This year, in honor of Black History Month, the History & Genealogy Department is hosting a three-part lecture series highlighting African American communities throughout history. These lectures will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the Huenefeld Tower Room (South Building, 3rd floor) of the Main Library.
Saturday, February 3
Developing the Genealogy of an African American Community: A Case Study
Frequently, local histories fail to record accounts of African American communities. Nationally renowned speaker and researcher Timonth Pinnick uses genealogical records to uncover the forgotten past. He will present methods for developing a research strategy, collecting and recording information, and constructing a database that reveals migration patterns, identifies family relationships, and establishes community history.
Saturday, February 10
Cincinnati’s Black Community in the Pre-Civil War Era
Faced with hostile city environment and a state constitution that denied African American citizenship, early nineteenth century Cincinnati Blacks developed a strong sense of community. Dr. Nikki Taylor, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Cincinnati, Fulbright Fellowship and Mellon Grant recipient, author of Frontiers of Freedom: Cincinnati’s Black Community, 1802-68, explores the process by which former slaves developed political self-respect and self-determination.
Saturday, February 17
Cincinnati’s Black Owned Businesses: Back in the Day
During the pre-integration decades of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Cincinnati was home to scores of thriving black-owned businesses in clearly defined African American communities. Hasker Nelson, founder/president of Heritage Research Creations, award-winning journalist, and author of Listening for Our Past: A Lay Guide to African American Oral History Interviewing, will deliver a mult-media presenation on these community leaders.