Here is the short history on the origins of the Pope family that I prepared for the 2022 Pope Family Reunion. The Pope family of Northampton County, North Carolina begins with Elias Pope, born free around 1793 to Jonas Pope a white man born around 1770 in southeastern Virginia, perhaps…

I was thrilled to deliver this encore presentation of my National Genealogical Society 2022 Family History Conference keynote, Revealing our Full American Mosaic. Using my own family history as a descendant of African, Indigenous, and European ancestors, I speak about the opportunity genealogy offers us to uncover the stories of people traditionally excluded from historical narratives. I then take questions from the audience.

This past week I was inducted into The District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). The organization is a lineage society founded in 1889 open to men who can prove direct lineage to a patriot who fought for or provided material aid to the Revolution…

I was thrilled to present at RootsTech Connect 2021, the world’s largest family history technology conference which attracted over one million attendees globally. I shared a session on Helping African Americans Trace Slaveholding Ancestors Using DNA. I outlined my four-step approach developed over years of genealogy experience: create a family tree; talk with family members; use research to extend your tree; and leverage extensive DNA testing. Learn how I used this approach to uncover that my third great grandfather Henry Johnston, born enslaved in Catawba, North Carolina in 1848, was the son of an enslaved woman named Milly and her slaveowner John Smyre Jr. whose family emigrated from Germany to North Carolina in the early 18th century. Watch my session below.

April 1 is Census Day. The United States 2020 Census kicked off this year and will conclude when the census bureau delivers a final report to the President by December. …

This blog is a celebration of my mother Ann and her family namesakes in commemoration of Women’s History Month. My mother was named after her grandmother Annie and her great-great grandmother Sarah Ann. …

The Republican Party of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina hosted a convention on Saturday April 12, 1884 to appoint delegates to the State convention. The scene that unfolded that day at the Mecklenburg county courthouse was utterly chaotic, and my great-great-great grandfather W.B. Harvell stood in the middle of it all. …

I enjoy genealogy because it takes me on new life adventures and experiences. This year it led me to an exciting guest appearance on the reality show Relative Race. Relative Race airs on BYUtv and is in its sixth season. Contestants race across the country on a 10-day adventure in…

Seventy-five years ago, my grandfather James Doc Richards was one of 73,000 U.S. troops to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. I know this because he told me so. About a year before my grandfather passed away, he came to visit with me. I took the day off…