Tacoma FamilySearch Center is sponsoring the 4th Annual African American Family History Event, “Family Ties That Unite Us”, March 22, 2025 – 9am – 2pm at 1102 S Pearl St., Tacoma WA 98465. Family Ties That Unite Us is free and is open to the public of all levels of Family History ability and interest. The Event will have 200-300 in attendance. Two musical groups will perform, there will be an adult and youth keynote speakers and two Family History Speakers during the event.  There are informational tables from local museums, historical societies and genealogical societies and one on one Family History assistance throughout the event.

The free luncheon includes Philly Cheese Steak and Chicken sandwiches, salads and more. 

Keynote speakers will be Ethelda Burke, University Place School Board Member and past local principal, Lynese and Malando Redeemer, the current Tacoma NAACP President and Youth Pastor for Shilo Baptist Church.  The Family History Speakers include Andre Escalante – a local father of 3 who will share his story about beginning Family History research, and Tamu Smith who will speak about Plantations and Reservations. Tamu is a nationally known speaker with Sistas in Zion and Time Out For Women. She will include groups and resources for researching those of Enslaved and Native American heritage.

The Tacoma FamilySearch Center will be open during the entire event with all services, including digitizing equipment – ready for tours and to sign up to use with help.  The Center is located at  1102 S Pearl St, Tacoma WA 98465. On the South side (12th Street side) of the building. Watch for the green FamilySearch Center Sign.  It is open 33 hours per week – Tues, Wed, & Thurs 10am – 8pm and Sat 10am – 1pm. The Center has 12 different Family History websites available for use free of charge and has 20% + more records in FamilySearch than you can access from home. 

Tacoma FamilySearch Center has 47 volunteers, many who bring a tote of their own photos, slides and videos to digitize each shift they work – helping others while helping themselves. New volunteers of all levels are welcome.  We are happy to train and put new people with experienced ones for a great start.

Saturday’s African American Event will be live and in person and also on zoom.  The zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/96665929487 . Zoom  9:30am – 2pm

The speakers will be recorded and the recordings will be found on the Webpage

https://www.tacomaaafhe.com

Questions?

Tacoma FamilySearch Center

Mary Anderson – Director

Msynergy007@gmail.com          WA_tacoma@familyhistorymail.org

253-223-1719                              253-564-1103

Tacoma Family Search Center Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153994266492384

Or come to the Tacoma FamilySearch Center

Tacoma FamilySearch Center is sponsoring the 3rd annual African American Family History Event “A Proud Heritage”, February 24th 2024 9am-2pm at 1102 S Pearl St, Tacoma WA 98465. A Proud Heritage is free. The event expects to have over 300 people from the community throughout Western Washington – and more than that over live zoom from anywhere. Many of those who attend will be new to Family History and looking for additional help and groups to join.  We have free informational tables for Family History, Museums and other organizations to use to let people know what they offer. Those with tables will be listed in the program and on the webpage. Several tables are still available to reserve at 253-223-1719.

This event will feature a local community figure, Willie Stewart , the first African American Vice Principal, Principal and administrator in the Tacoma School District as keynote speaker. Willie will speak about his first experience in Family History research during the past few months and exciting stories about his ancestors.

Our main speaker this year is Thom Reed, a Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch International, liaison for FamilySearch to the International African American Family History Museum and the 10 Million Names Project. Thom organizes the African American presentations for Rootstech, too. He has helped with our Event before, but this is the first time he has been able to come in person. Thom will be speaking about 10 Steps to Reclaiming Your African American Roots. He will be attending live and will teach two classes and be available for questions this year.

There will be Oral History booths available for recording a favorite family story and Story Telling as well as One-on-One FamilySearch support, and a delicious free catered lunch.

The Tacoma FamilySearch Center will be open during this event for tours to see what this FamilySearch Center offers and especially to show the Memory Lane Digitizing Equipment – which is free to reserve and use at this Center. Patrons can sign up for a day and time to use 7 different types of equipment to digitize slides, photos, books, movies (super 8, Reg 8, VHS and more), audio cassettes and reel to reel. Training and support is provided. for this free service which enhances what Tacoma FamilySearch Center has to offer patrons who visit.

New for this year as part of the African American Family History Event is “Your Proud Family”, a youth conference within a conference, planned, taught and attended by led by African American Youth from various local High Schools. Youth will be working on beginning Family History, recording a Family History Story, DNA tips, and painting a Family Tree with support from local artists. The youth event is housed in the same building and is mainly for African American youth 12 and up and their friends. There will be contests with prizes.. Advanced sign up is necessary because of the supplies involved please.

.We encourage those with African American Heritage – adults and youth as well as those who enjoy assisting in their research to sign up in advance for our free event  at tacomaaafhe.com

Questions?

Mary Anderson

Tacoma FamilySearch Center Co-Director

253-564-1103

253-223-1719

msynergy007@gmail.com

WA_tacoma@familyhistorymail.org

Tacoma Family Search Center Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/153994266492384/permalink/790402896184848

or come to the Tacoma FamilySearch Center

1102 S Pearl St, Tacoma WA 98465

Open  Tues, Wed, Thurs 10am – 8pm, Sat 10am – 1pm