Evidence-led talks on Black ancestry, identity, and historical reconstruction
These talks are delivered as live sessions. Availability is limited for each event.
All talks are structured around a defined interpretive framework: Evidence-Led Genealogical Reconstruction
What attendees gain
These sessions are designed for audiences asking questions such as:
- Why standard genealogy approaches often fail in Black ancestry research
- How historical records can be reinterpreted using evidence and context
- Where new pathways emerge when records appear to end
- How identity can be reconstructed from fragmented archives
Each talk is grounded in archival research and focuses on real problems encountered when tracing African-Caribbean ancestry across British, Caribbean, and transatlantic records. The series examines how records — including plantation documents, compensation records, migration registers, and parish archives — can be interpreted and connected to recover identities that were obscured, misrecorded, or erased.
These outcomes are explored in detail within each talk.
What these talks address
These sessions are designed for audiences asking questions such as:
- Why do family histories often break down before slavery?
- Why don’t surnames reliably reflect ancestry?
- How can identity be traced when records are incomplete or inconsistent?
- What can historical records reveal — and what do they obscure?
Each talk is grounded in archival research and focuses on real problems encountered when tracing African-Caribbean ancestry across British, Caribbean, and transatlantic records. The series examines how records — including plantation documents, compensation records, migration registers, and parish archives — can be interpreted and connected to recover identities that were obscured, misrecorded, or erased.
Each talk focuses on one of these areas in a structured, evidence-led format.
Understanding Common Research Barriers
Many of the challenges addressed in these talks are explored in more detail in the following guides:
When research reaches a dead end
→ Why Black Ancestry Research Reaches a Dead End — And What Happens Next
When records appear incomplete or inconsistent
→ Why Black Ancestry Records Appear Incomplete or Inconsistent
When standard genealogy systems fail
→ Why Standard Genealogy Systems Fail Black Ancestry Research
When interpreting historical records
→ How to Interpret Enslavement-Era Records in Black Genealogy
When identity changes across records
→ How Identity Was Recorded After Emancipation — And Why It Changes
When tracing across regions
→ How Caribbean and UK Records Connect in Black Ancestry Research
Understanding the historical contexts behind the talks
These contexts explain why standard records alone are often insufficient.
Visitors often approach Black family history from different historical starting points — Caribbean migration, British colonial records, or African diaspora identity.
These talks examine how those contexts shape the way identity is recorded, altered, or lost within historical systems. They explore how factors such as enslavement, migration, religion, and administrative practices influence what appears in the archive — and what does not.
Where these talks are delivered
These talks are delivered to:
- Libraries and cultural institutions
- Educational organisations and programmes
- Corporate and professional audiences
- Public and community learning environments
They are presented through online sessions and institutional programmes internationally.
Relationship to the wider research
The talks form part of the wider research presented on this website. They are designed to translate archival and historical analysis into structured, accessible sessions that address real research problems encountered by individuals and organisations.
The talks provide the most direct way to engage with this work.
Next steps for individual research
For those working on their own family history, these talks provide a structured starting point. If you encounter specific research barriers, one-to-one consultations are also available.
For US-based visitors
Booking from the United States?
View US-based listings (priced in US dollars): Eventbrite US