Black Genesis » (3RD)

When it was originally published in 1978, "Black Genesis" was the first book to provide researchers with information on resources and a methodology specific to African-American genealogy. Completely updated and some 100 pages larger than the first edition, the 2nd edition of "Black Genesis" boasts a new format that makes locating resources pertaining to slaves and free blacks in the United States easier than ever. Part I provides an overview of general research principles and methodology, while Part II contains a rundown of specific resources for all fifty states, Canada, and the West Indies, with special emphasis on the records unique to black genealogy. Resources described include research guides, published genealogies, community studies on African-American families and, most importantly, original research material that can be found in national, state, county, and city archives, and in historical societies and libraries.

Library Journal

In the 1970s, Rose became the first-ever recipient of a doctorate in African-American genealogy and served as a researcher consultant with Alex Haley. In 1978, she and Eichholz (editor, Ancestry's Red Book) published Black Genesis, the first book to provide genealogical researchers with access to family history information and materials for African Americans. This newly updated and expanded second edition briefly discusses search methods and then lists sources pertaining to slaves and blacks in the United States and the West Indies. The format in particular is new-it is now organized by state. For each state, it compiles important dates, state archives, and such records as census, state and county, cemetery and church, military, newspapers, manuscripts (diaries and personal records of slaves), Internet sources, research contacts, and a state-related bibliography. Recommended to help libraries, novices, and professional researchers discover the scope and richness of the African American heritage.-Scott Hightower, Fordham Univ., New York Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.