African-American Research

African-American genealogical research presents unique challenges to the researcher. A number of resources are currently available and with growing

interest, new sources are being established.

Pike County African-American Families

Listed below are links to webpages with information on African-American families of Pike County. Thanks to Willie L. Robinson for his suggestion to add this section to the page.

• Willie L. Robinson Homepage - Dillon, Green, Hornsby, Magee, Parker, Robinson, Simmons, Stewart, Varnado, Yankaway and other families.
• Selected African-American Marriages of Pike County - compiled by Willie L. Robinson.
• Mississippi Magee - Varnado Heritage - by Willie L. Robinson.
• A Black Mississippi Family and Constantine Montgomery - by Willie L. Robinson
• Gwendolyn McGowan-Seagroves Homepage - Brumfield, Dillon, May and other families.
• Nash, Halpin, Hood, Robinzine Family Webpage - Dr. Rick R. Nash.
• Pike County African-American Surname Register - Dr. Rick R. Nash.
• Frank McClendon Homepage - Frank McClendon. (Link doesn’t work—page not found)
• Barnes Family of Pike County, Mississippi Home Page - Rosie Polk
• The History Of An African American MS. Family - John P. Handy, Sr. (Link doesn’t work – page not found)
• Dillon-McGruder Family Homepage - Matt Dillon.

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Mississippi Department of Archives and History

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, located in the Capers Building, 100 South State Street, Jackson, has in its collection several items of specific interest to those researching African-American ancestry.

Mississippi Freedmen's Bureau Records, consisting of fifty rolls of microfilm, most of which are not indexed, are available. Among these records are Freedmen's Bureau labor contracts, which are indexed, marriage records, and records of the Freedmen's Savings and Trust Company including The Register of Signatures of Depositions and Index to the Deposit Ledgers.

The Works Progress Administration slave narratives are also found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Only the Mississippi narratives are available.

Miscellaneous records of interest include the apprentice records for Amite, Issaquena and Panola counties. While these are the only counties at present for which these records are available, the records of additional counties are being filmed for the collection.

Source: Lipscomb, Anne S. & Hutchison, Kathleen S., Tracing Your Mississippi Ancestors (Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1994.) Pages 68-75.

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General Resources

Afrigeneas Web Site and Mailing List focused on African Ancestry.

African-American Mailing List A mailing list for folks with African American ancestors intended to focus on the "southern" states. Visit the web page to subscribe to the list.

African-American History A Guide to Selected Reference Sources (LSU Libraries).

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) AAHGS is a national organization with 22 chapters across the U.S.

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet - African-American. A comprehensive listing of other internet sites relating to African-American genealogy and history.

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