On September 14-15, 2007, the Black Family Genealogy & History Society hosted the Seventh Annual West Coast Summit on African-American Genealogy. The title of the Summit was “Celebrating Generations–Past, Present and Future”. The 152 attendees came from many different states to participate in this event.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Matthew C. Whitaker, Arizona State University associate professor, award-winning scholar and author of the book, Race Work: the Rise of Civil Rights in the Urban West.
Alex Dees of the Dees Brothers Brangus Ranch also gave a short presentation on the highlights of his career as a black cattleman near Yuma, Arizona.
There were two break-out sessions in the morning and one in the afternoon, during which twelve additional presenters offered workshops in their fields of expertise.
This two-day genealogical conference was held at the DoubleTree Guest Suites, 320 North 44th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85008.
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The Black Family Genealogy & History Society wishes to thank all those who made the 2007 West Coast Summit on African American Genealogy such a success!
Below are just a few of the testimonials received:
“Dear Henrietta and Herb, Kudos and Thanks for a wonderful Summit experience. Please relay to all of the people in your group how much we appreciate the wonderful job you ALL did on making the 7th Summit such a pleasant and enjoyable experience. The venue was perfect, the sessions were informative, and the overall organization of the event was exceptional. I hope we, in Seattle, can do half as good a job as you did. SEE YOU IN SEATTLE! BGRG” |
“CONGRATULATIONS!!! It is awesome to have such an outstanding success on your first endeavor. I have this theory: “Work shows!” If you do the work, it will show. If you fail to do the work, it will show! So, the success was the manifestation of your commitment to do the required work to make the conference such a success.” |
“Herb & Henrietta, the conference speakers were the bomb! The trip from Chicago was well worth it. In addition, I met a “new” cousin. I’m looking forward to seeing you both in Seattle next year–Anita Boyd, Winfield, IL” |
The Black Family Genealogy & History Society extends its sincerest appreciation to our corporate sponsor, Wells Fargo Bank, and our convention host, Double Tree Guest Suites of Phoenix. We would also like to acknowledge and thank the presenters, vendors and advertisers who made this a truly memorable event.
A special thank-you to the dedicated BFGHS committee members who put in countless hours over the last 18 months to bring it all together!
And finally, our thanks goes out to the Summit attendees who converged on Phoenix from all over the west coast of the United States–we look forward to seeing you in Seattle in 2008.