Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett
by Bernice Alexander Bennett
Welcome to Ancestor's Footprints—the podcast where the past comes alive! Whether you're a curious beginner, an avid genealogist, or someone who believes that uncovering family history is a lifelong journey, this show is for you. With each episode, we'll bring you incredible stories, expert insights, and practical tips to help you trace your roots and connect with your heritage. I’ve lined up passionate experts who will not only share their knowledge and resources but also answer your most pressing genealogy questions. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden gems in your family’s history and inspire you to take the next step in your journey. So, get ready to explore, discover, and honor the footprints your ancestors left behind. Your story starts here. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/anc
Episodes
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From Share Croppers to Land Ownership with Gwenn Olson
In today’s episode, we will introduce the extraordinary King family, an American family whose story is one of migration, courage, determination, family, and land. This episode will delve into the history of the King family, who arrived in Washington State in 1903 as part of an eight-family...
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Roots and Beyond with Chris Haley
Today's episode from Roots and Beyond will explore that the deeper we dig, the more we begin to uncover stories of migration, identity, resilience, struggle, triumph, and sometimes truths that challenge the way we have understood our families and our history. Chris Haley is a multifaceted...
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When The Archive Goes Silent with Regina"Califa" Calloway
"When the Archive Goes Silent" What happens when the paper trail goes silent—but you know the story isn’t over? And what if the missing piece of your family history isn’t buried in another archive at all? What if it is being carried by someone who is still living—waiting for you to ask the right...
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Ancestral Connections: How Oral History and Land Records Revealed Homestead Connections in Alabama with Mary K. Clark, Ph.D.
Today's episode will explore what happened when genealogist and family historian Mary K. Clark, Ph.D. set out to answer a simple question, "Who are Fannie's people?", she uncovered a remarkable story of family, land ownership, and community connections in the Wiregrass region of Alabama. Drawing...
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Finding Cornerstone Stories: Uncovering Inspiration in Your Family's History with André Kearns
Today, we are honored to welcome André Kearns, founder and CEO of Black Ancestries, a genealogy firm dedicated to uncovering, celebrating, and preserving the family histories of the African diaspora. André is also Vice President of the National Genealogical Society and Co-Chair of the HEARTS...
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Carolina Roots & Legacies- Discovering the Stories That Connect Us with Desi L. Campbell
Today’s podcast is entitled “Carolina Roots & Legacies: Discovering the Stories That Connect Us.” We will explore how genealogy can help us uncover not only names and dates, but also the communities, relationships, struggles, triumphs, and enduring legacies that connect us across generations.…
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The Story of Louise from $500 to Priceless with Leonard Smith III
Today’s episode is entitled The Story of Louise: From $500 to Priceless, a work of narrative nonfiction that documents the eleven-year legal fight for the freedom of Louise, an enslaved woman purchased in 1833, and the generations who followed her. Joining me is Leonard Smith III - a...
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Pairing Traditional History and Migration Patterns in Genealogy and Research with Rev.Dante Eubanks
In this episode researchers will gain a better understanding of the importance of learning and understanding migration patterns as well as its affect on history and our families’ tapestry. U. S. History and Migrations play a pivotal role in family history and deciphering DNA connections. Rev.…
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Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Civil Rights with Dylan C. Penningroth
This episode will draw on an extraordinary range of sources, including state and federal appellate court records, forgotten county courthouse documents, family interviews, church records, and personal papers to reveal how African Americans understood, discussed, and used the law long before the...
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The Power of Family History: Discovering Identity Through Ancestry with Denise Griggs
The Power of Family History: Discovering Identity Through Ancestry In this episode, we will delve into the profound impact of uncovering one’s family history. We will explore how this revelation not only reshapes our self-perception but also deepens our comprehension of America’s narrative....
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Beyond the 1870 Brickwall with Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved with Robin Proudie
Beyond the 1870 Brick Wall with Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved The Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved (DSLUE) is a descendant-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to the pillars of Remembrance, Restoration, and Reparative Justice. DSLUE works to preserve and...
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The Story Lives On: Tracing Freedom, Faith, and Family Through Generations with Carol A. Turner
"The Story Lives On: Tracing Freedom, Faith, and Family Through Generations." Today's episode will feature Carol Turner who is a descendant of the historic Quander, Carter, Ford, Jasper, Lucas, Robinson, and Cherokee families. Her ancestry includes Nancy Carter Quander, who was freed from the...
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Enslaved on the Trail of Tears with Terry J. Ligon
Ancestor's Footprints is featuring author Terry J. Ligon’s groundbreaking book "Enslaved on the Trail of Tears: Race, Removal, and the Transformation of Indian Territory." His research challenges common oversimplifications about the Trail of Tears by revealing that thousands of enslaved...
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The Choctaw Freedmen of Skullyville with Angela Walton-Raji
The Choctaw Freedmen of Skullyville - Uncovering an Oklahoma Ghost Town This episode will explore the story of Skullyville a once-thriving capital of the Choctaw Nation that faded into obscurity. Unlike the freedmen communities in Spiro, Fort Coffee, and Poteau, the town of Skullyville eventually...
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Behind the Gavel- Lessons from Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson and KaTrina Chantelle Griffin
Today's episode features a new book: Behind the Gavel: Lessons from Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson. This book is co-authored by Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson and the Honorable KaTrina Chantele Griffin.” “This inspiring book introduces young readers to the life lessons, values, and...
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Memories That Heal: How Family Stories and Photos Can Support Healthy Aging with Rick Voight
This episode will focus on Memories That Heal: How Family Stories and Photos can support Healthy Aging. What if the photographs tucked away in your attic or family albums could actually improve brain health, strengthen relationships, and help people age with greater purpose and connection?…
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Freedom in the Age of Slavery: A History of Free People of Color in Virginia with Warren Eugene Milteer Jr.
Today's episode features a conversation between host Bernice Alexander-Bennett and Dr. Warren Eugene Milteer Jr., an associate professor of history at George Washington University, about his book "Freedom in the Age of Slavery: A History of Free People of Color in Virginia." Dr. Milteer discussed...
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1776: The Forgotten Fight for Freedom with Andrew Lawler
This episode featuring author Andrew Lawler will explore a lesser-known chapter of American history where enslaved people aligned with the British crown during the American Revolution. At the start of the American Revolution, Black men took up arms to achieve freedom--by fighting for King George...
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When Your Ancestors Choose You: Finding Binky with Michael A. Willis
When Your Ancestors Choose You- Finding Binky This episode will explore what it means to carry the memory of your ancestors, the challenges of researching enslaved families, the emotional weight of the records, and the moment when genealogy becomes more than research, when it becomes a calling....
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Celia: Justice After Death with Adriene Holder, Esq., and Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge
This episode Celia: Justice After Death, explores the life and legacy of Celia, an enslaved, pregnant teenager and mother in pre–Civil War Missouri who resisted sexual exploitation and was executed in 1855 after defending herself against her enslaver. Her case exposes the stark injustice embedded...
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DNA, Genealogy, and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre with Lisa Fanning
In today’s episode, titled DNA, Genealogy, and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, we will discuss how DNA and historical research are helping identify victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre — one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in American history. Through genealogy, genetic testing,...
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Our Claiborne Parish: Family History Project of Communal Kinship with Regina Califa Calloway
"Our Claiborne Parish: A Family History Research Project of Communal Kinship” traces the evolution of a family-led inquiry into a community-centered preservation model.Tracing six generations in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, her work has become a living portal of kinship—where paternal lines like...
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Gather at the Table Revisited with Sharon Morgan and Thomas Norman Dewolf
Gather at the Table: The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade is the chronicle of a shared journey toward racial reconciliation. Informed by genealogy, it deals with race, social justice and healing from the traumatic wounds of slavery. Over a three year period…
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Building Justice Through Ancestry with Christopher Smothers
Building Justice Through Ancestry: Archives, DNA and the New Infrastructure for Liberation This episode will focus on how genealogy and ancestry research can serve as tools for justice and liberation, particularly for Black and Brown communities across the diaspora. Christopher Smothers, a...
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Becoming A Good Relative with Hilary Giovale
Becoming a Good Relative shares remedies for the debilitating shame that can overtake white Americans when we face our peoples’ colonial past and our current complicity with systemic white supremacy. It offers a unique methodology, supported by African American and Indigenous Elders. To…
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Finding Grammie's Secrets with Kathy Lynne Marshall
Kathy Lynn Marshall, author of "Finding Grammie' Secrets," shares her journey to uncover the untold story of her great-grandmother, Ella Roy, known as Grammy Carter. Born in 1866 in Alexandria, Virginia, Grammie was remembered for her elegance and caring nature but remained silent about her past,...
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America's Forgotten Patriots of the Northern Theater with Ric Murphy
America's Forgotten Patriots of the Northern Theater shines a light on the overlooked heroes who fought for independence in the shadows of the Revolutionary War’s northern campaigns. From the rugged battlefields of Saratoga to the icy marches through New England, this compelling narrative…
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Becoming Trustworthy White Allies with Melanie S. Morrison
In Becoming Trustworthy White Allies, Melanie S. Morrison brings together essays, lectures, and real-life stories drawn from her decades of anti-racist work. With honesty and care, she names the challenges white people face on the path to allyship—and the practices that make genuine partnership...
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From Fragments to Foundation with Melvin J. Collier
From Fragments to Foundation: Uncovering a Buried History of Tragedy and Triumph The challenges and stories of the family’s past existed only in scattered fragments—few names, little memories, whispered speculations, and family tragedies. For author Melvin J. Collier, the mystery of his paternal...
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Without Fear:Black Women and the Making of Human Rights with Keisha N. Blain
Without Fear tells how, during American history, Black women made human rights theirs: from worldwide travel and public advocacy in the global Black press to their work for the United Nations, they courageously and effectively moved human rights beyond an esoteric concept to an active, organizing...
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The Early County Massacre- Goolsby vs.The State of Georgia with Orice Jenkins
The Early County Massacre has been known as the “Grandison Goolsby War” for over a century, focusing on the events of December 30, 1915, when forty-six-year-old Grandison used gunfire to defend himself from a lynching mob. Lesser known is that the incident started two days earlier when…
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Reflections on Sarah Rector with Angela Walton-Raji
Reflections on Sarah Rector Her name was Sarah Rector. She was a young black girl born in Indian Territory on March 3, 1902. Her parents were Joseph and Rose Rector, all of Taft, Indian Territory. Her story is similar to that of Danny Tucker another black child born in Indian Territory. He, like...
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Reconnecting Creole of Color Lineages in Southwest Louisiana with Alex D. Lee
Reconnecting Creole of Color Lineages in Southwest Louisiana How do Creole of color families in Southwest Louisiana rediscover and reconnect their shared histories? In this episode, my guest Alex D. Lee guides listeners through community-driven methods for tracing lineage—blending DNA results…
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The Sound of What's Not Said with Charles Holman III
The Sound of What's Not Said When a descendant of an enslaved person reaches out to the family of the enslaver and receives no reply, what does that silence mean? Is the descendant of the enslaver obligated to respond—and if so, how? Does silence protect, deny, or refuse? Can healing happen…
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History Before Us with Frederick Murphy
Today’s episode is featuring Frederick Murphy of History Before Us. Frederick Murphy is a Filmmaker, Documentarian, Traveling Storyteller, Preserver of History and Mental Health Therapist. Frederick Murphy has dedicated his career to exploring the intricacies of race and culture in America…
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They Had Names: A Digital Archive with Stacy Ashmore Cole
They Had Names:A Digital Archive Looking for enslaved or free ancestors in coastal Georgia? The TheyHadNames.net digital project has transformed thousands of Liberty County probate records, deeds, and court cases from 1786-1865 into a searchable database—revealing individual names and stories of...
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Creek Freedmen, Historic Developments out of Oklahoma with Angela Walton-Raji
Today's episode will focus on the Creek Freedmen, News from Oklahoma with Angela Walton-Raji. Creek Freedmen are descendants of African-Americans who were enslaved by the Muscogee Creek Nation and granted freedom and citizenship under an 1866 treaty with the U.S. government. A 1979 Muscogee…
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Black Ancestries- A New Model for African Descended Genealogy with Andre Kearns
In this episode of Ancestors Footprints, host Bernice Bennett welcomes marketing executive turned genealogist Andre Kearns, Founder and CEO of Black Ancestries(https://blackancestries.com/), a company that provides professional genealogy research to help people of African connect with their past....
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Striking the Balance: Challenges interpreting free Black Communities with Guy Weston
Striking the Balance: Challenges interpreting free Black communities with Guy Weston. In this episode, we will discuss the importance of acknowledging Black achievement in a discipline that is frequently dominated by loss and suffering. Guy’s current work encompasses research and public history...
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At the Feet of the Elders: A Journey into a Lowcountry Family History with Darius Brown
At the Feet of the Elders” by Darius Brown is a journey into the heart of African American ancestry in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Set against the backdrop of the Civil War and the collapse of slavery in Beaufort County, this book traces the author’s own lineage from Africa through enslavement...
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Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance with A'Lelia Bundles
Today's episode features A'Lelia Bundles, the author of Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. A'Lelia Bundles discusses her book "Joy Goddess," which chronicles the life of her great-great-grandmother Madam CJ Walker and great-grandmother A'Lelia Walker, correcting historical...
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Back to the Frontier with Stacey and Joaquin Loper
Today’s episode will focus on a new show called Back to the Frontier on HBO Max where three American families are taken out of their 21st-century comfort zones and sent back to the frontier, where they must learn to live like their predecessors with no modern amenities. The families face…
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Enslaved.org with Dr. Walter Hawthorne
Today's episode will focus on Enslaved.org, an innovative online digital history project that through datasets that contributors have created by extracting information from historical sources, it documents the lives of hundreds of thousands of named enslaved individuals in mainland North America...
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Edisto Gullah Geechee People of Orangeburg, SC with Roderick Gass
Edisto Gullah Geechee People of Orangeburg, South Carolina In this episode, Roderick Gass, Vice President of the Gullah Nation of North America, will discuss the Edisto Gullah Geechee people of Orangeburg, South Carolina, and their cultural heritage. He also explores the work of Lorenzo Dow…
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Preserving History with Our Stories with Marion Woodfork Simmons
Preserving History with Our Stories with Marion Woodford Simmons This episode will demonstrate how ordinary people can preserve community history by documenting and preserving their memories, memorabilia and ephemera. Through her work, Marion Woodfork Simmons continues to bridge the gap between...
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Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living with Cheri Hudson Passey
Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living - A Practical Guide for all Genealogists Genealogy often feels like a treasure hunt, and genealogists, like treasure hunters, run into “dead ends” all the time. One important method for getting back on track is to look for living relatives who can fill in...
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Preserving History Through Historical Markers with Dr. Antoinette Harrell
Dr. Antoinette Harrell, a genealogist, family historian, and local historian in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, is renowned for her pioneering work in uncovering the peonage system that persisted in the Southern United States long after the abolition of slavery. She has been instrumental in...
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The Power of Collaborative Genealogy with Emmaline MacBeath
The Power of Collaboration Collaborative Genealogy is a powerful, yet underused tool when it comes to building a family tree. With it, people can grow their trees farther than possible when working alone. Emmaline MacBeath is a genetic genealogist and a children’s author under the pen name…
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Overlooked: Early Black History in Minnesota with Mica Anders
Overlooked: Early Black History in Minnesota Long before the Great Migration, African Americans were already building lives and communities across Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Join professional genealogist Mica L. Anders as she uncovers the forgotten stories of Black pioneers, homesteaders…
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Learning Larkin, My Civil War Ancestor with Cherekana Feliciano
Learning Larkin, My Civil War Ancestor In this episode, Cherekana Feliciano will share her journey to search for her Civil War ancestor, Larkin Woodruff's pension file. She will describe what she learned from those files and the amazing surprise discovery made along the pension file journey....
About this show
Welcome to Ancestor's Footprints—the podcast where the past comes alive! Whether you're a curious beginner, an avid genealogist, or someone who believes that uncovering family history is a lifelong journey, this show is for you. With each episode, we'll bring you incredible stories, expert insights, and practical tips to help you trace your roots and connect with your heritage. I’ve lined up passionate experts who will not only share their knowledge and resources but also answer your most pressing genealogy questions. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden gems in your family’s history and inspire you to take the next step in your journey. So, get ready to explore, discover, and honor the footprints your ancestors left behind. Your story starts here.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/anc
Hosted by
Bernice Alexander Bennett