August 18, 2010
Alex Haley home dedicated as a genealogy library and museum.
When 17-year-old violinist Joseph Matthews performed at the dedication of the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center, he had no idea he would discover his family roots. Joseph, a high school senior from Memphis, Tennessee, was among hundreds who participated in two days of festivities at the Interpretive Center located behind Mr. Haley’s boyhood home in Henning, Tennessee. The center was dedicated on Friday, 13 August, 2010.
Mr. Haley, who passed away in 1992, received a Pulitzer Prize for his 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The book tells of his ancestors being sold into slavery in West Africa and their migration from North Carolina to Tennessee. The following year a TV series of Roots, described as “eight straight days of the Super Bowl,” aired and remains the highest rated TV miniseries in television history. Among the significant impact of Roots was a surge in interest throughout the world in family history research.
TIP: Search the Largest Collection of African American newspapers is in GenealogyBank.
Inside the museum Joseph and his family visited a FamilySearch center sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through the free online program FamilySearch.org, Joseph explored his ancestral lines. “Basically we were able to type in my grandmother’s mother’s and father’s name, and from there we searched their records and we were able to find information about their parents as well as their siblings, birthdates, wedding dates, things of that nature,” said Matthews. “We made a couple of steps to where we can make some pretty good discoveries in the future as to our family lineage. We’re going to find out a lot more about our family and where we came from.”
According to Art Johnson, FamilySearch area manager, the placement of the FamilySearch center within the Alex Haley Museum is a perfect fit, “I think it’s a great opportunity to simply share the message of family history and genealogy to individuals that come in and commemorate the accomplishments and successes of Mr. Haley’s life. It’s an opportunity to simply bring people in and help them understand their heritage the way that Mr. Haley did.”
William Haley, Alex’s son, said that resources available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are very valuable in searching African-American ancestry. “I always send them to the LDS Church. I say, ‘Well find an LDS Church with a history portion and go in there and they will help you find out who you are and it doesn’t matter what country or anything, they will help you.’ Folks are very surprised at that, but it’s true.”
This is one of several related projects supported by the Church. In 2001, FamilySearch released the Freedman’s Bank records on CD, a unique searchable database documenting several generations of African-Americans immediately following the Civil War. In 2006, FamilySearch participated in the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society’s (AAHGS) national conference in Salt Lake City. An African-American family history conference is held in Salt Lake City each year.
The Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center and FamilySearch center are located in Henning, Tennessee, about 45 miles northeast of Memphis.
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I am researching an ancestor named Emry or Emmoriah Pitts. His wife’s family lived in the Henning/Ripley area and his wife Patricia Ann Barfield had a brother named Ira Barfield who was historically a Sheriff of Ripley, Tn. I spoke with someone quite a while back regarding Ira, and now wonder if any information could be found on this Pitts great grandfather. I have been searching through cemetery records and have found both Barfield and Pitts families interred in the area. And I think his birth certificate would be long ago enough that it would only be in a delayed birth certificate form. I may have found a census with his name, and of my grandmother Zula Agnes Pitts, his ninth child, thank you!
Wanda- Checking historical newspapers are always a great way find more information from obituaries as well a marriage, and family reunion information. Another way to search for families is to contact the library in the town that lived in. Libraries have a wealth information about former residents. You can also check to see if they have a Historical Society and see if they have a history of the family. If you know what church they associated with, the church my have records of the parents or grandparents.
Sorry I did not receive this reply until now, 2024!
Thanks Lyndel. I have found a lot of information since this post, but am still looking for more information. I had tried the various sources which you mention here,
I think discovering your reply brought luck though, because I just found an online posting of a family Bible for Frederick Barfield, an ancestor, on Lauderdale County TNGenWeb today, which mentions various relations.