Researching Black Families in the Mountain South

The Jonesborough Genealogical Society will host our February Genealogy Day on Saturday, February 22nd at 9:30 am at the Washington County-Jonesborough Library. The JGS will host William Isom, II with Black in Appalachia for a Black History Month talk entitled "Researching Black Families in the Mountain South." This talk will include a discussion on techniques, sources and obstacles when researching African American genealogy in Appalachia, which will include topics from the 1860's "wall" to desegregation. This talk will be given by William Isom, II, director of Black in Appalachia. From Hamblen County, William Isom II is a 6th generation East Tennessean and is the director of Black in Appalachia, based at East Tennessee PBS. In that role he coordinates locally-specific research, community data base development, documentary film and photography production, oral history collection and educational events with residents in the region around Black history in the Mountain South. Currently, William is an Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations. For more information on our book, genealogy days, or JGS, please visit our website, jgstn.org or email info@jgstn.org.