Louisville To Host African-American Revolutionary War Program

The African-American Genealogy Group of Kentucky and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution will present a program, "Black Patriots of the American Revolution: Tracing African-American Genealogy" on Saturday, February 16 from 10:30 am to noon at the SAR Genealogical Research Library in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Marion T. Lane, author and member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, will present "America's Forgotten African-American Patriots." Joseph W. Dooley, Secretary General of the Sons of the American Revolution, will present "The Vandervall-Coots Lineage: A Case Study in African-American Genealogy". Maria Williams Cole and Ric Murphy, researchers with expertise in African-American genealogy, will also be available for research assistance.

The program is free for SAR and DAR members, as well as Friends of the SAR Genealogical Research Library. For non-members, the cost is $5. Seating is limited, so reservations are encouraged.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS: Marion T. Lane is one of the few African American members of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Gavel Society and serves as the National President of the Society of Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge. Marion is a retired public school educator and a Board member of the Friends of Valley Forge National Historical Park. She is the author of Patriots of African Descent in the Revolutionary WarMore Than One Ancestry.

Joseph W. Dooley is the Secretary General of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Joe served as President of the Virginia Society SAR in 2007-2008. While President of the Virginia Society, Joe caused a monument to be erected to black patriots of the American Revolution at the Elam Baptist Church - the third oldest historically black church in Virginia. Joe has prepared applications for membership in the SAR for 10 African American men, descended from both white and black patriots.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the SAR Genealogical Research Library - Colleen Wilson, (502) 588-6129, cwilson@sar.org; Rae Ann Sauer, (502) 588-6130, rsauer@sar.org.