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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AfriGeneas to Host Chat
Sessions on the Kansas Exodus Migration Marietta, GA -- August 21, 2006 -- AfriGeneas and The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI) today announced a series of four chat sessions led by CAAGRI about the largest African American Diaspora movement in U.S. history. The first session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 9:00 PM (EDT) in the AfriGeneas Meeting Center in the Exoduster Chatroom. Paula D. Royster, CAAGRI Founder and CEO, will be the featured speaker. Additional sessions are scheduled on September 6, September 20, and October 4, 2006 featuring genealogists Char Mc Cargo-Bah and Electra Kimble-Price and Nat Fitz, Founder of the Votaw Colony Museum, Inc. In May 2006, CAAGRI launched a national campaign to find the descendants of the historic Votaw Colonies of Kansas. Between 1879 and 1881, approximately 60,000 African Americans migrated to the mid-West in search of beginning their lives anew. Of particular interest are the descendants of Shelby County, Texas: Richard Alexander, Martha Coleman, Abra Gudden, William Gilbert, Henry Hill, William Jones, Wesley Mattock, Betty Seastruck, Susan Saunders, George Saunders, Thomas Saunders, Thomas Teal, Alfred Teal, George Lovell, Benjamin & Charlotte Ingram, Robert Hopson, Paul Davis, Ancrum Goodwin, and Andrew Teal. "While we’ve identified these individuals in particular, we are also interested in descendants of all of the townships that settled into the State of Kansas," said Dr. Carolyn Council, CAAGRI’s Director of History Education. CAAGRI continues to look for additional colonies and families that settled in Kansas as a part of the "Great Exodus Migration". To date, the following colonies have been identified: Summit Township, Little Caney, Dunlap Colony, Morton City, Wabusee Colony, The Bottoms, Tennesseetown, Singleton’s Colony, Nicodemus, Votaw Juniper Town, Mud Town, Scuffletown, Hodgeman City Colony, David City Colony, Redmonsville, Wayside, Groove’s Center, Burlington, Richie’s Addition, Sedan, Chautaqua. The project's research team consists of professional genealogists, authors, and librarians throughout the U.S., the Shelby County Historical Society Museum & Library of Texas, the Nicodemus Historical Society and many others. CAAGRI's efforts are also supported by Kansas State Legislator Senator David Haley who is the nephew of the late Alex Haley. ABOUT AFRIGENEAS: About The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc.
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