Returning for 2026, Getting Word’s Black Family History Symposium will explore how Black families continue to reshape and refine America’s origin story. Held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, this year’s symposium centers on the theme “REFOUNDING LEGACIES.”
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, conversations about American history are intensifying. This milestone invites us to confront the gap between the nation’s written history and lived reality, especially for African American families whose stories have long been pushed to the margins. Black families have always offered their own edits, additions, and corrections to the American Story, preserving accounts of kinship resilience, creativity, and generational memory that challenge and enrich our national understanding.
This free event includes a catered lunch. Whether you are beginning your family history journey or continuing a long tradition of research and storytelling, this symposium offers space to learn, share, and build community.
Check out the Black Family History Symposium schedule below and register here.
2026 Black Family History Symposium Schedule
09:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Breakfast/Check-in
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Opening Remarks
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Panel: Stories We Carry: Reclaiming History through Family Storytelling
Justin Reid, Jari Honora, Raja’Nee Redmond, Cainan Townsend
Highlighting individuals who have used the stories of their families and communities to deepen, complicate and humanize the narrative of American history. Through oral histories, personal archives, and intergenerational storytelling, panelists demonstrate how communal memory can reveal overlooked dimensions of the national story, challenging myths, filling silences, and reframing what we think we know about America’s past. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this conversation invites attendees to consider how personal narratives shape collective understanding and why the history of a nation is incomplete without the voices of the families and communities who lived it.
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM
Networking Break
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Panel: Vessels of Kinship: African American Families and the Making of America
Lorenzo Dickerson, Yunina Barbour-Payne, Dr. Derek Hicks, Jabari Jefferson
Across generations, African Americans families have preserved their histories not only through written accounts but through the living traditions that sustain them. This panel explores the many ways legacies are passed down through food and recipes that hold ancestral memory, land that grounds community identity, music that carries story, and faith that nurtures resilience. Panelists will share how these forms of heritage serve as vessels of history, connecting past to present and shaping a sense of self across time. By centering the everyday practices through which families remember and honor their lineage, this discussion reveals how heritage becomes a language of survival, creativity, and cultural continuity within the African American experience.
12:30 PM – 01:30 PM
Lunch
Catered lunch is included with registration.
01:00 PM – 02:00 PM
Lunch & Learn: Black History Month Centennial Reflections w/ Dr. Robert Vinson
Dr. Robert Vinson, Tiana Woodard
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM
Community Tabling Break
03:00 PM – 04:00 PM
Workshop: Archiving
Brittany Murray (UVA Special Collections), Regina Rush ( UVA Special Collections)
Workshop 3: Archiving In this workshop, attendees will gain foundational skills in archiving, including organizing, cataloging, and managing historical materials. The session covers best practices for digital and physical archives, ensuring that valuable documents and artifacts are preserved and accessible for future generations.
03:00 PM – 04:00 PM
Workshop: Genealogy
Workshop 2: Genealogy This workshop explores the fundamentals of genealogy and family history research. Participants will learn how to build their family trees, uncover historical records, and navigate key research tools. Through guided activities, this session equips attendees with the skills to trace their roots and connect with their heritage in meaningful ways.
03:00 PM – 04:00 PM
Workshop: Oral History
Jenna Owens, Tiana Woodard
Workshop 1: Oral History This workshop dives into the art and technique of oral history. Participants will gain practical guidance and tools on how to conduct meaningful interviews, capture personal narratives, and document family and community stories with authenticity and respect.
04:00 PM – 04:15 PM
Networking Break
04:15 PM – 05:15 PM
Panel: Family Reunion: Descendant Organizing and Community Remembrance
Niya Bates, Dr. Joy Banner, Muriel Branch, Star Reams
This panel examines how Black descendant organizations across the nation are defining what it means to remember, recognize, and reclaim the stories of their ancestors. Through storytelling, dialogue, and reflection, panelists will explore how descendant-lead initiatives are advancing the work of historical recovery, restoring connections, strengthening belonging, and expanding self determination across generations. This conversation illuminates the vital role descendant organizations play in preserving Black history and ensuring that the narratives of their communities continue to shape the story of America.
05:15 PM – 05:30 PM