Black Genealogy Resource Books
Each book listed below indicates its primary focus, helping readers identify which title is most relevant to their interests or research questions. Collectively, these publications support the responsible study of Black genealogy and African-Caribbean history by combining archival evidence, historical context, and applied casework.
Researching Black Family Histories Through Records
Books in this group focus on how individual and family histories can be traced using specific archival record sets, particularly where evidence is fragmented, inconsistent, or shaped by enslavement and migration.
A Tree Without Roots
Examines how British and Caribbean archival records can be used to reconstruct African Caribbean family histories where conventional documentation is incomplete.
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Tracing African American Family History
Explores how census data, Freedmen’s Bureau records, slave registers, and DNA evidence can be combined to rebuild African American family lines disrupted by enslavement.
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Tracing African Caribbean Family History
Provides practical guidance on researching African Caribbean ancestry using British records, oral tradition, and DNA, with particular attention to working with limited or missing information.
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African and Irish Caribbean Music History
Investigates cultural exchange, migration, and colonial history to explain how African and Irish influences shaped Caribbean cultural records and traditions.
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The Fables of Aesop (The Ethiop)
Re-examines classical narratives through an African Caribbean lens, exploring how historical misrepresentation and cultural erasure affect the way Black history is recorded and remembered.
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Case Studies and Evidence-Based Reconstruction
Books in this group use documented examples and applied reasoning to demonstrate how genealogical conclusions are reached, showing both what the evidence supports and where uncertainty remains.
DNA Testing Demystified
Uses practical examples to explain what African ancestry DNA testing can and cannot reveal, and how genetic evidence must be interpreted alongside historical records.
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Ancestors
A historically grounded narrative inspired by documented ancestry, illustrating how archival evidence and family history research can be woven into responsible reconstruction.
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Narrative, Identity, and Intergenerational Memory
The books in this section explore ancestry through narrative and lived experience, examining how family history, migration, and identity are remembered and transmitted across generations.
Descendants
A post-war migration story inspired by real family history, exploring Black British identity and the legacy of the Windrush generation.
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How these books are used
These publications are used by individuals, educators, and organisations as reference points for understanding how Black genealogy and African-Caribbean history can be researched through evidence. They are intended to be read alongside primary sources, supporting careful interpretation of archival documents within their historical context rather than offering simplified or speculative narratives.