Connect at RootsTech Connect

RootsTech Connect goes live next week! I hope y'all are as excited as I am! In this post, we'll look at what will make this conference unique and how you can connect at RootsTech Connect.

RootsTech is the largest genealogy conference there is. And this year, it'll be FREE and accessible wherever you live! It's a three-day event from 25–27 February 2021 with both live content as well as access to content all year long. Think of this year's event as the kickoff for a year's worth of amazing online content.

How it all works

The first thing y'all need to know is the way this year's unique event will function. There will be four sections of the conference: Main stage, Expo Hall, Sessions & Guide Me, and Connect. 

Main stage events have a schedule - which you can view here - but if you miss any of the keynote sessions, they all have other times that they'll play as reruns. The Expo Hall will be your chance to view all of the great innovation in the tech and family history field. Also, you can live chat with exhibitors from their booth and watch demos. The sessions are the meat of the conference so we'll talk more about those below. Connect is your chance to connect with others - both speakers and your long-lost family!

A global event

This year, RootsTech Connect will be a truly global event. Keynote speakers will be from around the globe, sessions will be in multiple languages, and there will be localized content for participants. 

RootsTech Connect by the numbers (as of 16 February):

• 314,908 registered (so far)
• 224 countries and territories represented
• 89% of registrants have never been to RootsTech before
• 11 languages represented in sessions 
• 18 languages represented in the ExpoHall

RootsTech connections

Not only is RootsTech going to bring people together from around the world, but there are many ways to connect with family history.

• 72 exhibitors in ExpoHall
• 746 classes: Click here to see the full list
• 280 tips and tricks
• Chat rooms and direct message with cousins

There is a lot to do at this year's conference, so click here to learn what organizers want you to know. And if you'd like to learn more about Jen Allen - the woman behind the RootsTech magic - you can read about her here. 

How to participate

When you register for RootsTech, you're essentially sending your RSVP for the conference. This way, the conference knows to expect you. Anyone can view the sessions and content, but only registrants can take full advantage of the RootsTech Connect experience. 

If you register - and use your free FamilySearch login - you'll be able to create a playlist for all the sessions you'd like to watch. Think of this as your Netflix or Prime watch list. As you create your list, RootsTech Connect will give you suggestions for other sessions you might want to attend based on your added content. Isn't that amazing, y'all!?

If you're using your FamilySearch account, you'll also be able to Find your relatives at RootsTech Connect! So far, I have 300 cousins going to RootsTech! But I'll have to wait until the conference starts on February 25 to connect with them. So far, of those who have registered, there will be 991 Williamses at RootsTech Connect: 824 from the United States, 67 from the United Kingdom, and 34 from Australia. That's a lot of people! How many people attending have your surname?

When you can get started

Since this is such a global event, the timing might be confusing for some. But don't fret! You have three days to connect with family and other participants, but you get to enjoy the content all year! You can begin to add content to your playlist at 11pm EST on Wednesday February 24. The new RootsTech website will also go live Wednesday morning so you can get acclimated to how it'll look. The ExpoHall will have a preview at 7pm EST - four hours before the livestream starts at 11pm EST. 

Don't forget to register today for RootsTech Connect and share what you're learning on social media with #RootsTechConnect wherever you connect with your family and friends!

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I'm just a LITTLE bit excited about RootsTech Connect this year, y'all! I hope you'll join me in what is sure to be an amazing experience. I look forward to learning, connecting, and sharing with all of you.

This conference has a vision to become a globalized learning library. Be part of genealogy history and connect at RootsTech Connect!

Your ancestors deserve the best researcher, the most passionate story-teller, and the dignity of being remembered. So let's encounter your ancestors through family history and remember the past made present today!

Black History Month in June

Every February, we celebrate the profound impact of African Americans in the United States and around the world. But for genealogists tracing African American family history, every month is Black History Month. Each and every day is about encountering and celebrating the strength of grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, ancestors and kin whose varied experiences together form the chorus of American history.

While we lift up the stories of African Americans every February, genealogists and family historians have a unique opportunity this June to experience Black History during a week of intensive study of African Americans in the South.

African Americans in the South - TIGR

Texas State Genealogical Society hosts a week-long institute for anyone looking for a more intensive experience to improve their genealogical skills. This year, Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR) is going virtual and will be held June 13–18, 2021. Last month, I wrote about all of the courses available, but I'd like to share more about a new course available this year!

This June, TIGR has its first course focused on African American research in the South. Coordinated and taught by Ari Wilkins, along with five other instructors, this course will cover records and tools for researching African Americans from the antebellum South through the 21st century.

The full course schedule is available here. According to Ari Wilkins, the "curriculum has been carefully crafted to aid in a methodical research of African American genealogy." 

Instructors

As if the course description weren't enough, the opportunity to work with these great instructors should have you searching for the registration button! Ari Wilkins is "particularly excited about TIGR’s inaugural African American course and our line up of faculty with diverse expertise" including "members with library backgrounds and academic research."

Ari Wilkins, this TIGR course Coordinator, is an experienced genealogist specializing in African American research and migration. She is the owner of Black Genesis, a genealogical consulting company, and is a Library Associate at Dallas Public Library. She's a well-known genealogical speaker and brings her passion to this awesome collaboration at TIGR.

Deborah A. Abbott, PhD specializes in African American research, manuscript collections, and genealogy methodology. She is a retired professor of Counseling, a lecturer at IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research) and SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy), a published writer, and is active in the genealogy community in her native Ohio and around the country. 

Sharon Batiste Gillins has a 40+ year career in education including as an Associate Professor, genealogy lecturer, and adjunct faculty at IGHR. She is currently a Research Associate at the Mary Moody Northern Endowment in Galveston, Texas.

Tim Pinnick has taught at IGHR and MAAGI (Midwest African American Genealogy Institute), is the author of numerous articles and the book, "Finding and Using African American Newspapers." In addition to being a national speaker and being a member of numerous genealogy societies, he also served on the board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

Shamele Jordon is a professional genealogist, producer, writer, and lecturer. She is an award-winning producer and instructor, and researched for the PBS series Oprah's Roots: African American Lives I and II. She is a board member and faculty at IGHR, and is involved in societies in Philadelphia and in New Jersey. 

Franklin Carter Smith is a DNA specialist, a licensed attorney, genealogist, and is currently a Senior Library Service Specialist at the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research of the Houston Public Library. In addition to several published articles, he co-authored "A Genealogists Guide to Discovering your African-American Ancestors" with Emily Anne Croom.

To read more about each faculty member, you can click here.

Juneteenth 2021

This year, Juneteenth falls on the Saturday at the end of TIGR. With Juneteenth's roots as Emancipation Day in Texas, TIGR will have a special celebration!

TIGR faculty member Sharon Gillins will be giving a special Juneteenth presentation that will be open to all institute students! Just another great reason to join this course at TIGR this year!

Registration

The course is limited to 40 participants, so register today! Registration is open now, and if you sign up before April 30, 2021, the cost is $425 for non-members of Texas State Genealogical Society. 

Registration after May 1,2021 is $475 and is open until May 31, 2021.

To register, click here.

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Black History is American History. Genealogical research in the South necessarily involves African American genealogy, along with its unique challenges. African Americans in the South, the inaugural institute course at TIGR, is your opportunity to dive deep with renowned lecturers and experienced researchers.

Have you been to an institute before? Are you ready to take the dive deeper into one of these great topics? Register today! 

If you have any questions about TIGR this year, don't hesitate to ask me; I'll do my best to help you find answers to your questions.

Your ancestors deserve the best researcher, the most passionate story-teller, and the dignity of being remembered. So let's encounter your ancestors through family history and remember the past made present today!