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Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
Metro Atlanta Chapter | Home
 February 22, 2009 - Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order by our President, Monica Hackney at 3:15pm. Monica welcomed our guests. They each introduced themselves, their area of reseach and surnames. In-turn our members did the same.
Our guest speaker was Ms. Cassandra Hollis. Cassandra delighted us with a showing of her DVD" Mattie, Johnny and the Smooth White Stone." This was the final series in her trilogy . The story is based on Mattie's and Johnny's joruney as runaway slaves through Georgia, Ohio and Michigan on their way to freedom in Canada. Johnny and Mattie became members of The Elgin Settlement (now North Buxton). It was a black settlement founded in 1849 near Chatham, Ontario. Chatham is 50 miles from the U.S. border and is known as the terminus of the Underground Railroad.
Mattie and Johnny are fictitious but their story is real and the settlement is real. Several of the actors in the film are decendents of slaves who made their way to freedom via the Underground Railroad to that very settlement.
Copies of the series may be ordered. Please email member Rhonda Barrow -rbarrow816@bellsouth.net to place your order.
There was discussion regarding the success of "Family Day"and the presentation presented by our own Melvin Collier.
Details of our May outing to the Civil Rights Museum and the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham will be discussed in our March 22, 2009 meeting which is being held at the Auburn Research Library.
Our April meeting will be held at the National Archives at 12:30pm on Saturday, April 25, 2009.
Ms. Frazine K. Taylor will be our guest speaker. Her topic is " Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama." Ms. Taylor researched Tom Joyner's and Linda Johnson Rice's family roots and ties to Alabama for the PBS series, "African American Lives 2".
This meeting is also a depature from our normal meeting place, day and time.
Membership dues are to be paid no later than our next meeting in April. Members who have already paid received a special family research magazine.
Chapter business cards were handed out to our members to distribute to family and friends.
Meeting was adjourned at 5:30pm
Joyce Matthews
Correspondent Secretary
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