Where Genealogy and Spirit Connect, February 2, 2010
On, Where Genealogy and Spirit Connect
on BBS Radio
With Host Susan E. King
Valencia Nelson
February 2, 2010
Valencia and Susan will be discussing African American genealogy. With Haiti on everyone's mind, we will discuss the challenges confronting those doing African American research, and Afrigeneas, the online site designed for those doing African American genealogy.
Valencia King Nelson, one of the original founders of AfriGeneas, an online genealogy pioneer and the guiding light of AfriGeneas.
Ms. Nelson was a pioneer in launching the development of Black genealogy on the internet. She and a few others visionaries realized that the Bulletin Board System could easily accommodate genealogy. With Ms. Nelson paving the way, the Black genealogy community was born and soon connected researchers from New York to Ohio to points south.
Ms. Nelson is a retired Social Worker who spent most of her professional career at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an interesting aside, one of her students at UCSBSteve Casewent on to found AOL, although at the time she admits that she had no clue about his future direction and success. Three years ago she received a Lifetime Achievement Award and retired as the Personnel Director of the Genealogy Forum at AOL where she spent more than a decade spearheading the African American Special Interest Group.
Originally from Anniston, Alabama, she now resides in Marietta, Georgia.
Where Genealogy and Spirit Connect
Susan is a Genealogy columnist with The Examiner. As the Genealogy Examiner, Susans column covers cover the gamut of genealogical topics with a rare twist. Through this column Susan will be building a deeper understanding of the spiritual journey of finding our ancestors and finding ourselves. Through a deeper understanding of our history and the history of others will we be.
We live in both very exciting times and very troubling times. But we live in a time where we really do have an opportunity to change; change how we think and feel about ourselves; change how we think and feel about others. We have an opportunity to teach the next generations the importance of preservation, the importance of respect, and the importance of tolerance. There is no better modality than through the study and sharing of our genealogies, our research and through our feelings.
In this light, Susan has launched a new social network, Susaneking.com, the place Where genealogy and spirit connect. This site is designed to assist others to embark on their own personal journey tofind your family, find yourself. Susan will be providing start-up consulting, ongoing monitoring and collaborative services as requested and special services.
