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Find Your Family, Know Your Roots

Free Genealogy Assistance and discussion about the importance of oral history in Black family genealogy with the Harrison Center

Bring family photos and join author/historian Eunice Trotter, genealogy expert Charles Barker, and photographer/historian William Rasdell for a workshop presentation followed by professional genealogical assistance from the Indiana African American Genealogy Group to help you start your family tree.

Join us at in the Center for Black Literature & Culture at Central Library for a discussion of the importance of oral history in Black family genealogy in Indiana with historian and author of Black in Indiana, Eunice Trotter, and special guest photographer and long-time Indianapolis resident, William Rasdell. The event will also feature genealogy expert, Charles Barker who will discuss DNA testing.

The event will include a workshop presentation followed by professional genealogical assistance from the Indiana African American Genealogy Group to help you start your family tree. Attendees are encouraged to bring family photos. In addition, attendees will be provided with oral history assistance, which includes a take home kit.

Eunice and William will:

• Speak on their personal stories of researching Black family history in Indiana
• Discuss how to collect oral histories in your own family and community
• Provide a free handout to help attendees collect oral histories

Eunice came from a pioneer Black family with roots in Indiana dating back to the 1790s. She began working at The Indianapolis Recorder during her high school years and in 1987 purchased controlling interest in that newspaper (one of the oldest African American newspapers in the country). She was the first African American editor at The Indianapolis Star and held editing and reporting positions at several other newspapers, including The New York Post, Florida Today, the Palm Beach Post, and the Lafayette Journal and Courier.

Her prolific career includes numerous reporting and writing accolades including the Indiana Historical Society’s Dorothy Riker Historian Award. In 2017, she was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. She recently published her first book, “Black in Indiana,” which received a first-place award from the Indiana Press Women’s Club. The book also placed first in the 2021 Federation of Press Women’s competition. Trotter has made an incredible mark on her community with a reach that goes beyond her neighborhood and into the world of journalism.

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