In recognition of Black History Month, Le Comité des Archives de la Louisiane, Inc., and its African American Genealogy Special Interest Group (SIG) will hold an all-day African American Genealogy Seminar on Saturday, February 23rd, at the Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane, in Baton Rouge. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the program begins at 9:30. The program will progress from a beginner's level lecture to more advanced topics later in the day. Gregory Osborn, Library Associate and Archivist at the New Orleans Public Library, will kick off the seminar with Beginning Genealogy for African Americans. He will cover conducting oral interviews, basic forms, family tree charts, family group sheets, research logs, collecting data, vital statistics, censuses, obituaries, and other topics specific to African American genealogy from 1870 to the present. Renee Richard, former Archivist and current volunteer at the Diocese of Baton Rouge Archives, will then present How to Research Your African American Ancestors at the Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Archives. She will discuss the records available at the Diocese and the current work being done on slave records. She will also present a case study that shows the challenges of slave research due to surname changes. After lunch, Julia French Wood, an expert on DNA testing, will present Tracing Your Ancestors With Genetic Testing. Ms. Wood, who is active in the DNA discussion list on Rootsweb.com, will cover the many DNA tests available, what can be learned from them, and the companies that offer the testing, with particular emphasis on African American research. Serena Haymon, a former administrator at the Family History Center in Denham Springs and professional genealogist specializing in Southern research, will discuss Connecting Your Ancestors Through the Mississippi and Louisiana School Censuses. These special, but sometimes hard-to-find, school censuses can be particularly helpful to African American researchers by filling in gaps left by the federal censuses. Finally, Judy Riffel, a professional genealogist and author of numerous books and articles, will present Identifying the Last Slaveowner, a methods-based lecture using real-life examples of how African American researchers can break the Civil War barrier and take their research back into slavery times. The cost of the seminar is $10 for current members of Le Comité registering before February 9th. For members registering after February 9th and non-members registering at any time or at the door, the cost is $20. Those wishing to join and take advantage of the lower price should include an additional $15 for membership. Lunch is not included in the seminar price and is "on your own." Many restaurants are located in the Essen Lane area. To register, mail the appropriate registration fee to Le Comité at P.O. Box 1547, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. For more information on the program as well as Le Comité's African American SIG, contact Program Chairman Cherryl Forbes Montgomery at cherrylm@aol.com, Judy Riffel at riffelj@bellsouth.net, or Ann Riffel at 225-355-9906.