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About Us
Proudly Supporting Black Ancestral Research & Slave Genealogy in Charlotte
Cemeteries of the EnslavedThe study of African-American genealogy shows that, “American printed indexes and sources omitted black entries even though the original records included them,” and that African Americans have been ignored for decades by the compilers and collectors of genealogical sources in private and public documents. Therefore, Comprehensive Genealogical Services is committed to genealogy which would give recognition to the saga of Black Ancestral Research. We examine a wide range of available sources and tools, utilizing research skills and techniques required in slave genealogy to uncover the history of that milieu. Comprehensive Genealogical Services is the leading organization for Black Genealogy in Mecklenburg County, so contact us today!
Our team
- Dr. Vernon M. Herron, Founder
- Konrad Broussard, Chair
- Robert Foster, Financial Chair
- Norris Anderson, Program Chair
- Beatrice Cox
- Cynthia Dumzio
- June White
- Rosemary Lawrence
History of CGS
In 1993, Comprehensive Genealogical Services (CGS) was founded by Dr. Vernon M. Herron of King of Prussia, PA and developed as a non-profit organization in the state of Pennsylvania. It was designed to assist individuals, families, and other non-profit organizations in research and development in slave genealogy, pedigree development, family histories, consultation on family reunions, program and organizational development for family associations, and family communiques. CGS gave research assistance to any individual, family, or ethnic group without regards to race or point of origin within the context of American Genealogy. However, special attention was given to Black Genealogy as the need was great due to a slave heritage, lost and unrecorded records, and a period of family disruption.
In PA, the sponsorship of CGS was by both the Shiloh Baptist Church of Philadelphia, PA and the Institute for Non-Traditional Ministries of Washington, D. C., which gave a 501 c3 tax-exempt status to the organization.
After Dr. Herron retired and returned to the state of North Carolina, Comprehensive Genealogical Services was organized at the Beatties Ford Road Public Library on 13 December 1997 and incorporated in North Carolina on 5 October 1999.
The Program Committee
The Program Committee is responsible for developing, executing, and maintaining an ongoing training program in genealogical research and recording family history for the people of Mecklenburg County, especially African-American families. It may do so through its five sub-committees, namely Genealogical Education, Computer Genealogy, Family Reunion Conference, Cemetery Work, and Information Retrievable System- (IRS). The Program Committee also handles the structure, process, and human resource of all programs. All sub-committees report to the program committee.
Genealogical Education
This committee provides continuous genealogical education to the public by planning, scheduling, and conducting beginning, intermediate, and advanced genealogical workshops. Members of this committee also develop free consultation programs for individuals, families, and other non-profit organizations engaged in research and development in Black genealogy in Mecklenburg County, simply by referring all such inquiries to the genealogist in residence.
Computer Genealogy
Computer genealogy is a hands-on laboratory experience which utilizes the computer to learn genealogy, computer research, and the recording of family history. It specifically targets the adult population of the African American community by teaching the fundamentals of family research with high tech tools and computer techniques.
By utilizing the computer and commercial software programs, the learner gains hands-on experience in computer research. As the program progresses, the students learn how to facilitate genealogical research, use Family Archives CD’s, integrate sophisticated slave genealogy research tools into a selected program, search a growing database of genealogy sites on the Internet, and use Genealogy.Com. A by-product of using the computer to learn genealogy is also learning how to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more.
The Family Conference
This committee is responsible for developing, scheduling and conducting a Family Reunion Conference and focuses on:
- How to plan a family reunion
- How to keep a reunion intact
- How to incorporate family history into your family reunion
Cemetery Work Committee
The Cemetery Work Committee is responsible for developing, scheduling and conducting an Inquest Program of Slave Cemeteries in Mecklenburg County, seeking the location, restoration, and preservation of the 6,541 enslaved persons buried in the county by 1860. It also provides leadership and information to any group engaged in activities of restoration and preservation and may coalesce with any other entity engaged in cemetery work.
Information Retrieval System
The Information Retrieval System sub-committee provides technical support to all program sub-committees. It deals with technical information including establishing and maintaining a database or website and other computer-generated matters and activities related to publicity.
African American Family Festival
An African American Family Festival is a celebration of all that we are and do, which focuses upon our history, current experiences, and our destiny. It’s the coming together of the whole community to review African-American culture in dress, dance, food, art, information, parades, picnicking, African dancing, genealogical lectures, singing, drama, vendors, booths, bands, and any other expressions which depict the five programmatic thrusts of Comprehensive Genealogical Services.
The Festival combines services, information, and entertainment with workshops, issues forums, exhibits, and other opportunities for constructive action. It’s the conglomeration of history, art, and other racial and cultural values which teach, inspire, and give expression to the joy of family life. “Learning through fun and celebration is the key.” The Festival is guided by a Director, an Event Planner, and the Program Committee.
A point of clarification
Often, one notes a misuse of the word “slave,” hence a point of clarification. The word slave is not a proper name. It’s a derision often directed toward persons of African descent, held in servitude as chattel of another. “Enslavement” describes the condition of African “captives,” who suffered atrocities in forced labor and human indignities against their will. “Enslaved captives” were Africans and their descendants who were brought by force and violence to the Americas for the expressed purpose of slave labor. The end result of the “Black Experience” in Africa, middle America, and the continental USA was “only the strong survived.” Such was the life and struggles of African Americans who were born in enslavement but were not slaves, merely captives. Their inner strength of soul, character, and mind was passed on to future generations. So, the next time, try using the “enslaved” instead of “slave”; “enslavement” instead of “slavery”; and “the enslaved master” instead of “slave owner.”
