Center for Family History Team Member, Robin Foster, launches consultative genealogy practice

The Center for Family History (CFH) at the International African American Museum announces the departure of team member, Robin Foster, an esteemed genealogy expert who has worked with the center for the past four years. The museum’s leadership team would like to thank Robin for her outstanding commitment to the museum and its ongoing initiatives. We wish her continued success as she develops her own organization. 

Robin has spent almost four decades guiding people in their journey of self and familial discovery through ancestral research, and is departing to focus on Genealogy! Just Ask!, an organization she founded, dedicated to consultative genealogy research.  

During her tenure at the International African American Museum’s Center for Family History, Robin was responsible for updating the center’s extensive site blog and managing the CFH Facebook page. Thanks largely in part to Robin’s work, the public can now access hundreds of documents and images on the CFH website, as well as view tips and tools for discovering more about local history and personal ancestry. 

“It has been a privilege to work with Robin over the past four years. She has been instrumental in growing our online reader community and we are grateful for her outstanding contributions to the museum’s efforts. We will miss her but wish her well in her new venture,” said Toni Carrier, director of the Center for Family History.  

In addition to supporting the Center for Family History’s digital growth efforts, Robin was instrumental in connecting the museum with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2019, the church gifted the museum a two million dollar grant and emphasized the importance of knowing your family history. At RootsTech 2019, Elder David A Bednar stated, “You have a sense of purpose when you know who you are and where you came from, and that has not been possible for many of African descent. To begin to fill that gap, it’s a marvelous thing.” 

In addition to her amazing contributions to the museum, Robin is an active member and traveling speaker for the South Carolina Genealogical Society. She also acted as Director of the Greenwood South Carolina Family History Center and chairperson of the Fairview Cemetery project. She has also presented at various workshops and institutions including Lexington County Public Library (Cayce Branch), Union Carnegie Library, Richland Library (Main), and Union County Museum. Robin served as a support missionary assisting people worldwide with genealogy research for FamilySearch.org (2004-2014). In addition, she has written for the Examiner (2010-2016) and National Genealogy Examiner.

Robin continues to be an innovator in the genealogical space, and uses social media as a tool to connect with those interested in do-it-yourself genealogical research techniques. She manages a family of 50 “Genealogy! Just Ask!” Facebook groups, with the main group boasting an audience of close to 60,000 members. You can learn more about Robin and her services by visiting the Genealogy! Just Ask site.

The International African American Museum seeks to tell the untold stories of the African American journey, and Robin Foster has certainly made that possible for the museum’s future visitors and digital friends.