Diversity Updates at Wakecogen and Within Our Local Community

Saundra Cropps has assumed the post of Diversity & Inclusion Officer at WCGS. In this important board-level role, she will play a crucial part in making our society's goal of creating a welcoming and inclusive community for everyone looking to explore and embrace their family histories a reality. As the Diversity Officer, Saundra will work to ensure that WCGS programs and projects effectively cater to the varied requirements of the genealogical community. Please see the announcement at the Wakecogen homepage for more details of her new role and an additional article detailing our extensive list of resources for African American Research.

Thanks to Saundra for keeping diversity topics on our radar. She is actively searching out and sharing content already. Please consider these two events happening in early September:

Explore 100 years of History - Raleigh’s Unique African American Neighborhoods Exhibit

September 2, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m
The City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department announces a historic exhibit opening and a day of historical programming at the John P. “Top” Greene Community Center on September 2, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The exhibit, “Centuries in the Making: A Cultural Legacy of South Park and East Raleigh Neighborhoods” is a pilot exhibit developed in conjunction with the South Park East Raleigh Neighborhood Association which explores the people and places that made these unique African American neighborhoods for over 100 years. Historic lectures and programs will be presented throughout the day.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact the John P. “Top” Green Community Center at 919-831-6527. The John P. “Top” Greene Community Center is located at 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Raleigh.
See program details at this link

Explore Your African American Roots* - Free Community Workshops

Tuesdays - September 5, 12, 19 and 26 or Saturdays - September 9, 16, 23 and 30
The City of Raleigh and the South Park East Raleigh Neighborhood Association (SPERNA) are offering free workshops to help the community find their African American roots.
The two workshops will be a series of classes held on Tuesdays and Saturdays in September by instructors who will teach residents basic genealogy skills while exploring online resources such as Ancestry and Freedmen's Bureau records. *Our own Saundra Cropps will partner with Wanda Cox Bailey on this series.
No experience is necessary. Ten residents who complete the four sessions will be awarded a donated refurbished chrome book. Workshop registration is limited, and registration is required. For more information contact the City of Raleigh Museum at 919-996-2220.
Session One - Tuesdays - September 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m., Register on RecLink
Session Two - Saturdays - September 9, 16, 23 and 30, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m., Register on RecLink

Wake Wednesday - Slave Narratives in the Wake Treasures Journal Archive

A selection of the slave narratives relevant to Wake County were transcribed as noted below. The Wake Treasures Journal Archives are currently free to all to view. Note that historical materials often include viewpoints, language, norms, and values of the original creators that may be harmful to our sensibilities today. There is language here that some may wish to skip. The words of the original speakers were preserved as originally expressed.* SLAVE NARRATIVES – A FOLK HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE US, FROM INTERVIEWS WITH FORMER SLAVES Transcribed by Jerry J. Lewis NORTH CAROLINA NARRATIVES, Pt. 1, Vol. 14, NC District #2. This can be found in the North Carolina State Library. This was a project of the Works Progress Administration in 1937. These narratives were can be found in Vol 8.2 (starting p. 57 ) and Vol 9.1 (starting p. 59 ) The narratives include accounts from former enslaved persons who lived in Raleigh at the time of the WPA survey. Many were enslaved in Wake County...

Reminder: 2026 Wake County Genealogical Society Virtual Meetings - next - Sept 22, 2026

There is still time to register for this very interesting and timely topic! Tuesday, Sept 22, 2026 @ 6:30pm – Virtual Topic: Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in Genealogy Speaker: David McCorkle Learn how to use AI tools to process genealogical evidence from various records in a more comprehensive and less time consuming manner. This lecture will cover document analysis, reading handwriting, processing images, and more, using real examples and the latest tools. This is an introductory lecture, so no AI knowledge is required. Join us! Free and virtual! *Please register by 4pm day of meeting. *Please save your passcode and link for ease of entry at start time. *Presentation starts promptly at 6:30 pm. Link to register at the Wakecogen website events page . Registration is now open! **Get the video recording to watch on-demand for 30 days and access to our webinar handout library with your WCGS membership!** ** ...

Reminder - Join Wakecogen for "Coffee & Conversation" - July 16 Meet-up - This Thursday

Join Wakecogensoc for "Coffee & Conversation" What - July Meet-up When - Thursday, July 16 , at 9:30 am Where - Panera Bread - (Glenwood/Pleasant Valley), 6201 Glenwood Avenue , Raleigh, NC 27612 Designed by pch.vector / Freepik Our first coffee gathering was so fun, we are going to do it again! We’ll chat about what genealogical topics we're working on, or a brick wall, or ask other members how to do something. No RSVP - just show up , order your beverage or food, and look around for Barbara at a large table with a sign for WCGS. We tentatively plan to hold several more “Coffee and Conversation” events on different days and locations throughout 2026. If you are interested in hosting one, email President@WakeCoGen.org and we'll choose a date and location. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website - Homepage | WCGS Events | Join WCGS | Publications | Wake Cemetery Survey Images |...

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