[Preservation] FW: Governor's News Release on Freedmen's bureau digitizing

[Garland Pollard]

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
Office of the Governor

Timothy M. Kaine                                         FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE 
     Governor
October 26, 2006

Contact:                 Kevin Hall
Stacy Burrs/The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia
Phone:                   (804) 225-4260
(804) 780-9097
Cell Phone:           (804) 393-9406
Internet:                www.governor.virginia.gov
<http://www.governor.virginia.gov/>
www.blackhistorymuseum.org

GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES VIRGINIA WILL LEAD THE WAY IN DIGITIZING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL INFORMATION

~ Governor also unveils proposed Freedmen's Bureau historical marker ~

RICHMOND - Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced today that Virginia will
be the first state in the nation to participate in an historic project
to index and digitize Freedmen's Bureau records, allowing historians and
descendents of emancipated slaves, freed Blacks, and Black Union
soldiers to access historical data, much of which was never before
available.

Virginia was chosen to take the lead in this important project in
recognition of the Jamestown 2007 Commemoration of America's 400th
anniversary, and considering the critical role African-Americans have
played in Virginia's early history.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Virginia, and really, for the
world," said Governor Kaine.  "Just like the archeological work being
done at Jamestown Island, this project gives us the unique opportunity
to see and learn for the first time about the lives of these early
Virginians."  

The Freedmen's Bureau records are effectively the "genesis
records" of African- American identity post Civil War. They provide the
earliest major compilation of information on the African-American
community, documenting for the period 1865-1872 names, legalized
marriages, educational pursuits, work contracts, and receipt of rations,
health care, legal, and other services.

After nearly five years of effort, the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) of the United States recently completed the
microfilming of all Bureau records, which produced over 1,000 rolls of
microfilm. The Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) will scan these
records and provide overall direction to the extraction effort, and
FamilySearch will provide online access to the genealogy-related data
extracted. 

The GSU is now scanning the 203 rolls containing the Virginia records,
and will assess over 300,000 digitally scanned images for inclusion in
the Virginia Freedmen Project.  Ultimately, Howard University will place
the broader collection of extracted and indexed records on the Internet
for access to genealogists and historians.

 

"These records capture a special moment in the history of our nation,"
said Dr. Roice Luke, a Virginia Commonwealth university Department of
Health Administration professor who attended the news conference on
behalf of the Genealogical Society of Utah.  "This is the first attempt
we made as a nation to apply the equality principle, articulated by the
founding fathers, to all Americans.  We are proud to be part of today's
announcement and pleased to see Virginia taking a leading role."

 

The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia will spearhead
the recruitment and coordination of community volunteers, who will
extract and index information contained on the scanned records. The
Virginia volunteers will utilize updated FamilySearch indexing software
and implementation procedures that FamilySearch is currently using to
index the 2.4 million rolls of microfilm in its collection.

 

"This partnership fits perfectly with our mission," said Stacy Burrs,
the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Black History Museum and
Cultural Center of Virginia.  "Educating people about the experiences
and contributions of African-Americans is at the very heart of what we
do.  We are enthusiastically embracing this project and can easily
envision the benefits it will carry for those seeking information about
their ancestors." 

Volunteers interested in participating in the Virginia Freedmen Project
can do so by contacting the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of
Virginia at (804) 780-9097.

By focusing exclusively on records generated by the Virginia Freedmen's
Bureau, the Virginia Freedmen Project will serve as a "pilot" for
subsequent freedmen extraction projects in other Southern states.

Governor Kaine also unveiled a mock-up Virginia historical marker today
that will be erected outside the General Assembly Building signifying
where the Freedmen's Bureau first operated in Richmond.  The Governor's
Office is working with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to
begin the process of creating and placing a permanent marker on the
site.

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