daughter Dialogues podcast can be found on her website DaughterDialogues.com.       Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions        

Join Sylvia Cyrus, Executive Director of the ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY for a discussion around the theme and events to celebrate Black History Month (The Black Family Representation, Identity, and Diversity). The black family has been a topic of study in many disciplines—history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology, and social policy. Its representation, identity, and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time. The black family knows no single location, since family reunions and genetic-ancestry searches testify to the spread of family members across states, nations, and continents. Not only are individual black families diasporic, but Africa and the diaspora itself have been long portrayed as the black family at large. While the role of the black family has been described by some as a microcosm of the entire race, its complexity as the “foundation” of African American life and history can be seen in numerous debates over how to represent its meaning and typicality from a historical perspective—as slave or free, as patriarchal or matriarchal/matrifocal, as single-headed or dual-headed household, as extended or nuclear, as fictive kin or blood lineage, as legal or common law, and as black or interracial, etc. Variation appears, as well, in discussions on the nature and impact of parenting, childhood, marriage, gender norms, sexuality, and incarceration. The family offers a rich tapestry of images for ex-ploring the African American past and present.   Opening music - Sweet Mello Spice by AK Alexander Productions.

A Ruse, A Railroad, A River - Mapping Miles from the Antebellum South to Freedom Fearlessness and the clever escape from enslavement taken by Miles Eason, 3x Great Grandfather who used the Civil War as ruse for escape, inevitably breaking the color barriers of the Coal Mining boom of Philadelphia. Tanisha is content creator and microblogger behind Ancestral Bequest, a bespoke and inclusive community that is dedicated to genealogical exchange and education. Penned by her peers as The Rebel Genealogist™️, she is driven to tell compelling stories of the lives of her ancestors beyond the databases they’re often confined to. We have to be the ones to tell their stories and honor them with pride.  Tanisha joined the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society – New Jersey Chapter in November of 2019 and is an alum of the Midwest African American Genealogical Institute where her focus has been Genetic Genealogy and DNA Analysis. Ms. Watson is her families historian since she was 8 years old, often telling family stories and impersonating the elders. Through her research she has been able to trace back to the 1790’s making connections to her ancestors from Norfolk, Virginia to Gatesville, North Carolina.     Music: Sweet Mello Spice by AK Alexander Productions

  While researching his grandfather, James Morgan learned a lot about unique records of the AME church that enabled him to learn more about his and others' family histories!   He will share his findings with us! James R. Morgan III is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Africana Studies in 2011. He is currently employed with the United States Department of State and serves as a Curatorial Consultant with the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC. James is an active Prince Hall Freemason and as such he serves as Worshipful Grand Historian & Archivist of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. He has authored several scholarly writings on African American Freemasonry and fraternalism. He is also an Honorary Fellow and Life Member of the Phylaxis Research Society. James is an active and experienced genealogist and is a member of the James Dent Walker Chapter of the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society. He has presented at the 2016 International Black Genealogy Symposium as well as at the 2019 National Conference of the African American Historical and Genealogcal Society (AAHGS) among others. James serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Bishop Henry McNeal Turner Project and is the author of The Lost Empire: Black Freemasonry in the Old West (1867-1906) which was awarded the 2019 Dr. Charles H. Wesley Medal of History and the 2020 Phillis Wheatley Book Award for Non-Fiction Biography. James is a Co-Panelist on both Black Pro Gen-Live and the Prince Hall Think Tank, both of which can be found on Youtube.   Opening Music - Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions

Listeners will be able to learn the beliefs and ideals from Dr. Joy G. Kinard a historian who has worked in African American History and Historic Preservation for over 20 years and whose family has been involved for over 70 years. This show will share with listeners a different perspective on preserving African American History in their neighborhoods with municipal development on the rise all over the nation, African American historic sites are left vulnerable and are being demolished that need to be saved. Kinard will discuss examples of wins and losses in this battle using community activism, advocacy, and new trends with the impacts of COVID-19.

As a Family Historian and DNA Data Manager, Jerome has had the opportunity to use his family’s oral history, coupled with an extensive collection of  DNA results, a well-maintained family tree and modern research resources/tools to  bridge the gap between African-American persons on this side of the Atlantic Ocean with their distant cousins (in Africa). All available resources have to be brought to bear (including using: Sibling Summation techniques, various DNA testing company’s data holdings, GEDmatch and DNA Painter to successfully find distant DNA matches in Nigeria and Senegal using these methods.  Finding your family’s Kunta Kinte is rewarding and will provide a source of interest and pride for your family. The use of small (single digit) centimorgan (cM) values/results will certainly play a critical part in the successful analysis directly because of the distance you must travel back in time  to make the necessary connections to the most recent common ancestors (MRCA)s – to validate [ if consolidated with other research methods ] your concluding findings. Jerome Spears, has many years of general family history and genealogical research going back to 2009. His undergraduate and graduate degrees in Geography have served him well. He has positioned his ancestors within the historical context of place and time in order to uncover and reveal some remarkable family history discoveries. Jerome was honored in 2016 with the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society (AAHGS) - Elizabeth Clark-Lewis Genealogy Award for his original African American research. He has also presented at the AAHGS annual national-level conferences. 

In most homes, women gather at the kitchen to celebrate and comfort each other, discuss important topics, make life-changing decisions, and address the challenges of life.  The My Sister's Keeper Kitchen Table Talks are a culturally relevant and historic community-defined practice of creating safe spaces for the exploration of significant issues impacting the health of black women.  Katrina Kimble is the Project Coordinator for the Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare's - My Sister's Keeper Project.  She has worked in population health and community engagement for over 15 years.  She has a Bachelor's in Human Resource Management from The University of Memphis, a Wellness Advocate Certificate from Living Compass Health Ministry, and a Health Minister Certificate from Wesley Theological Seminary.  Katrina's mission in life is to help individuals discover their journey to wholistic wellness.  She believes that we should strive to be well not perfect...  

Learn about the Center for Healing Racial Trauma with  Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons. Intervention: The Center for Healing Racial Trauma is dedicated to using love, liberation, equity, and creativity informed therapeutic interventions to help racially/ethnically marginalized people heal from racism. Prevention: The Center for Healing Racial Trauma additionally provides continuing education and training for mental health, education, business, religious, and medical professionals, and we engage in and support activist work, to create an anti-racist world.   Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons is an award-winning assistant professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sex, social justice, and leadership – all with a love ethic. She is also the founding director of the Center for Healing Racial Trauma. Dr. Hargons is the creator of the Ally + Accomplice Meditation for Cultivating an Anti-Racist Mindset and the Black Lives Matter Meditation for Healing Racial Trauma, which has been featured in the Huffington Post and Blavity and used by universities and private practices across the US. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Therapy for Black Girls, Women's Health, Good Housekeeping, and Blavity.   Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions, LLC

Angela Walton-Raji is known nationally for her research and work on Oklahoma Native American records.  Her book Black Indian Genealogy Research, African Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes, is the only book of its kind focusing on the unique record sets pertaining to the Oklahoma Freedmen.  Angela has published two volumes called Freedmen of the Frontier from a blogging project that unfolded in 2017. The goal was to document 52 families from Indian Territory in 52 weeks.By the end of that year, 52 family histories had been placed on the African-Native American Genealogy blog. The families covered in the books are Indian tribal Freedmen---people who were once enslaved by Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Indians. Many of the elders in some of the families highlighted, were people who were brought to Indian Territory on the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears is the same journey that forced those tribes from their homes in the southeast to the west. The lesser known story is that those five tribes, including the tribal chiefs took enslaved black people with them. The Freedmen are the people freed by the treaty of 1866, and who lived their lives in Indian Territory from that time, onward. In 2018, it was decided to put those 52 family stories into a book manuscript. When the stories were tweaked and consolidated there were more than 500 pages of data in the project. Angela then decided to divide the book into two volumes. Volume 1 documented Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Freedmen. Volume 2 documented Creek and Seminole Freedmen.   Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AK Alexander Productions, Inc.  

A Denver, Colorado native, Mr. Stephen Hammond is a retired federal employee having spent his entire 40-year career as an earth scientist with the United States Geological Survey. He is now a Scientist Emeritus with the agency. Steve has now swapped his full-time geology work for genealogy and family history research. It is a hobby he’s had since he was in grade school. His goals are to educate and inspire others to document their own family history. He is a 7th generation member of the Syphax family of Washington, DC; a line that moved by force to New Orleans and then by choice to Denver. He has participated in a variety of National Park Service programs at the Arlington House – the Robert E. Lee Memorial to highlight the lives of his Syphax ancestors and other enslaved Americans on the estate. He has spoken at the African American Civil War Museum and the historic Decatur House on Lafayette Square both in Washington, DC and has contributed to exhibits at George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He has been interviewed by numerous organizations including NPR, C-Span, Civil War Times and Arlington (VA) magazines among others, as well as for numerous newspaper articles to provide authoritative family-history information and historical perspective. Steve has a DNA study underway to support genealogical information that is helping to identify ancestral origins and tie the Syphax family directly to Martha Washington. Music: Sweet Mellow Spice with AK Alexander Productions

 Telling Her Story: Finding Female Ancestors When Few Clues Exist” Viola Osborne Baskerville is a Richmond native who has been tracing several lines of her own family history for over thirty years.  Brief sketches  about three family matriarchs led her on a hunt to find out more about  them. Ms. Baskerville is a member of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), Greater Richmond VA Chapter as well as a member of ASALH, Richmond Chapter.  She received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa, College of Law.  As a public servant, she advocated for the preservation of Virginia’s African American history through placing statues and historical markers, most notably a monument to Arthur Ashe in Richmond and a plaque naming and honoring Virginia’s Black Reconstruction Era state lawmakers at the Capitol.  In addition, Ms. Baskerville secured state funded scholarships for former students locked out of Virginia’s schools when the state closed public schools rather than integrate them.  Currently, she serves as a Virginia Outdoors Foundation trustee. The foundation is focused on creating equity and justice in selecting its land use preservation projects.  One project the Foundation has supported is the restoration of  Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, a historic African American Cemetery.  Ms. Baskerville is currently featured as one of the contemporary Agents of Change, in the Virginia Museum of History and Culture’s exhibition, Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia from Women’s Suffrage to Today on exhibit through November 1.  

How an 1829 Slave Bill of Sale & A Question Connects Janice Cross-Gilyard to her 5th Great-Grandmother, Willoughby McWhite. Janice Cross-Gilyard will share how a segment from the PBS Show – The History Detectives has impacted her genealogy research. Jeanie Hans (From Wichita, Kansas) found a box of her grandfather’s possessions. Among some books and old gun manuals, she found a disturbing document: an 1829 ‘Bill of Sale’ for the purchase of a 17-year old “negro girl” named Willoby. Jeanie wants to know more about this young girl. Jeanie asks host Eduardo Pagan to find out what happened to Willoby. (Source:  PBS Program – The History Detectives)  https://www.pbs.org/video/history-detectives-bill-sale/ Janice Cross-Gilyard is a Charter Member of The Harriet Tubman Chapter of Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage.  She also joined the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society – New Jersey Chapter in March of 2016 and currently serves as President, Editor of the Family Times Newsletter as well as managing and providing content for their Facebook page. Janice has conducted her family research for the past 25 years and has documented her family history back to 1790.  She is proud of her ancestors, which include educators (two founded colleges), midwives, farmers, and pastors.  She is passionate about history and genealogy and believes that her ancestors chose her to tell their stories. She is always willing to assist anyone who may be interested in researching their family history.

 Renate began seriously researching her paternal Yarborough line in 1997, after the death of her father. She learned that the progenitor of this line,her great-grandfather, Calvin, had been enslaved in North Carolina for the first 25 years of his life, and that during that time, he had multiple owners. Renate shares Calvin's slavery story on numerous platforms - at workshops and conferences, on webinars, and through her blog, "Into the LIGHT;" and is still working continuously to uncover more details of his life, both before and after emancipation. Renate Yarborough Sanders has been formally engaged in genealogy research for 23 years.  She is the descendant of enslaved ancestors, as well as enslavers and free people of color. Renate authors two blogs: “Into the LIGHT”, focused on her own family history; and, “Genea-Related”, a platform for presenting a variety of information of genealogical interest.  Renate also produces a “(Mostly) African-American Funeral Programs” online database, in which she publishes vital data extracted from funeral programs. Renate is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the North Carolina Genealogical Society, the Afro American Genealogical and Historical Society (AAHGS), the Virtual Genealogical Association, and the Tyrrell County (NC) Genealogical and Historical Society. She is a BlackProGen LIVE panelist and is currently co-hosting a summer series of webinars called “Let’s Talk North Carolina Genealogy!” She has articles in genealogical newsletters and volunteers in a number of  activities in the genealogical community and is the Newsletter Editor for the Hampton Roads Chapter of AAHGS, a member of the AAHGS National Editorial Board, and a volunteer photographer for Find-A-Grave. She retired in July 2017 from a 32-year career as elementary educator.  

  Adrienne Abiodun is a professional genealogist located outside of Tampa, Florida. Combined, her personal and professional genealogical pursuits span nearly two decades, fourteen years of which have been in the exploration of genetic genealogy. She is a member of the Florida Genealogical Society, and a handful of lineage societies which include: Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW), Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage (SDUSMP) which she serves on the board for and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) where she is presently the National Vice Chair for the NSDAR DNA Network Committee and State Chairman for the Florida Society Children of the American Revolution. Her niche areas include African American genealogy, Deep South U.S., lineage societies and genetic genealogy.  Adrienne strives to make genealogy down-to-earth, fun and attainable by anyone interested in their family history. By mixing past professional experience in experiential marketing with genealogy, Adrienne has successfully been able to secure grant funding on four occasions. This allowed her to organize youth genealogy events on behalf of her local C.A.R. society which she is Society President in addition to a community genealogical reconnection event on behalf of the SDUSMP which took place in 2019 at the Bentonia Blues Festival in Yazoo County, Mississippi.  When Adrienne isn’t researching or giving presentations, she enjoys spending time with her two favorite DNA matches - her two children Naomi (9) and Oneil (6).   Opening music - Sweet Mello Spice by AKAlexander Productions