Welcome to the
Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago!
Click here for Sunday General Meeting information.
Our Mission
To encourage and promote the study of African American genealogy and history.
Become part of a fun loving group of researchers! Join us today
History of the Society
1979
Founded in 1979, the Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago (AAGHSC) is dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing Black history and genealogy. The Society supports individuals in tracing their family roots and documenting their heritage for future generations.
1979-1983
First President | Helen Burnett
1982
The column “Afro-American Roots” began to appear in the Chicago Defender, written by Dr. Adlean Harris, one of our founders.
1983-1985
Second President | Anne Drew
1984
AAGHSC began to present an annual workshop featuring speakers from across the nation who specialized in historical research.
1985-1987
Third President | Muriel Wilson
ca. 1999
Ms. Wilson discusses strategies for locating and researching early Black churches.
1987-1989
Fourth President | Marcia McGhee
1989-1989
Fifth President | Jimmie T. Jones, Sr.
1989-1991
Sixth President | Roma Stewart
The Society began sponsoring research trips to key libraries and archives nationwide. In turn, members formed state-specific study groups to focus on the records unique to each state.
1991-1993
Seventh President | Tony Burroughs
1994-1995
Eighth President | Cristal Simmons
1995-1997
Ninth President | Dorothy M. Sutherland-Roberts
1997-1999
Tenth President | Saundra R. Oliver-Brown
1999-2001
Eleventh President | Belzora Cheatham
2000
Janis Minor Forté: The Reparations discussion has given African Americans the impetus to explore their history.
2001-2001
Twelfth President | Eric A. Smith
2001-2009
Thirteenth President | Ivy M. Dise Dunn
2008
Timuel Black—our very own—was honored by Chicago Magazine. A recognized authority on Black Chicago history, Mr. Black earned “Chicagoan of the Year” honors ahead of his second book on the Black Migration in Chicago.
2009-2011
Fourteenth President | Angela F. McGhee
2009
International Black Genealogy Summit in Fort Wayne, IN.
President Angela McGhee, Corresponding Secretary Janis Minor Forté, and several more members came to represent. They not only brought receipts but real authority. Their presence reflected the very best of our society and reminded everyone why AAGHSC is a respected voice in the field of African American family history. Thank you Eric Hackley for sharing your videos!
Tony Burroughs
Shaya Gardner Hayum
Doris Jackson
Sandy Flemming
Connie Tensley
2010
AAGHSC partnered with Ancestry.com World Archives Project. Led by President Angela McGhee, on February 10, 2010, members began indexing Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves.
2011-2015
Fifteenth President | Judith Samuel
2011
The AAGHSC 30th Anniversary Heritage Book was published on February 11. Janis Minor Forté, Chair of the Alabama Study Group, led the effort, bringing the project to completion after nearly two years of tireless work and dedication.
Genealogy for Kids Series—a four-week program held at the Avalon Library.
Volunteers Needed: Mississippi Death Indexing project. See Nettie Nesbary.
2012
We’re on Facebook!
2014
Kudos to Janis Minor Forté—her lecture, Researching the Digital Library on American Slavery, was named the James Dent Walker Lecture at the Federation of Genealogical Societies national conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Walker, the late nationally recognized genealogist, researcher, and first president of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), was employed by the National Archives and Records Administration for over 30 years. In recognition of his decades of achievements in researching African American source materials, FGS annually designates a lecture that exemplifies his legacy.
Tony Burroughs received the Volkel Medal of Honor. Nominated by fellow-genealogist Thomas MacEntee, Tony’s contributions to Illinois genealogy are unparalleled.
This award pays tribute to the late Lowell M. Volkel (1936-1992), an archivist at the Illinois State Archives. In honor of Volkel’s many accomplishments, the Volkel Model of Honor and the Volkel Hall of Fame were established.
2015-2019
Sixteenth President | Sheila Smith
2016
“Angela McGhee Day” proclaimed in Abbeville, South Carolina. July 23 will be known as Angela McGhee Day…having done years of genealogy research, including several research trips to Abbeville, Angela was recognized…for her efforts to uncover the history of Thomson Lakeview Cemetery where her ancestors were interred.
Anita Boyd, Vice President, gave our website a makeover. Take a trip down memory lane on the Wayback Machine. Scroll through the captures prior to December 15, 2016!
2017
Saundra Shelley was inducted into the DAR on January 21 at a meeting of the Chicago Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. DNA testing connected her with a cousin named Ric Murphy.
Murphy, President General of the Society of the First African Families of English America (SOFAFEA), provided her with a copy of a 1782 Virginia tax record for her fifth great-grandfather, Josiah Milton. This record established Milton’s support of the War of Independence, enabling Saundra’s DAR admission and recognition of her ancestor as a new patriot.
Janis Forté Appreciation Day at the Alabama Study Group. Janis’s many students have won awards, given presentations at General Meetings and the Annual Conference, and published books.
2018
Tony Burroughs received the Weinberg Fellowship to Research Slave Schedules at the Newberry Library.
2018-2019
AAGHSC Bylaws were once again amended and adopted on November 10, 2018. They were prepared for ratification by the Membership at the Annual Business Meeting on January 13, 2019.
2019-2020
Seventeenth President | Roma Stewart
2020-2024
Eighteenth President | Owinda Marchbanks
2020
Amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis, on March 20, 2020—all Illinois counties designated as disaster areas—Governor J.B. Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-10. The order took effect at 5:00 p.m. on March 21, 2020, and remained in force through April 7, 2020.
Illinois residents were required to stay at home and maintain social distancing, with limited exceptions for “Essential Activities,” “Essential Government Functions,” and the operation of “Essential Businesses and Operations.”
Businesses scrambled to adjust to rapidly changing restrictions and keep operations afloat, pivoting to remote work, curbside services, and modified hours while trying to maintain revenue, safeguard employees, and preserve their jobs.
After April 7, 2020, Illinois did not reopen—the stay-at-home order was extended, schools remained closed, non-essential businesses stayed shut, mandatory masks, and social distancing rules continued for another two years. Illinois launched a 5-phase reopening plan.
Scientists and pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a vaccine at unprecedented speed, culminating in the eventual rollout of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, as alarming reports and rising death tolls from Europe underscored the severity of the crisis and foreshadowed what lay ahead in the United States.
In New York, the pandemic’s early surge overwhelmed hospitals and morgues, leading the city to use Hart Island for temporary mass burials. Images of trenches and rows of coffins became one of the starkest symbols of COVID-19’s toll in the United States.
At the same time, vaccine development moved at unprecedented speed. Both Pfizer and Moderna delivered viable vaccines in roughly 10–11 months—far faster than the typical multi-year timeline.
During the darkest days of the Coronavirus, AAGHSC was forced to pivot. In-person meetings quickly moved online, as the Society adapted to a virtual format to remain connected and continue its work. What began as a temporary adjustment soon became the new normal—Zoom gatherings, remote collaboration, and digital engagement replaced face-to-face interaction, reshaping how members learned, shared, and stayed connected in an uncertain time.
On a more personal note, just one week after Governor Pritzker declared the statewide emergency, AAGHSC members were devastated by the loss of our first confirmed Covid-19 casualty—our very own Mr. Gettings, 94 years young and a cherished member of the Saturday morning Alabama Study Group, beloved by all who knew him.
2022
The Writing and Publishing on Amazon Study Group was established.
The Georgia and Carolinas Study Group was established.
The Mississippi Death Indexing Project (1912–1924) is complete. Once deemed “Mission Impossible,” this 11-year community effort now stands as Mission Accomplished as of November 28. We salute Nettie Nesbary, Desiree Booker, and the many volunteers who stayed the course and saw it through.
2024
The AAGHSC GEDmatch Ancestor Project is here—tap into 2+ million profiles to find elusive cousins and push your research beyond the paper trail.
2025-Present
Nineteenth President | Anita Boyd
2025
New Lifetime Membership Category. Thanks to the generosity of one very special gentleman, the AAGHSC board approved this new membership level at the June meeting. We proudly hail “Mr. G.” for his commitment to preserving African American genealogy and history which will strengthen the society in lasting ways.
New Melvin C. Ryan Membership Award. In honor of his commitment to service, scholarship, and the Society’s mission, his husband, Paul, established this award, which will benefit four recipients yearly.
Our 45th Anniversary. We didn’t mark the moment because we didn’t see it coming, but make no mistake: this milestone speaks volumes. For nearly half a century, AAGHSC has been in the trenches—recovering names, restoring narratives, and pushing past missing records and burned courthouses. The moment passed quietly, but the impact did not.
And none of it happens without our members. This Society stands because you showed up—researching, sharing, volunteering, and refusing to let our stories disappear. Every record found, every workshop led, every question answered—that’s the real celebration.
2026
We are 160 members strong—many living in distant cities. Visitors to our annual conferences have been inspired to start Afro-American genealogical societies in their own hometowns. Through research, members have been able to discover truths about American and African-American history not available elsewhere.
The Missouri Study Group reestablished.
The Website Redesign: Phase One Complete.
Meet the Leadership Team
President & Webmaster
Treasurer
Membership
Recording Secretary
Corresponding Secretary
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