This November 9th from 10am to 4pm, please join us for A Day of Remembrance. ADOR is an educational program remembering, acknowledging, and honoring those who were enslaved or sharecropped during the plantation and post-emancipation eras. Our mission is to provide a safe educational space, that uplifts and preserves the plantation sites' history for present and future generations.
The day will begin with presentations about genealogy research and family photo preservation at 10am. Hands-on workshops on these topics will follow the presentations and run until 1pm. In the afternoon, food historian and Chef Natalie Wright-Moore Clark will join us again for a historic foodways demonstration and family meal. Chef Clark's recipes take us on a culinary journey through African American history in Brazoria County from 1 to 4pm. Additional booths and special exhibitions will be available throughout the day.
Schedule of events:
10am to 1pm:
- Your Roots Are Waiting—Black Family History Research Basics Genealogy Presentation and Workshop with Sharon Bastise Gillins
- Photography Preservation and Research Presentation and Workshop with Site Educators
1pm to 4pm:
- Ceremony reciting of the names of the enslaved
- Family Meal with Chef Natalie Wright-Moore Clark
- Historic foodways exhibit
All Day:
- Adding Your Family Photo & SlaveVoyages Exhibition
- Self guided site tour
- StoryCorps Oral History booth with FordMomentum!
More information on Presentations:
- Your Roots Are Waiting—Black Family History Research Basics with Sharon Batiste Gillins
- An introduction to the methods, tools, resources and goals of family history research with an emphasis on the unique challenges that black family researchers face. The presentation is intended to inspire researchers to begin the journey by demonstrating what's possible through the use of examples and case studies.
- Sharon Batiste Gillins Genealogy Educator:
- A career background in Instructional Systems Design and a passion for family history proved the perfect combination to prepare Sharon Batiste Gillins to be a genealogy educator. During a 40-year career in post-secondary education, she was at the forefront of designing and delivering effective distance education courses. It was a natural step to use her career experience in the field of genealogy education. Over the past 25 years, she has been a frequent presenter, in person and virtually, at regional conferences and national genealogical institutes including the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburg, Texas State Genealogical Society, Alabama State University Genealogy Colloquium, RootsTech and numerous regional genealogy societies and research groups. Ms. Gillins is recognized for her research in Freedmen’s Bureau Records and is the author of several published articles on the subject. Her teaching topics emphasize strategies to research African American families in underutilized record groups that can lead to the discovery of enslaved ancestors and their historical journeys
- Sharon Batiste Gillins Genealogy Educator:
- An introduction to the methods, tools, resources and goals of family history research with an emphasis on the unique challenges that black family researchers face. The presentation is intended to inspire researchers to begin the journey by demonstrating what's possible through the use of examples and case studies.
- Photography Preservation and Research Presentation and Workshop with Site Educator Allie Vanderhider Cuthbert
- Have you become the family historian? Want to learn to protect, study, and share your photographs with your family? Photographs hold clues about our ancestors and family history. The processes used to take the photograph, the clothing, places, and people in the photos can help us study our history and genealogy. Our site educators will share tips on preserving your photos, digitizing them, and using them in your genealogy research.
This year, we are excited to also be hosting a virtual event: Buttermilk Pie: A Slice of Black Culinary Heritage with Natalie Wright-Moore Clark and the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission. Register for this free event at: Buttermilk Pie: A Slice of Black Culinary Heritage - Friends of THC (thcfriends.org)
Chef Natalie Wright-Moore Clark is Graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the international wine guild in Colorado. Chef Clark holds degrees in education, food science and menu planning. She also holds advanced certification as an executive sommelier. With 20 years of experience in the culinary field, chef Clark is honored to participate in a day of remembrance to showcase and honor the culinary skills and traditions of her ancestors.