Tracing History, Memory and Family
Reflecting on Juneteenth and America 250
Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Nyack Library, Community Room
59 South Broadway
Nyack, New York 10960
Join the African American Historical Society of Rockland County for an evening exploring Black life in the Hudson Valley through history, memory, and genealogy.
Centering Black communities in Rockland County during the era of the American Revolution, the opening presentation will offer highlights of what we know about how people of African descent lived, their labor and contributions, and how freedom was understood within a society that largely excluded people of African descent from its ideas of liberty. The presentation will also reflect on the limits of the archive, where Black lives often appear only in fragments.
Following this presentation, a genealogy-focused discussion will provide insights into researching Black families through fragmented sources and archival silences. Participants will learn more about approaches to working with traditional records while also moving beyond them in the search for Black family histories.
A brief Q&A will follow the presentations to address family search questions.
Presented by the African American Historical Society of Rockland County, this program reflects on Juneteenth, America 250, and the ongoing work of recovering and preserving Black history.
