Arkansas Black Officials in Reconstruction
2026-06-06 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. 9th St., Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, United States
The Black History Commission of Arkansas with the Arkansas State Archives will host its June symposium, “Arkansas Black Officials in Reconstruction” on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock.Featured speakers include Matthew Caston, Dr. Donna Shelton, Phyllis Hammonds, Mayor Ora Barnes, and Pastor Jarvis Smith. Topics include “Rush to Freedom: The Story of Anderson Louis Rush,” “Gilded Age Grassroots Politics in the Arkansas Delta,” “Local to State Black Political Power in the Late Nineteenth Century,” and “A discussion on the successes, obstacles, and distinct personalities of 10 legislators who represented Phillips and Lee Counties during Reconstruction.”Light refreshments will be served. Teachers can earn up to 3 hours of Teacher PDH credit.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required. Deadline to register is May 26, 2026. Register through Eventbrite.

From the Cradle to the Grave Genealogy Workshop
2026-06-12 09:30 - 2026-06-13 12:30 | William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 72114, United States
Join the Laman Library, the Preservation of African American Cemeteries, and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society for a jam-packed family history weekend!

Join us June 12-13 from 9:30 am-12:30 pm (both days) at the William F. Laman Public Library for another From the Cradle to the Grave two-day workshop! These informational sessions are open to all ages and backgrounds, with a little something for everyone interested in doing family history research or cemetery preservation. Guest speakers will provide talks on conducting family history and cemetery research. Tamela Tenpenny-Lewis will present an overview of the history and legacy of the Odd Fellows Cemetery. PAAC Junior will join us to share new ways to get involved with the organization and upcoming projects for youth cemetery preservationists. These sessions will serve as the finale of a community-driven project to continue documenting the history of the Odd Fellows Cemetery and the Military Heights neighborhood in North Little Rock. Workshops over the last several months dove into conducting oral histories and digitizing family records. Supported in part by a Curtis H. Sykes Memorial Grant from the Black History Commission of Arkansas and the Arkansas State Archives, this weekend will also mark the opening of the permanent poster exhibit on Odd Fellows and Military Heights. For questions about the program or project, contact North Little Rock Public Library Archivist Jamie Middleton, jmiddleton@nlrlibrary.org.

I Am Just Like You: I Am Not Like You — Researching LGBTQ+ and Underrepresented Ancestors
2026-06-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual Meeting
Beyond LGBTQ+ research, we’ll examine approaches to researching other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups, including Hispanic/Latino, Jewish, and Black communities. You’ll gain guidance on evolving terminology, culturally aware research practices, and how to navigate uncertainty with confidence, along with resources to help you uncover and honor diverse family histories.

This evening’s presenter, Phil James, has been a practicing genealogist since about 1970, first as a hobby, and now full-time. His background in anthropology and computer science, specifically software, firmware, and hardware testing in Quality Assurance, has informed his pursuit of data and nuance — and his desire to be represented and counted. He has taught numerous classes, most recently: three 90-minute sessions for Open House, a San Francisco LGBT housing and social organization.

This is a Kitchen Roundtable presentation and discussion hosted by the Arkansas Genealogical Society. For more programs in this series, check the AGS website.

Cemetery Preservation with PAAC Junior
2026-07-10 10:00 - 12:00 | William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 72114, United States
Dig into the past in this hands-on cemetery preservation workshop with PAAC Junior.

Join us for a hands-on technical workshop in cemetery preservation with PAAC Junior! Workshop participants will learn to use Google Earth to locate cemeteries and the basics of family history research to track an ancestor through their life. This workshop is best suited to tweens and teens with some familiarity with computers and an interest in family history. Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend as well! Laptops will be provided for workshop use. PAAC Junior, established in 2009, aims to train youth in becoming advocates working to increase public awareness and activism in preserving, protecting, documenting, and restoring endangered and forgotten historic cemeteries, writing the significant histories of those interred, and publishing their findings through modern technology to youth and adults around the state of Arkansas.

As with all elements of our historic past, traditions are kept alive because they are passed down from generation to generation. But somewhere along the way, the tradition of involving our youth in the commitment and dedication to the upkeep of our family gravesites has been lost. The PAAC Junior Preservation Society is in place to ensure that the stories of our forefathers will be told and that the resting place of their ancestors will be preserved and not lost to vandals, abandonment, or developers.

Through technological tools, the world can view the plight of Arkansas Cemeteries under the leadership of PAAC/PAAC Junior Preservation Society.

DNA Oddities: Uncovering the Strange Truths of Genetic Research
2026-07-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual Meeting
Scott Lee

DNA and biological reproduction are more complex than most people realize. Misunderstandings about how DNA is inherited can lead to false assumptions and confusing, seemingly contradictory results. This presentation reveals fascinating and little-known facts about DNA that are crucial for interpreting unexpected genetic findings. Topics include: the importance of centimorgans, DNA crossovers, vanishing twin syndrome, chimeras, and the impact of endogamy. Technical details and jargon will be kept to a minimum, making these concepts accessible to all.

This is a Kitchen Roundtable presentation and discussion hosted by the Arkansas Genealogical Society. For more programs in this series, check the AGS website.

This evening’s presenter is Scott Lee, a retired software engineer who has researched his family history since 1979. He has served as an officer in several genealogical societies and lectures on genealogical topics. He is currently the 1st Vice President of the Arkansas Genealogical Society.

Scott grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, but his work took him to Indiana, Oregon, North Carolina, and New York City. In retirement, he and his wife, Deirdre, have returned to their families in Arkansas. His career included the medical field, engineering, computer graphics, and consulting focused on building reliable software. In retirement, he is working on the design of deep learning neural networks and software for genealogy. In his spare time, he enjoys writing science fiction, studying ancient calendars, developing open-source software, keeping up with the latest advances in physics and astronomy, and, of course, researching his family history.

Family History Research in Arkansas: An Introduction
2026-07-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom Virtual Meeting
Russell Baker

Russell Baker has been active in Arkansas genealogical education for decades. He is retired from the Arkansas State Archives and recently stepped down as the long-time editor of the Arkansas Genealogical Society’s journal, The Arkansas Family Historian.

A Zoom link will be sent to members and mailing list subscribers the morning of the meeting.

The presenters retain the copyright to their presentations, including all images and other intellectual property. Copying, recording, taking screenshots, transcribing, AI note-taking, or redistributing any portion of these presentations in any form is strictly prohibited under penalty of law. The official recording of presentations will be available for a limited time in the members-only section of the Heritage Seekers website. Thank you for understanding and cooperating.

You Only Have a Death Announcement: Now What?
2026-08-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Virtual Meeting
Deborah A. Abbott, Ph.D.

Dr. Deborah Abbott is a professional genealogist specializing in African American research, manuscript collections, and genealogy methodology. She is a Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Archives Advisory Commission member and serves on the Lake View (Ohio) Cemetery Outreach Committee. She is an associate with the Kentucky-Tennessee Associates based in Springfield, TN; past president of the African American Genealogical Society, Cleveland, OH; and a retired professor of Counseling from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. She holds both a BS and an M.Ed. from Tuskegee University in Alabama and a PhD from Kent State University in Ohio.

Dr. Abbott is an instructor and the coordinator for both the week-long African American tracts at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), held at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, and the Genealogy Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), held at LaRoche University in Pittsburgh, PA. She is also an instructor at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in Salt Lake City, UT. She presents lectures and workshops at national, state, and local genealogy conferences. She lectures at colleges, businesses & libraries. She has published in both the Ohio Genealogy News and Family Tree Magazine. Dr. Abbott can be seen teaching the African American research course “Needles & Threads” in an educational video on Ancestry Academy, available on Ancestry.com. She coordinates monthly classes for the Genealogy and Family History Clinic for the Cleveland Public Library.

A Cleveland, Ohio native, Dr. Abbott is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Tuskegee University National Alumni Association, and Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland.

A Zoom link will be sent to members and mailing list subscribers the morning of the meeting.

The presenters retain the copyright to their presentations, including all images and other intellectual property. Copying, recording, taking screenshots, transcribing, AI note-taking, or redistributing any portion of these presentations in any form is strictly prohibited under penalty of law. The official recording of presentations will be available for a limited time in the members-only section of the Heritage Seekers website. Thank you for understanding and cooperating.
