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Plan Your Visit

ABOUT THE
CENTER FOR
FAMILY HISTORY

For far too long, African American family histories have been obscured and buried. But there are records to trace and stories to uncover.

Explore Your Untold African American Family Story

 

The Center for Family History (CFH) at the International African American Museum inspires and helps people to begin their family history journey. CFH provides resources and staff know-how to teach researching African American genealogy – from beginner’s level research to advanced research strategies and tools.

Opening hours: Tuesday through Sunday (10 am until 4 p.m. EST)

Museum visitors can:

  • Attend one of our public programs. CFH offers monthly Saturday afternoon African American research and history webinars online (or attend in-house in the CFH Conference Room). These webinars are delivered live between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month (and weekly during Black History Month). Check our CFH programming calendar for details.
  • Be inspired to research your untold African American family stories by reading the diverse family histories and stories in CFH!
  • Browse our free “How to” genealogy research rack card guides… and take one home.
  • Register as a patron of our Reference Library (free service) and access over 2,000 African American genealogy, family history, military, slavery research-related, culture, and political reference materials.
  • Research your family history and genealogy using various popular genealogical records websites and services in the new CFH Research Area.

 

Don’t wait to visit the museum in person to benefit from our research resources! We offer a wealth of resources for free online:

  • A steadily growing digital archive of African American research materials: United States Colored Troop Pension Applications, African American funeral programs, slavery-related documents, family bibles – as well as Pre- and Post- 20th Century Family Photographs and Paintings.
  • View previous webinars on-demand on the IAAM’s website, YouTube Channel, and on the CFH Facebook group.
  • Access research-related articles and videos offering guidance and strategies to support researching African American ancestry and covering African American history via our Research Resources section.
  • Our One-on-One Online (Virtual) Genealogy Consultation Service: $79 for a 45-minute consultation session.