Featuring LeVar Burton
Join us during RootsTech, the largest family history technology conference in the world, for:
RootsTech African Heritage Day
Friday, February 10, 2017, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Salt Palace Convention Center
“From Africa to America and Back: Celebrating the Journey
and Practices that Connect Us to Our African Roots”
• Keynote speakers LeVar Burton, Kenyatta
Berry, Sherri Camp and Melvin Collier
• African and African American focused
family history classes
• 300+ Vendors
• Performances by the Calvary Baptist
Church Choir and Jambo Africa /
Heartbeat Burundi Drummers
To learn more go to
rootstech.org
RootsTech African Heritage Day
Join us in celebrating Black History Month at RootsTech African Heritage Day, on
Friday, February 10, 2017, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
Starting in 2010 with just 2,000 attendees over two
days, RootsTech, sponsored by FamilySearch
International, has grown to the largest 4-day global
family history and technology conference attracting
tens of thousands of participants worldwide.
RootsTech is about celebrating families across
generations. People of all ages are inspired to
discover and share their memories and make
family connections. This year’s conference is from
February 8 - 11, 2017
Friday, February 10, will be African Heritage Day at RootsTech. African Heritage Day
will celebrate the connection of the people of Africa and those of African descent
wherever they are in the world. Thanks to advances in modern technology, the
explosion of DNA research, and the completion of initiatives like the Freedmen’s
Bureau Project in 2016, African Americans, Africans, and those of African descent
anywhere in the world have more tools at their disposal to enable them to connect
with their roots. The organizers of RootsTech felt that this year, 2017, was the right
year to set aside one of the days of the conference specifically to pay tribute to
African heritage.
The theme for African Heritage Day is “From Africa to
America and Back: Celebrating the Journey and
Practices that Connect Us to Our African Roots.” It will
be a day full of non-stop entertainment and education,
from celebrity speakers to African American focused
genealogy classes and ending with a cultural
celebration.
Keynote Speakers & Class Sessions
Attendees will be treated to LeVar Burton, known for his role
as Kunta Kinte in Roots, during the morning general session.
He’ll be sharing some of his own journey of family,
storytelling and the influence of African culture on his
American experience. We will also have presentations during
the general session by Kenyatta Berry, host of Genealogy Road
Show, Sherri Camp, national president of the Afro-American
Historical Genealogical Society, and Melvin Collier, author of
Mississippi to Africa, A Journey of Discovery.
In addition to the speakers during the general session, there are four class sessions
taught by world-renowned experts in African American genealogy and family history.
Topics include how to get started as a newbie, tech resources available for African
American research, overcoming African American genealogical challenges, to
understanding DNA analysis. These instructors will teach how to unlock the door to
your family's past and make connections with your heritage. These are just four of the
dozens of classes offered at RootsTech on Friday.
Expo Hall & Vendors
Get in on the action at RootsTech's giant expo hall.
The expo hall is the place to discover helpful
solutions, watch demonstrations, and interact with
innovative family history technology. Come and see
what more than 300 exhibitors from around the globe
have to share, including sponsors like Ancestry,
Findmypast and MyHeritage. In the expo hall, there’s
something for everyone in the family to see or do.
Cultural Performances
During the morning keynote session,
attendees will be treated to the joyful noise
and inspirational sounds of the Calvary Baptist
Church Choir of Salt Lake City under the
direction of Laura Eady. The day will conclude
with a cultural celebration featuring the Jambo
Africa/ Heartbeat Burundi Drummers, an allmale drum line cultural group that was formed
in 2009 with the goal to spread awareness of
peace from traditional African drum music.
Schedule for African Heritage Day
7:00 AM
Registration opens
8:30 AM
Keynote session begins
10:00 AM
Expo Hall opens
11:00 AM
Class sessions begin*
“Tech Resources to Begin African American Research” by Sherri Camp
1:30 PM
Class sessions begin
“African American Genealogy for Newbies” by Nicka Smith
3:00 PM
Class sessions begin
“Dealing with African American Genealogy Challenges” by Shelley
Murphy
4:30 PM
Class sessions begin
“Identity by Descent: Using DNA to Extend the African-American
Pedigree” by Shannon Christmas
5:30 PM
Cultural celebration begins
7:00 PM
Cultural celebration ends
* Additional African American and African focused class sessions are available on Thursday and Saturday at
RootsTech. See the online schedule or RootsTech mobile app for more details on these and all the class sessions
available during the conference.
Go to www.rootstech.org to learn more and to get registered