Follow Friday: African Roots Podcast, Genealogy Gems Podcast, and the Genealogy Guys Podcast

It’s Follow Friday and I want to recommend three genealogy podcasts that’s sure to enhance your genealogical learning/research this week and beyond; enjoy!

African Roots Podcast with author, lecturer, and professional genealogist, Angela Walton-Raji, is a wonderful treat. If you’re interested in African American family history then this bi-weekly podcast about research strategies, conversations with authors, website features, and book recommendations — is for YOU! I became a regular listener of this podcast during Black History Month 2012 and I’ve been hooked ever since. So be sure to access any, or all, of the February 2012 Episodes (#148-150) on demand 24-7 right now!

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with the dynamic Lisa Louise Cooke, is exactly that — a true GEM! Her podcasts bring genealogy news, research tips/tricks, expert interviews and inspiration to genealogists in 75 countries around the world. In addition to hosting her own podcast, she is the host of the popular Family Tree Magazine Podcast and Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Show. I became a regular listener of this podcast after attending a couple of Louise’s sessions during the Houston Family History Expo 2012 in April. I started with Episode #130 – Roots Magic 5, APG, the 1940 Census and more. So check out Episode #130 online today!

The Genealogy Guys Podcast with genealogy professionals — George G. Morgan and Drew Smith — is the longest running, regularly produced podcast WORLDWIDE! They have been actively discussing all things “genealogy” on the world wide web since 4 September 2005. This weekly 30-minute podcast, filled with valuable news and information, is intended to help make you a more — savvy genealogical researcher. I became a regular listener of this podcast earlier this year with – Episode #231: 31 January 2012. Listen to Episode #231 on demand right now!

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Follow Friday: Finding Eliza, Reclaiming Kin, and Historic American Newspapers

Today is Follow Friday and I want to call special attention to a free online resource I’ve used a lot lately, as well as a couple of excellent genealogy bloggers whose rich content and research methods have been the inspiration behind my family research this month and beyond; enjoy!

•  If you’re a fan of genealogy blogs filled with rich documented history and beautiful sepia photos, then Kristin Williams‘ blogs – Finding Eliza is a blog you MUST add to your list of favorites! My visits to Kristin’s blogs are always lengthy because I cannot help getting caught up by all she has published there. When I say she needs to write a book about her family, I’m not kidding and to help you better understand why so many of her fellow bloggers feel as I do, check out her post titled, “The Illustrated News – Walk to Freedom.”

• Whenever you visit Robyn Smith‘s blog – Reclaiming Kin – have paper and pencil ready because you just might need it!  There are a lot of great genealogy bloggers out there who are wonderful about sharing information and who will go the extra mile to recommend resources that will aid anyone in their family research. But at Robyn’s space in cyberspace, I love how she not only recommends resources, but gives detail information and step-by-step instructions on how she uses those resources in her research. If you haven’t used maps yet in your family research (I had not until I read her post), then check out her post, “Maps Lead the Way to Better Understanding,” to learn how!  I had the pleasure of connecting with Robyn a few months ago and we’re kindred spirits for genealogy; so visit her blog today!

• Search Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers for ancestors when you are online! After the Civil War, the rise of black newspapers became an important resource in capturing black life in this country. So if you’re not searching these newspapers for your African-American ancestors, you maybe missing out on a valuable resource that just may hold the answers you’re looking for to questions you have about members of your family tree. But what I’m also discovering is that some of the white newspapers in the cities and counties where my family members lived published information about my ancestors too!

GeneaBloggers.com

Geneabloggers.com

I want to send some special (((THANK YOU))) vibes to Thomas MacEntee, the Founder of GeneaBloggers.com, and all the excellent genealogists from that online community who stopped by say hello, or who connected with me via Google Friend Connect this weekend!

This blog along with 18 other newly-discovered genealogy and family-history related blogs were featured at Geneablogger.com for May 21, 2011. Can you guess who topped the list? It was ClaimingKin.com! I am very excited about being a part of this community!

So to all the wonderful new friends I’ve made at Geneablogger.com this weekend (be sure to check out these great genealogists below) . . .

Diana Ritchie @ Random Relatives

Gini @ Ginisology.com

Greta Koehl @ Greta’s Genealogy Blog

Dr. Bill @ Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories

Elizabeth O’Neal @ Little Bytes of Life

Jasia @ Creative Gene

. . . THANK YOU so much for the well wishes and taking the time to connect with me online. I will be visiting your blog communities very soon!