Module 5 of the Tracing Our Roots, Reclaiming Our Legacy Course

Every genealogist encounters roadblocks—but in African American genealogy, those obstacles are often shaped by enslavement, record loss, racial bias, and historical silences within the archive.

Research Challenges: Overcoming Genealogical Brick Walls is a focused, self-paced course that also serves as Module 5 within the full program, Tracing Our Roots, Reclaiming Our Legacy. It is designed to help learners move forward when family history research feels stalled, confusing, or incomplete.

This module provides practical strategies, analytical tools, and critical mindset shifts for navigating missing records, conflicting evidence, and complex ancestral histories with clarity and confidence—whether taken on its own or as part of the full course.

Rather than offering shortcuts or speculation, this module teaches you how to think genealogically—equipping you to reassess research questions, explore alternative sources, and preserve findings responsibly, even when definitive answers remain elusive.

About the Course

Led by Archivist and Genealogist Dr. Aisha La’Don Abdul Rahman, MLIS, PhD, this focused course—also offered as Module 5 of Tracing Our Roots, Reclaiming Our Legacy—equips you with:

• Practical strategies for working through genealogical brick walls
• Methods for researching enslaved ancestors and navigating archival silence
• Tools for reassessing assumptions and reframing stalled research
• Ethical approaches to documenting uncertainty and incomplete records
• Confidence to continue your research with clarity and care

This is genealogy as legacy work—rooted in historical accuracy, ethical practice, and cultural responsibility.

Who This Course Is For

This course is ideal for:

• Individuals researching African American family history
• Genealogists experiencing stalled or confusing research
• Family historians working to identify enslaved ancestors
• Learners frustrated by missing, destroyed, or inconsistent records
• Researchers who want ethical, trauma-informed strategies for difficult discoveries

This course assumes some prior exposure to genealogy, but advanced expertise is not required.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Identify common causes of genealogical brick walls
• Apply strategies for researching enslaved ancestors
• Navigate gaps caused by record loss or destruction
• Reframe stalled research questions effectively
• Evaluate assumptions and avoid premature conclusions
• Develop alternative research paths when traditional records fail
• Decide when to pause, pivot, or preserve unresolved findings

Why Take This Module

Too often, genealogical research stalls—not because effort is lacking, but because history itself has limited what can be recorded and preserved.

This module helps you:

• Move forward when records are missing, destroyed, or contradictory
• Reframe stalled research questions with clarity and intention
• Navigate archival silence without speculation or distortion
• Continue your research ethically, even when answers remain incomplete

Genealogical brick walls are not the end of your work—they are invitations to research with greater care, discernment, and integrity.

Course Structure

• Self-paced online course
• One foundational lesson with guided topics
• Pre-recorded video instruction
• Step-by-step research strategies
• Practical examples and reusable frameworks

You may return to this course whenever new research challenges arise.

Instructor

Aisha La’Don Abdul Rahman, MLIS, is an archivist, genealogist, and digital preservation specialist with over two decades of experience in African American genealogy, archival research, and legacy preservation. Her work centers ethical research practices, cultural care, and empowering individuals to steward their own family histories.