SLIG 2023: African American Genealogy Methods and Strategies

If you are engaged in researching African American ancestors of your own or of others, then this course is for you.

African American Genealogy Methods and Strategies, coordinated by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG, is an intermediate-level course designed to build skills that will take researchers to the next level by focusing on methodologies and strategies for meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard when researching families that survived slavery. In-class exercises and a focus on case studies will give students the conceptual tools needed to overcome the challenges of researching during the antebellum period.

Faculty includes:

• Deborah A. Abbot, PhD
• Tony Burroughs, FUGA
• Michael G. Hait, CG, AG
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, FUGA
• Diane M. Warmsley, MS
• Scott Wilds, CG

Watch an interview with course coordinator LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson:

African American Genealogy Methods and Strategies is scheduled to meet online January 23–27, 2023. All SLIG 2023 courses will be offered virtually this year. (See you in person in Salt Lake City in 2024!)

See the SLIG Courses web page for more information, including updates.

SLIG 2023 registration opens Saturday, July 16, at 10:00 am MDT.

SLIG Wrap-up Event and Keynote 2021

In keeping with our theme for SLIG 2021, we are pleased to announce that LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson will be addressing us at the SLIG Wrap-up Event.

SLIG Wrap-up Event and UGA Awards

Friday, January 29, 2021, 5:00 - 6:30 pm MST

What will SLIG be without our traditional completion banquet? We are about to find out how to wrap things up in a virtual environment. 

Following the pattern traditionally used at our annual completion banquets, we will begin with virtual photo memories, so make sure you arrive early to find yourself and your friends in the virtual slide show. 

The event will feature a keynote presentation, annual UGA awards, including the Silver Tray and FUGA, door prize announcements (see separate instructions to enter), and our traditional “course reveal” for the upcoming year. 

No tickets required; just bring your own meal of choice and click on the link provided in your virtual materials to enter.

"Excellence is Not an Act, but a Habit"

LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL

Few people have risen as quickly through the ranks of professional genealogists as LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson. And no wonder. Whatever she takes on is tackled with enthusiasm and a nod toward perfection. 

We (SLIG) suspect that her long list of accomplishments in life, from her Juris Doctorate to her election as president of BCG, is the direct result of a life-long “habit” of working toward “excellence” in all she does. In spite of challenges. In spite of what the world is dishing out around her, fair or unfair. And once achieved? She works to help others gain the education, hone the skills, and create the habits that will bring them similar success. We are pleased that she has accepted the challenge to address us on the topic “Excellence is Not an Act, but a Habit."

A Practical Application of Genealogy Standards

This is a unique course for advance practitioners. Most courses and lectures approach genealogy standards from the perspective of how to meet standards and how to produce work that meets standards. 

During this course—a supervised practical application of Genealogy Standards—the students will be the judges. This is a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions. Each day the students will evaluate genealogical work samples of unknown quality to determine whether the samples meet, partially meet, or do not meet standards. From these exercises we hope that the students will gain insight into the mindset and the habits involved in consistently producing work that meets standards. We hope that the students will develop evaluation strategies to identify weaknesses in their writing and in the writing of others. This is a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions.

The class will move quickly and assume that attendees are familiar with Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition (2019), with Evidence Explained, and with Numbering Your Genealogy.

Jeanne will be assisted by:

• Jill N. Crandell, AG
• Stefani Evans, CG
• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Debra S. Mieszala, CG
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

For more information and to see Jeanne's video on the course, go here.

Finding Clues Hidden in the Records with the Advanced Legal Concepts Course - A Discussion with Judy Russell

Corpus Juris: Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy is unique learning opportunity for those who want to use legal records to uncover clues about the past. Participants will experience hands-on research in the University of Utah Law Library and receive instruction on a higher level than any other genealogy law-related courses. Course coordinator, Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL, answered our questions about her course. 

Who should take this course?

This is the perfect class for every genealogist who has ever sat with a court record or probate file or legal document and wondered just what story that record was trying to tell. The arcane language, the formalities can all hide some of the most important clues we can have in reconstructing families, and finding those clues requires some special research skills. 

Am I ready for this course?

Anyone who has done onsite research in a courthouse or truly worked through a full case file online is ready to take this next step and dive deeper into legal records and legal research techniques. It's advanced, yes, but not so advanced that anyone who's grappled with court and legal records for their family history should be afraid to take that next step.

What makes this course unique?

What makes Corpus Juris different from other genealogical institute courses is its depth and breadth of focus on understanding the legal foundations of the records we use. In an introductory law-and-genealogy course, it isn't possible to spend a day on researching at a law library or to have multiple sessions on finding exactly the right law that explains what this record means at this place in this time -- while Corpus Juris makes that a keystone.

What is the main takeaway students will gain from this course?
Students come out of this course with a solid understanding of the ways in which major genealogical clues can be hidden in the records -- and with great ways to try to find and understand those clues.

Course instructors include:

• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• Rev. David McDonald, DMin, CG
• George R. Ryskamp, JD, AG
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

Learn more about this unique advanced course by clicking here: Corpus Juris: Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy.

SLIG Instructors on Saturday, August 24th!

FGS opens on Wednesday, August 21st in Washington, DC.

For those attending SLIG in 2020, you can get a preview of what you will experience, since many SLIG instructors and coordinators will be sharing their expertise throughout the conference. If you are still undecided about whether a week-long institute with expert instructors is for you and you are attending FGS, take this opportunity to see why attending SLIG in January 2020 would elevate your genealogical education!

If you have questions regarding the Institute or just want to see what we are all about, pay us a visit at Booth 704. There is an Exhibit Hall map found here.

On Saturday, the following SLIG instructors and coordinators will be presenting the 
following lectures:

8:00–9:00 AM

Churches in the Potomac/Chesapeake Region Before 1800
S-403
David McDonald, DMin, CG

Beyond Population: Researching in the Special Census Schedules
S-404
Angela Packer McGhie, CG

An Overview of Researching Hispanic Ancestry
S-406
Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS

Irish Estate, Land & Property Records
S-408
David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA

9:30–10:30 PM

The Advance of Research Habits over Recent Decades—And the Downside
S-409
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA

A Vermont Home for a Maryland Man: Assembling Indirect Evidence
S-410
Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG

Federal Land Laws and the Settlement of Early America
S-411
Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

Key Player, Participant, or Partisan Follower: Discovering An Ancestor’s Political Leanings
S-412
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS

11:00–12:00 PM

The Second Great Awakening: Thawing the Frozen Chosen in The Early Nineteenth Century
S-417
David McDonald, DMin, CG

12:15–1:45 PM ($)

BCG Luncheon: Into the Brave New World of DNA
S-470
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL

2:30–3:30 PM

Resolving Conflicting Evidence to Identify the Mother of William Dalton—Part I
S-427
Angela Packer McGhie, CG

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Land Records—Advanced
S-428
Gerald "Jerry" H. Smith, CG

Vignettes of Immigrant Military Service
S-432
Rick Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

4:00–5:00 PM

Using DNA to Confirm the Ancestral Line for William Dalton—Part 2
S-437
Karen Stanbary, LCSW, MA, CG

Research in Virginia’s Burned Counties
S-438
Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FUGA, FVGSFor complete FGS conference listings and updates, please visit the FGS conference website at https://fgs.org/conference/2019-program/

Registration is open right now for SLIG 2020, both the Institute and the Academy! Visit www.slig.ugagenealogy.org for more information.

So much to learn! So many great educators!

John Doe & Richard Roe ... What it all means!

This course offers students an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the rich research resources of the law, including those generally available only at law libraries. This is critical when conducting research to ensure you understand the meaning of the records you are finding.

Students will work with legal records and sources, gaining a better grasp of legal history and its implications for research as well as the skills to find and apply the law to solve genealogical problems. 

Individual sessions will focus on specific legal disciplines (criminal, civil, probate and the like) and students will have the opportunity to visit and use the resources of a major university law library. The visit to the law library provides hands-on experience that puts lessons into practice.

This course has the following prerequisites:
Completion of a basic course in genealogy and law—Family History Law Library (SLIG) or Law School for Genealogists (GRIP)—is recommended.

For more details and to register, go here.

Who Needs Standards?

From the website of Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) in discussing the need for their book on standards: 

"Genealogy Standards begins with the simple fact that accuracy is fundamental to genealogical research. Without it, a family’s history would be fiction. That first edition of the manual presented the standards family historians use to obtain valid results, updated, clarified, consolidated, and expanded for the 21st century, and tied more directly to the Genealogical Proof Standard."

"This new 2019 second edition reflects the fact that the practice of genealogy is not static, but evolves as new developments and technologies emerge. Genealogy’s standards must keep pace also. Responding to this decade’s spate of advancements in the practice of genetic genealogy, BCG has modified four existing standards and added seven new standards to guide the use of DNA evidence in genealogical analysis. BCG also has updated the Genealogist’s Code to address the protection of individuals who provide DNA samples. New terms added to the glossary reflect the specialized language associated with DNA evidence."

This is a unique course for advanced practitioners. 

Most courses and lectures approach genealogy standards from the perspective of how to meet standards and how to produce work that meets standards. 

During this course—a supervised practical application of Genealogy Standards—the students will be the judges. 

This is a forum for discussion of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions. Each day the students will evaluate genealogical work samples of unknown quality to determine whether the samples meet, partially meet, or do not meet standards. 

From these exercises we hope that the students will gain insight into the mindset and the habits involved in consistently producing work that meets standards. We hope that the students will develop evaluation strategies to identify weaknesses in their writing and in the writing of others. 

This course will be a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions.

Why are standards necessary? To produce reliable and accurate genealogical products ... not works of fiction.

To learn more about the course and to register, go here.

Enter the DNA Dreamers

I had the opportunity to watch from the sidelines as Karen Stanbary developed this all-new course for SLIG: Meeting Standards Using DNA Evidence – Research Strategies. I admit that the title almost sounds a bit dry, and the prerequisites seem a bit daunting. But oh, if you can meet them and get to attend . . . what an amazing experience awaits!

Students taking this course will, in Karen's words: "Dissect familiar skills with a DNA Twist." 

Let's take a peek inside the classroom as it will exist in January:

Cases only Solvable with DNA Evidence

There are no fewer than eight (8) other instructors besides Karen presenting in this course. Each credentialed. Each with a strong DNA research background.

I see 15 case studies being presented – each one representing a long-standing brick wall that could not be solved without the skillful of DNA along with documentary sources. I see a panel of experts discussing the school of hard knocks so we can avoid the same mistakes.

I see the brain fog clearing and fear lifting as one learns how to apply the newly minted DNA-Related standards and the Genealogical Proof Standard to their work through daily dissection of cases and research strategies.

DNA Dreamers

Imagine being part of a DNA case "think tank" – analyzing, discussing, making recommendations to help the researcher decide on the best approach to resolution. Even more exciting – what if the case being discussed was one of yours? Several lucky students will provide a written summary of a real-life "stuck" case for the class to study and discuss. 

The "dreamers" discussions are optional, held after regular classroom hours, and not required to receive the completion certificate, but why would I not want to participate? Wow, just wow, is about all I can say.

Golden Nuggets

Naturally many handy tips and strategies will surface throughout the week. Students will collaborate to capture them into a take-home "Golden Nuggets Quicksheet." 

Thanks Karen for taking the time to put together this amazing course for SLIG 2020 students. 

And thanks to FamilyTreeDNA for their ongoing sponsorship support which enables us to take things to a new level when it comes to DNA education!

More Information: https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=582#course-11 

Applying Standards with Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG

This is a unique course for advance practitioners. Most courses and lectures approach genealogy standards from the perspective of how to meet standards and how to produce work that meets standards.

During this course—a supervised practical application of Genealogy Standards—the students will be the judges. This is a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions. Each day the students will evaluate genealogical work samples of unknown quality to determine whether the samples meet, partially meet, or do not meet standards. From these exercises we hope that the students will gain insight into the mindset and the habits involved in consistently producing work that meets standards. We hope that the students will develop evaluation strategies to identify weaknesses in their writing and in the writing of others. This is a forum for discussions of each standard and for substantive genealogy questions.

The class will move quickly and assume that attendees are familiar with Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition(2019), with Evidence Explained, and with Numbering Your Genealogy.

Jeanne will be assisted by:

• Jill N. Crandell, AG
• Stefani Evans, CG
• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Debra S. Mieszala, CG
• Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Learn How to Meet Standards Using DNA Evidence with Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG

This all-new course is designed to deconstruct, and study researcher decisions, strategies, and methodologies employed in the correlation of documentary and genetic evidence to establish proven genealogical conclusions. Examples include case studies suitable for publication, research reports, and proof summaries/arguments useful in a Kinship Determination Project (KDP). The research problems are all long-standing genealogical brick walls that could not be solved without the skillful use of DNA and documentary sources. We will focus on a variety of strategies to meet the newly minted DNA-Related standards and the Genealogical Proof Standard.

Students will dissect familiar skills, with a DNA twist:

• Crafting a meaningful research question
• Developing and refining research plans
• Mining for evidence
• Correlating evidence
• Sorting and grouping evidence
• Analyzing with logic and inference
• Testing hypotheses
• Resolving conflicts
• Reporting of findings
• Writing clear proof arguments detailing evidence and reasoning to support the conclusion

There is a strong instructor team joining Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG, and includes:

• Catherine B. W. Desmarais, CG
• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Melissa A. Johnson, CG
• Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG
• David Ouimette, CG, CGL
• David Rencher, CG, AG, FIGRS, FUGA
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

This course has the following prerequisites:

• Requires previous completion of the following full-week institute courses at any genealogical institute in three categories:
• Advanced Methodology, Advanced Genealogical Methods, Mastering Genealogical Proof;
• Beginning DNA, Introduction to Genetic Genealogy, Practical Genetic Genealogy;
• Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA, Intermediate DNA, Chromosome Mapping, Advanced DNA (offered Summer 2019), or SLIG Virtual DNA Practicum (offered Fall 2019)

If a registrant does not meet the prerequisites, a work sample may be submitted for consideration that correlates genetic and documentary sources to establish a conclusion meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard.

There are also pre-reading requirements:

• Board for Certification of Genealogists, Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition
• Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Proof
• Debbie Parker Wayne and Blaine T. Bettinger, Genetic Genealogy in Practice
• Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Documentation
• Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained (the first two chapters)
• Debbie Parker Wayne, ed. Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies
• Board for Certification of Genealogists, Rubrics for Evaluating New Applications for BCG Certification, 2019 edition; PDF, Board for Certification of Genealogists

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Learn and Understand the Rich Research Resources of the Law with the Legal Genealogist!

This course offers students an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the rich research resources of the law, including those generally available only at law libraries. Students will work with legal records and sources, gaining a better grasp of legal history and its implications for research as well as the skills to find and apply the law to solve genealogical problems. Individual sessions will focus on specific legal disciplines (criminal, civil, probate and the like) and students will have the opportunity to visit and use the resources of a major university law library.

Judy is assisted by the following instructors:

• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• Rev. David McDonald, DMin, CG
• George R. Ryskamp, JD, AG
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

This is an advanced course with the following prerequisite:

• Completion of a basic course in genealogy and law—Family History Law Library (SLIG) or Law School for Genealogists (GRIP)—is recommended.

Registration for SLIG 2020 opens July 13, 2019 at 9:00 am MDT. For more information, go here.

Going to Ohio? Be sure to check out our instructors participating at the 2019 Ohio Genealogical Society’s conference in Mason, Ohio! The conference is being held on May 1st through 4th. There are many great topics and events to choose from. 

• Deborah A. Abbott, Ph.D.
• Blaine T. Bettinger
• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson
• Janet Hovorka
• Michael D. Lacopo
• David Rencher
• Craig Scott
• Paula Stuart-Warren
• Rich Venezia
• Among many other great lecturers!

To find out more about the program, go to their website.

Visit www.slig.ugagenealogy.org for more information on our upcoming courses.

And the Distinguished Service Award Goes to LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson!

     LaBrenda received the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her service to UGA and SLIG. LaBrenda was instrumental in helping to develop the commemorative Martin Luther King Jr. event that kicked off the SLIG Academy. Additionally, LaBrenda was the coordinator of SLIG’s first African-American research course. This was quite timely, since 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the first recorded arrival of Africans to an English colony in Virginia.

     Also working behind the scenes, LaBrenda has lent her expertise of reviewing SLIG’s policies on professional behavior that were codified and published on the website. LaBrenda’s assistance ensured that all the policies were reviewed and published in one place and was particularly instrumental with the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct section. This contributed to SLIG moving forward as a leader in the industry on these issues.

     LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson is an author and lecturer who focuses on African American families with roots in the South; she also serves as a facilitator on the faculty of the Boston University Online Genealogical Program. LaBrenda became a board-certified genealogist in 2015 and was elected as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists in 2016. She earned a BA in government from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and both a Law degree and a Master of Laws degree from New York University School of Law.

     While practicing law, LaBrenda authored several editions of her family history as well as two church histories. She has been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, among other genealogical publications. In 2016 LaBrenda published A Guide to Researching African American Ancestors in Laurens County, South Carolina and Selected Finding Aids, a book that was widely acclaimed as a model for research in South Carolina and other states. Other publications can be found on her website.

     Congratulations, LaBrenda!

Academy Events: I Have a Dream

SLIG Announces the format for the commemorative event to be held at the beginning of new SLIG Academy for Professionals.

 “Out Of The Mountain Of Despair A Stone Of Hope”

—  Words inscribed on his memorial from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous

 “I Have a Dream” speech at the  Lincoln Memorial on 28 August 1963.

Featuring Rev. Paul Neal Nelson

Fifty-five years ago Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. It almost wasn't shared, not being part of the original script prepared for his speech to be given during the March on Washington for civil rights. Taylor Branch (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the first volume of his history of the American Civil Rights Movement: Parting The Waters) tells us that the great contralto Mahalia Jackson urged Dr. King to “Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin,” and he did so in an improvised section of that speech.

An estimated 250,000 people from all over the country attended that event, in addition to the audience reached by live coverage by the three major television outlets. Dr. King’s “Dream” continues to inspire many today. Please join us in commemorating the life and legacy of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., champion of equality, hope, and healing for America. Reverend Paul Neal Nelson, Assistant Pastor of New Bethany Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. will invoke Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as he interprets King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

This program will be held on Monday, January 21st at 11:15 am. Lunch will be served. Tickets are included with Academy registration with RSVP. Guest tickets are available for an additional fee.

SLIG wishes to also recognize LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, for her role in supporting and planning this event – just one of the many ways in which she has assisted SLIG in moving key pieces forward over the past year.

SLIG Events: Plenary Keynote announced

LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson to Keynote SLIG 2019 Plenary Session

LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, in keeping with this year’s theme, will present We’re All In The Same Boat Now at the Plenary Session, Monday evening, January 14. All SLIG participants and instructors are invited; a RSVP is requested.

Her specialty is African America families that came out of slavery. She has a passion for educating all Americas about the lives of these ancestors, and advancing the goal of telling the whole story of our American Mosaic.

LaBrenda earned the Certified Genealogist credential in 2015, was elected as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists in 2016, and now serves as the Board’sTreasurer. She is also a Facilitator in the Boston University’s online Certificate in Genealogical Research Program, and is currently serving as the mentor to the  ProGen 37 Study Group.

Join us for SLIG 2019!

SLIG 2019 Course Highlight: 1619-2019: African American Genealogy

Instructors:

• LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
• Deborah Abbott, PhD
• Michael Hait, CG, CGL
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Description:
2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the first recorded arrival of Africans in an English colony (at Virginia). This anniversary will be commemorated throughout the United States, and SLIG has the opportunity to be at the forefront of recognizing this historic moment by announcing that an African American course will be offered in the very first month of 2019.

This course will provide an in-depth look into sources that document the lives of African American ancestors, focusing on pre-1900 records. Students will gain a deeper understanding of available records, as well as the strategies used by experts in this area to arrive at credible conclusions.

Level of Instruction:
Intermediate to Advanced: Students should have a working knowledge of the Genealogical Proof Standard and the research process.

Anticipated Target Audience:
The target audience includes researchers from the Midwest and west coast, in addition to those from the south, who desire advanced learning opportunities in this area.

Special Requirements:
Students are encouraged to bring a laptop computer or tablet for project work during the week.

Registration: Registration opens Saturday, 7 July 2018. For more detailed information please visit www.slig.ugagenealogy.org.