Periodicals at MGC-Celebrating African American History Month

February 04, 2013

In celebration of African American History Month, MGC will spotlight African American heritage throughout the month of February. We hope you will enjoy our upcoming blogs and share your experiences with us, too.

How does spending a quiet afternoon in the Library sound? Sit back in one of our comfortable chairs by the window and read a few periodicals.

If you are researching your African American heritage, you might want to look at periodicals such as: Negro History Bulletin; AAHGS News (Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society); Generations (Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition); American Legacy; Black Tracks; Gene News (African American Genealogy Group); or Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. These are located in the "Ethnic Section" in our Periodicals Area.

These publications often provide tips on genealogy research, events, family stories, family histories, historical events, and book reviews.

As I was looking through Negro History Bulletin, I found many articles about historical individuals, both famous and not so famous. In volume 38 no.3 (4-5/1975), pg. 382, I came across a letter written in July of 1865 from a former slave, James Smith, to his mother and family telling them that he was well and his situation at the time. And, I found another, v.38 no.8 (12/1975), pg.480, about a man named Giles Beecher Jackson, Director-General of the Negro Development and Exposition Company. He was a successful and well known black man of his day and author of The Industrial History of the Negro Race of the United States. He wanted all black school children to have his book to inspire and encourage them to achieve success.

I also found an article in AAHGS News (a bi-monthly newsletter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society, Inc.), Sept/Oct 2011, about a researcher’s trip to the National Archives, where she researched her family of soldiers.

I hope you will make the time to enjoy our periodicals collection at Midwest Genealogy Center.

Cindi F.
Midwest Genealogy Center