CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – For many Black families, tracing their roots means navigating missing names and incomplete family stories.

On Saturday, February 7, the third annual Black Family History Symposium in Charlottesville centered on what it means to reclaim those stories, and why that history still matters.

Held at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, the symposium focused on uncovering, documenting, and reclaiming Black family history. The daylong event brought together community members, historians, and attendees at various stages of their family history journeys.

For many participants, the work begins with unanswered questions and the reality that tracing Black family history often comes with gaps created by slavery, displacement, and erased records.

“I need to get into what my family’s about. And I do not know a lot,” said attendee Markiana Smith. “I did this family tree, and I could only get to my great-grandmother. And it really made me feel frustrated.”

That frustration, organizers say, is common. But even fragments of history still carry meaning and power.

“I want people to know that every single family in this community has built this community,” Smith said. “Even if you only know your uncle’s last name, his legacy — unknown or known — built this community. And it is our job to uncover that legacy.”

Organizers say the symposium is about shifting how people see history and reminding communities their ancestors matter, even if their stories were never written into textbooks.

“As everyday people, sometimes we do not think that our own past or our own ancestors play a specific role, because they were not the president of something or involved in major movements,” said Ty’leik Chambers, community outreach coordinator with the Getting Word African American History Department at Monticello.

Chambers said reclaiming those stories is not just about looking back, but about protecting cultural knowledge moving forward.

“That is how we truly can make sure that we protect and continue these traditions, and the information and the knowledge of our Black history, for generations to come,” he said.

The symposium wrapped up Saturday afternoon, with organizers emphasizing that the work of tracing and preserving Black family history continues beyond the event itself.

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