Journey Through the Generations
Uncover Your Roots: Exploring Ancestry & Family History
As I continue sorting through more than 80 years of memories collected inside our family home, I keep discovering treasures that tell not only my family’s story, but the story of our community as well. One of those treasures is a large 1963 class photograph from W.F. Branch High School, the historic Black school that... Continue Reading →
My nephew, Patrick E. Mays, Catholic High School Class of 2026
For the past few years, every genealogy conference I have attended has had multiple sessions on AI in genealogy. I must admit I was a little intimidated by the tern Artificial Intelligence when it came to my family history research. Then I thought maybe I should know exactly what AI is before I decide if... Continue Reading →
Leslie Mays receiving his Master's degree in Education at Arkansas State University, 1979
There was always something special about my Granny's house. Her door was always open to anyone who needed a place to stay, a hot cooked meal, advice, or a listening ear. For me Granny's house was where I went after school, where my family gathered for Sunday dinners, and where holidays and summer days were... Continue Reading →
Every year on April 25, we celebrate National DNA Day, commemorating the completion of the Human Genome Project and the incredible advancements in genetic science. For family historians and genealogists, DNA is more than just science. it is also a powerful tool for discovery. DNA testing has transformed the way we research our family histories.... Continue Reading →
Women’s History Month often brings stories of famous women who changed the world; Daisy Bates, Dorothy I. Height, Harriet Tubman, and Phyllis Wheatley whose names appear in textbooks. While those stories are important, there is another group of women whose histories deserve just as much attention: the women in our own families. The women in... Continue Reading →
As I celebrate Black History Month and the Black excellence found throughout my family, it feels important to pause and include someone I often overlook in these stories: Trisha Mays-Cummings. That's right this blog post is all about the researcher. For more than a decade, I have been researching my family’s history and their communities,... Continue Reading →
Black excellence lives in my family in education, faith, service, music, and the commitment to preserve our history. Honoring them is how I celebrate Black History Month. Family photographs are more than images, they are visual records of our Black excellence. So this Black History Month, take a moment to look through your family photos,... Continue Reading →
As part of my Black History Month series, Black Excellence in My Family, I’m honoring the everyday excellence found in my own family history. My 3× great-grandfather, Rev. Robert Hatchett, was Black excellence under circumstances that were designed to deny him. Though he was enslaved, he served as a Baptist minister, performing marriages and leading... Continue Reading →
Journey Through the Generations 