Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago records

Historical note

The Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago (AAGHSC) was founded in 1979 by Adlean Harris and Muriel Wilson. AAGHSC’s founding came at a time of increased interest in tracing African American lineages sparked by Alex Haley’s 1976 book, "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," and its 1977 adaptation as a television miniseries. The State of Illinois officially incorporated the Society as a non-profit organization on December 29, 1980. Although emphasis is on African-American family history and research, membership has always been open to anyone.

AAGHSC began outreach to Chicago’s African American communities shortly after founding. In 1981, AAGHSC began to host an annual workshop, open to the public, which focused on research techniques and aimed to teach individuals how to pursue their own genealogical histories. The first fall workshop, “Tracing Black Ancestry in the United States” was held on November 21, 1981 at the DuSable Museum. The Society also hosts programs that encourage children to become familiar with genealogical research, such as the Genealogy for Kids program. To expand members’ research opportunities, AAGHSC organized annual trips to research libraries and historical sites around the country. These trips began in 1989, and include visits to archives, museums, and historical sites of African American significance.

AAGHSC holds monthly member meetings to teach genealogical research techniques and presents an opportunity for members to share their findings. The meetings were held at the DuSable Museum of African American History until 1990 when they moved to a larger space at the Atlas Senior Citizen’s Center at 1767 East 79th Street in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Members participated in focused research groups that met separately from the greater organization and occasionally present their findings at general meetings. Many of these groups compiled bibliographies of genealogical resources in specific states. Another group worked on the Black Churches Project, which cataloged records of black churches established prior to 1930. AAGHSC also maintains a surname registry, largely compiled through research at Blue Island’s Lincoln Cemetery just outside of Chicago, which is largely African American and later published a book, "An Index of Headstones in Lincoln Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois," based on their research.

In addition, to the focus on research, the Society is associated with several publications. In the early 1980s, AAGHSC began publishing a nationally circulated quarterly newsletter, "The AAGHSC Newsletter." In 1982 founder Adlean Harris began to write a column, “Afro American Roots”, for the Chicago Defender. "An Index of Headstones in Lincoln Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois" was written by Alabama Study Group of the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago staff in 1999. In 2001, long time AAGHSC member and world renowned genealogist, Tony Burroughs published "Black Roots: A Beginners Guide To Tracing The African American Family Tree." The guide outlined how to use oral histories, birth, death, and marriage records to trace family histories. In celebration of its 30th anniversary in 2009, AAGHSC released "Heritage Book," which is a collection of biographical sketches, church and family histories, memorials, and oral histories.

AAGHS continues its mission to encourage and promote the study of African American genealogy and history. The organization offers classes, study groups, workshops, conferences, field trips, and meetings. More information may be found on their website www.aaghsc.org/.