…take care of your own backyard

#OAKLAND    “Take care of your own backyard, you just might find your Ancestors. ”    ~Claude Waters, Jr/R. Calloway                                                                                    
Is what my Grandfather used to say, I added the end of this quote as this wisdom did exactly that. So on a Saturday’s outcast of a day, atop a hill on Lincoln ave, is the 15th constructed temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, its cornerstone May of 1963, still one of Oakland’s prominent Landmarks. Among other buildings on-site is a jewel of an edifice, The Family History Center , a branch of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

#workingmylines to shed Ancestral light.                             ~#Oakland Temple on Lincoln ave

This Center is where my celebrated Genealogy Guardian & mentor, Ms Electra Price served as a volunteer back in ’89. For over 15 years her trailblazing works created pathways of greater discovery in African -Ancestored Genealogy, pioneering the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (Oakland based) and Afrigeneas.com. Ms Electra is also the grandmother of my beloved Dance-kinship, Ms Leah Kimble-Price, LMFT.

Researching my Maternal Grandmother’s Paternal Patriarch “Amos Culverson” of abt 1830

Now that bit of history speaks volumes of living and Ancestral kinship. Imagine what your Ancestories will speak?! If you are searching or seeking and want to get started, look in your own backyard –up the hill though, and STILL OAKLAND.

workingmylines.com “Electra Price”
Regina “Califa” Calloway
#workingmylines
#nzoCALIFAncestry
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Oakland California FamilySearch
Library Genealogy
www.oaklandfhc.org

African American Genealogical
Society of Northern California
www.aagsnc.org

AfriGeneas
www.afrigeneas.com

 

 

When Ancestors inform the Dance

Interview theme “Whose Do You Belong to?!” conceived by Regina Califa, #Dancestory Project Curator, hosted by Wanda Sabir New Orleans native and celebrated International Journalist/Activist of Wanda’s Picks.com  [originally recorded 08.07.15]

“Dancestory” is a guided movement source of embodied knowledge – UNEARTHED.               It incites exploration of cultural pathways and Ancestral histories, bridged with                  field-research and Technology.

___________  LISTEN TO INTERVIEW HERE –> “Whose Do You Belong to?”

                       Project Founder and Teaching Artist, R. Califa shares a wealth of wisdom                                                                about her Sojourn joined by many in Dance+Spirit+Genealogy.

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#DANCESTORY CAMPAIGN REPORT BACK: www.gofundme.com/Dancestory2013                     for project updates and further inquiry.

 

#Dancestory2013 – ZAPPED by Ms. Electra Price – Chief Genealogist

Ms. Electra Price Oakland Bay Area Pioneer in Genealogy with nationally renown contributions to the field, specializing in African Ancestored Family Histories. She’s also a founding member of Afrigeneas.com, Founder of local African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, with 15 years of outstanding stewardship serving as a volunteer at the Family History Center housed at Oakland’s Mormon Temple.

This Sojourn would privy me to the rare sittings and cherished conversations with Eldership who are trailblazers in this burgeoning field of Genealogy; As my interest is of African Ancestored Family Histories in shared vision with Afrigeneas.com, I’d meet a founding member residing right here in Oakland- Ms. Electra Price! “Come on in here baby…” greeted with a sparkling smile and infectious candor, I am literally floating in from a soggy rainy day- grateful for my Dance-kinetworx – SHOUT OUT TO LEAH KIMBLE-PRICE [lovez you].

Needless to say in true “geek” behavior, I squealed at the site of seeing two computer screens, desks of vital information, data, album stacks, a printer, wall-lined books endless of my eyesight as I wanted to read them all up – yup this is my house, to train, to learn, to initiate! All so serene, encompassed in an atmosphere of a scholar’s lounge. And 3-4 hours later, I found a deep kinship beyond the book stacks, shared interests, and name claims – WE Oakland natives Ms. Electra and I share a deep pact with Ours, to somehow “leave the data”. And NO, I can’t begin to tell you everything as we combed decades, traveled dimensions weaving information as I fast took dictation -yet I will leave you with one of the endless tips from Ms. Electra Price to aid in your own personal journey in discovering your Family history.
TIP:
Go home get the old photos you’ve collected turn them over, label and date them i.e. who, where, when. A gold mine of information!

MORE about Ms. Electra Price: Read this article by Brenda Payton, Veteran Journalist: http://bit.ly/1cwqBIh

SUPPORT – My #Dancestory2013 Sojourn underway in preparation to attend the Midwestern African American Genealogy Institute in St. Louis, MS for continued study and development and travel to collect Family data, documents and stories from 3 states. Please review: http://www.gofundme.com/Dancestory2013