The following links will get you started on an adventure that will last a lifetime. We will add to our list as new sites come online.

Academic Genealogy

This site promotes scholarly educational access to a worldwide list of genealogical and family history databases and resources that are available on the Internet. 
www.academic-genealogy.com/

Africana Heritage

This project, sponsored by the University of South Florida, is an all-volunteer research project and website sponsored. Their research mission is to rediscover records that document the names and lives of slaves, freedpersons and their descendants, and to share those records on their free Internet site. Access to all content is free.
www.africanaheritage.com

African American Cemeteries

A database of black burial grounds in several states, Canada and Barbados. The list is evolving but could be useful in finding graves. There is a search by surname facility.
www.africanamericancemeteries.com

Afrigeneas

A site that promotes research of African ancestry in the Americas via an interactive community of researchers. The site offers forums, weekly chats, mailing lists, a surname database, obituaries and funeral programs, slave records, census schedule transcriptions, a library of documents and articles, RSS news feeds and a family reunion planning site.
http://www.afrigeneas.com/

AfriQuest: The People's Archive

One of the biggest challenges people of African ancestry face when tracing their family heritage is the lack of records available for research. There are plenty of records which contain valuable information on African and African American ancestry, they just aren't out there in a free, central place where researchers can find them. That's why AfriQuest was born - to be a central home for records of interest to anyone researching African and African American heritage. The Afriquest database will allow anyone with a free account to add records, including both text and images. Anyone will be able to access, print and use the records for research purposes - absolutely free. 
www.afriquest.com

Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society

AAHGS strives to preserve African-ancestored family history, genealogy and cultural diversity by teaching research techniques and disseminating information. They promote scholarly research, provide resources for historical and genealogical studies, create a network of persons with similar interests, and assist members in documenting their histories. They do not provide research services, however they do offer a scholarly journal, abstracts of manuscripts and records from court houses, archives, churches and other primary sources; a newsletter; an annual conference and their website.
www.aahgs.org

NEW! Black Germans

Persons of African descent have been present in Europe throughout history. The Transatlantic slave trade fundamentally reconfigured Afro-European relations, transforming perceptions of black people throughout the Atlantic world. This site links Black Germans living in the US and Germany in a forum that explores their cultural heritage.
www.blackgermans.us

There is also a blogspot that connects researchers who are seeking family. www.blackgermansearches.blogspot.com

British Slave Records

Ancestry.co.uk has 3 million names of slaves held across the British Empire from 1812-1834. The names come from 700 registers in 23 British territories and dependencies that the British government created in an effort to stamp out the slave trade. The database is searchable by first and last name, island, plantation, age and sex.
http://content.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=List&dbid=1129&offerid=0:7858:0

NEW! Caribbean Genealogy

There is a limited amount of information and internet activity related to Caribbean genealogy. Caribbean Roots was launched in 2007 to encourage and promote research into Caribbean genealogy, identity and heritage.
http://www.caribbeanroots.co.uk/

Coming to the Table

An initiative to involve direct descendants of slavery -- black AND white --in exploring their unique role in addressing the legacy of slavery. It brings together people whose ancestors were linked by a slave/slaveowner relationship. Their goal is to help heal the traumatic impact of slavery on individuals, families and the American nation.
http://www.comingtothetable.org/

NEW! Christine's Genealogy Website

A strong list of web links for local research in several states. Includes tombstone inscriptions, obituaries and many family trees. 
www.ccharity.com

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites

An exhaustive listing of genealogical resources, categorized and cross-referenced according to interests. There is an extensive section on African American genealogy that is updated regularly.
http://www.cyndislist.com/african.htm

Digital Archive

Ancestry.com has made millions of digital images available online to support family history research. Their African American collection includes records of US Colored Troops, the Freedman's Bureau, Freedman's Bank, slave narratives, WWI draft registration cards and a special census index that addresses the fact that between 1790 and 1930, African Americans were listed variously as colored, Negro, mulatto, black and slave. A general search of the entire database is free, but a paid membership is required to view actual document images. This link will take you directly to the African American collection. http://landing.ancestry.com/aahistory/default.aspx

DNA Testing

Family Tree DNA, started in 2000, is led by Dr. Michael Hammer, one of the world's leading authorities in the field of genetics. They are associated with the National Geographic genographic project and do specialized testing for Native and African American ancestry that is the most economical we have found.
www.familytreeDNA.com

There is also African Ancestry, an African American owned company that does DNA testing. They are the only company whose tests will place your African ancestry in a present-day country/region in Africa.
www.africanancestry.com

Emigrants to Liberia

Between 1820 and 1865, under the auspices of the American Colonization Society, more than 3,700 African-Americans from Virginia emigrated to Liberia. Some went eagerly, others left reluctantly in exchange for their freedom. Some prospered; many perished. In 1847 they helped establish the first African republic. This website shares decades of research into the lives of the emigrants and emancipators, featuring a searchable database, stories of emigrants' experiences and related resources.
http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/liberia

Encyclopedia of Genealogy

A free-content free-access encyclopedia created by its readers that serves as a standard genealogy reference manual. It tells you where to find records, how to organize your data, what the terminology  means and how to plan research. It also has a section on how to research African and Native American ancestors.
http://www.eogen.com/

Family Search

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) is the largest proponent and repository of genealogical information in the world. Family history is integral to their religious beliefs. Their site has a wealth of free material, including African American information. This link takes you directly to the African American collection. 
www.familysearch.org/Eng/home/welcome/site_resources.asp

Footnote

This site combines digital images of historical documents with social networking. They offer historical newspapers and records from all of the great wars. Of special interest to African Americans is the Southern Claims Commission records. A general search of the entire database is free and it is possible to particpate in "Footnote Pages" for free as well. However, a paid subscription is required to view digital images. This link will take you directly to the Black History section of the site. The banner will take you to the subscription site.
http://go.footnote.com/blackhistory/

 

Freedmen's Bureau Records

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established in the War Department by a Congressional act of March 3, 1865. The Bureau supervised all relief and educational activities relating to refugees and freedmen, including issuing rations, clothing and medicine. The Bureau also assumed custody of confiscated lands or property in the former Confederate States, border states, District of Columbia, and Indian Territory. The bureau records were created or maintained by bureau headquarters, the assistant commissioners and the state superintendents of education and included personnel records and a variety of standard reports concerning bureau programs and conditions in the states. You can search these records at their site. www.freedmensbureau.com

NEW! Genealogy Research Consultant

USA Griot is a genealogy company that specializes in African American family history that specializes in Black American family history in all regions and all time periods, including mixture with Native American and European American. The company researches slavery to the present, slave ancestors, free persons of color before the end of slavery, the Middle Passage and African heritage. With offices located near the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, they have access to billions of records. Their researchers have doctorate, genealogy certification, years of experience, other credentials and accomplishments. They are members of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Better Business Bureau.
http://www.usagriot.com/about_us.php

Gullah/Geechee Culture

Sponsored by the Magnolia Plantation Foundation of Charleston, SC, this site is dedicated to documenting the cultural heritage of African Americans in the historic rice growing areas of South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida. These areas are recognized by scholars and preservationists as the distinctive and rich home of rich Gullah/Geechee culture. Of special interest are the records of the Drayton family plantations.
www.lowcountryafricana.net

NEW! Lynching

Untold thousands of African Americans have been lynched. The name of the practice comes from Col. Charles Lynch, a Virginia landowner circa 1790. He had a habit of holding illegal trials of local lawbreakers in his front yard. During slavery, executions, whippings, brandings, and other forms of severe punishment were meted out by authority of the master or his representative. Often, slaves were assembled and made to witness the punishment. Later, white mobs gathered for lynchings, reveling in their brutality and even sending postcards to mark the occasion. This is a link to an admittedly incomplete list of names of people who were lynched from 1865-1965.
http://www.autopsis.org/foot/lynchnames.html

Magazines

American Legacy is a quarterly magazine devoted to African American history and culture. It provides an historical chronicle of accomplishments achieved, hardships endured, obstacles overcome, written in a way that is positive and uplifting.
www.americanlegacymag.com

National Archives & Records Administration (NARA)

Of all the documens and materials created in the course of business conducted by the US government, only 1-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept forever. NARA is the repository for these records and makes them available to the public. This link will take you to the repository for ethnic research -- including records pertinent to African Americans.
www.archives.gov/genealogy/heritage/index.html