Historic Selma, AL Welcomes The Annual Genealogy Conference and Family History Fair In February, By Melody Schubert

 In Mid-February Historic Selma, Alabama will join together to celebrate Our History is Our Strength, the theme of this year's Genealogy Conference and Family History Fair. At this exciting event you can join workshops, and presenters will showcase their family research case histories, stress the importance of collecting family stories and discuss the upcoming Alabama African American Heritage Book and discuss the unique sites, arts and traditions of the Black Belt National Historic Area.

Award-winning novelist, poet and playwright Pearl Cleage will be the keynote speaker at the Awards Luncheon to be held at the historic St. James Hotel on February 21st. Among her many works, Pearl is the author of novels What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (and Oprah’s Book Club selection), I Wish I Had a Red Dress, and her latest, Seen It All and Done the Rest, and of "We Speak Your Names", the poem written for Oprah's Legends Weekend. A book signing will immediately follow the luncheon.

 In past years, this event has brought together more than 100 novice and advanced family researchers from Alabama and around the country to learn about research methods, techniques and resources, cemetery preservation, family reunion planning, using the internet, DNA and more from some of the area’s foremost experts in genealogy and the heritage of African Americans in the Black Belt.

The conference is open to anyone but should be of particular interest to those living in or with ancestry in the twelve counties of Alabama's Black Belt Region. The conference will take place on Friday and Saturday, February 20-21, 2009 from 8:00 am -5:00 pm at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center, 211 Washington Street, Selma. The two-day conference registration fee, including the Awards Luncheon, is $99.00 for nonmembers, $79.00 for members; Saturday-only registration is $49.00/$39.00. A limited number of tickets are available for the luncheon only at $35.00.

Plan Your Trip

For information or to register visit the website www.bbaaghs.org or call 334-877-4846.

To explore events and attractions in Alabama visit http://www.alabama.travel/