Exploring Black History Through Family History: Who Do You Think You Are?

Thursday 22nd October 2026

Exploring Black History Through Family History: Who Do You Think You Are? offers an opportunity to discover how genealogy can help uncover the stories of African and Caribbean families across generations.

Led by genealogist and historian Paul Crooks, the event takes place at Victoria Library during Black History Month 2026 and explores some of the methods people can use to investigate their own family history.

For many people of African Caribbean heritage, tracing ancestors can appear particularly challenging because of the impact of enslavement, colonialism and migration on historical records. However, surviving archives can reveal considerably more than many families realise.

Genealogy can connect individual family stories with much wider historical events, helping people understand not only who their ancestors were but also the societies in which they lived.

Paul Crooks specialises in Black genealogy and African-Caribbean history, with work examining how family histories shaped by enslavement and migration can be reconstructed through documentary evidence.

The session provides an accessible introduction for anyone interested in researching their ancestry while also demonstrating how family history can contribute to a broader understanding of Black British and Caribbean history.

Whether you are beginning your family-history journey or have already started researching your ancestors, the event offers an engaging opportunity to explore the records, questions and stories that can bring the past closer to home.

 

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