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 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.
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."
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.
