Black group traces roots
posted by Admin on 02-22-2007 00:57

Black group traces roots

By Alvin Benn
Montgomery Advertiser

SELMA -- It's known as the "1870 Brick Wall" and B.J. Smoth­ers is doing what she can to help de­scendants of slaves break through it and learn more about their past.

The year marks the first time that former slaves were listed in the census as people instead of proper­ty, she said. Genealogical efforts be­fore 1870 are hampered by the lack of documents showing names, dates and other important information, but it's not impossible to learn more about distant family mem­bers, Smothers said.

To help those seeking details about their past, Smothers' organiz­ation is holding a genealogical con­ference Saturday at the Performing Arts Center in Selma. The geneal­ogy conference is sponsored by the Black Belt African American Gene­alogical and Historical Society, a group founded last year by Smoth­ers and her friend, Millie Lee Dula­ney.

"There are many ways for people to find out more about their Afri­can-American background," Smoth­ers said. "For one thing, slave own­ers kept track of their property."

African American Genealogy Conference set
posted by Admin on 02-22-2007 00:48

African American Genealogy Conference set

By Jean T. Martin

Tuesday, February 13, 2007 11:39 PM CST

The Selma Times-Journal

On Saturday, Feb. 17, the first ever Black Belt African American Genealogy Conference and Family History Fair will be held in Selma by the Black Belt African American Genealogical and Historical Society, Inc..

The conference includes guest speakers, exhibits, vendors, films and other events at two locations: the Larry D. Striplin Performing Arts Center, 1000 Selma Ave., and the Divine Life Community Development Corporation, 905 Water Ave.

BBAAGHS President B.J. Smothers and the Rev. Jabrina Howard, board member, say workshops include Beginning Genealogy and Researching Slave Records with board member Mary Jones Fitts and Family Reunion Planning with Melvin J. Collier.

Jones Fitts is a professional genealogist and expert on the slave records of Marengo County and Faunsdale Plantation.

Collier is a long-time family reunion organizer and is the Family Reunion Forum Manager at AfriGeneas.com. He was also recently named its 2006 Volunteer of the Year.

Two presenters with ties to the Black Belt are traveling from Chicago to participate.

Gwen M. Holland will present a case history of The McArthurs of Wilcox County and Lovie Warren will examine the wealth of information found in the school enumeration census records from Nanafalia in Marengo County and selected schools in Wilcox County.

Group helps individuals trace roots, plans Saturday meeting
posted by Admin on 02-22-2007 00:41

Group helps individuals trace roots, plans Saturday meeting

By Cassandra Mickens

Thursday, October 19, 2006 6:59 PM CDT

The Selma Times-Journal

B.J. Smothers is in search of her roots.

The semi-retired owner of Serendipity, an antique shop on Alabama Avenue, Smothers moved to Selma in May to trace her family history.

"I was drawn to this area to begin my research ... my dad's family is from here," Smothers said. "I'm looking on two fronts - through my grandmother back to Africa and then through my grandfather back to Europe. It's very exciting."

While Smothers has made great discoveries in her research, she's "run up against a brick wall."

But with the assistance of the Black Belt African American Genealogical and Historical Society (BBAAGHS), Smothers believes that brick wall will soon be demolished for her and many others.

Co-founded by Smothers in July, BBAAGHS' mission is "to discover, collect, organize and preserve the genealogy and history of African Americans in Alabama's Black Belt region with an initial focus on Dallas, Marengo, Perry and Wilcox counties."

The society held an introductory meeting last month and will hold its second meeting on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Divine Life Community Center, 905 Water Ave. The meeting is open to the public.

"I have to say there's so much interest," Smothers said, referring to the number of attendees at the introductory meeting. "We were kind of caught off guard by how many people showed up actually. We were pleasantly surprised we had such a response."

Family Celebrates 100th Birthday of Mamie Norris
posted by Admin on 09-19-2006 04:06

Family celebrates 100th birthday of Mamie Norris

By Deborah Goodwin
Monday, September 18, 2006 2:42 PM CDT

The Selma Times-Journal

Family and friends gathered at Warren Manor Nursing Home at 2 p.m. Friday to celebrate a century of living.

The family of Mamie Effinger Norris threw a party fit for a queen. At the "are you all ready for this" announcement, a room full of family and friends sang "Happy Birthday to you, may the good Lord bless you" as Ms. Norris was wheeled into the room on a red carpet and sat in front of a hand-drawn portrait of herself done by her great granddaughter, Brandy Seals.

"Doesn't Mama look good," one of her daughters said.

Ms. Norris wore a blue dress with white pearls and a sparkling tiara.

Before her entrance, family members - some coming from out of town - were laughing, smiling and getting reacquainted, but when Ms. Norris entered the room all of their focus was on her.

The crowd gathered around with flash after flash going off from all the cameras. With four generations in the room, they made a line to take turns to hug and kiss mama, grandma, great grandma, great great grandma, aunt and friend.

A short program followed the greetings. Scriptures were read, songs were sang and some family history was told.

Ms. Norris is the mother of 15 children - 10 daughters, five sons: Rosetta Tate, Willie Mae Norris, Sophina Seals, Evelyn Chunningham, Dorothy Robinson, Mamie Terrell, Florence Ford Jackson, Delois Norris and Glory Norris, Joe Norris, Robert Norris, Eugene Norris, Ernest Norris, Henry Norris and Linda Mae Acoff (deceased). According to her daughter, Sophina Seals, all 15 were delivered with the aid of a midwife, not in a hospital.

Deep Roots in Alabama
posted by Admin on 09-19-2006 00:40

Sun, Jul. 16, 2006

Deep roots in Alabama

Many local residents began journey in southern town of Marion

By Julie Creek

Even almost 70 years later, Olivia Betties’ voice breaks when she talks about the night a black man was shot dead in Perry County, Ala.

She was 14, living with her family on their farm near Marion, Ala., when a man who had been their neighbor got into the latest in a long line of domestic disputes with his wife.

“His wife got angry and told the white man who owned the land,” she said. “The next thing they know, the police got him and they shot him dead, right there in the courthouse in Marion. Then they drug him out on the porch and left him there like a hog. The undertaker had to come get him there.

“After that, blacks in Perry County went to Selma to buy their groceries and things. It was the only way we had to protest what happened.”

Five years later in 1943, Betties left the Jim Crow South and began the long journey north toward Fort Wayne to join two of her sisters who had come before. She would grow homesick and return to Alabama several times over the next couple of years. But eventually, she settled in Fort Wayne for good, married and raised a family.

There are no reliable estimates on how many black families from Perry County followed brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends and other relatives to settle in Fort Wayne. But Hana Stith, founder and curator of the African/African-American Historical Museum, believes most of Fort Wayne’s black families can trace at least one branch back to that swath of rich farmland in southern Alabama that lies west of Montgomery and south of Birmingham.

posted by on 12-31-1969 19:00