Speak to Me
Aisha LaDon Abdul Rahman, MLIS, PhD
Your ancestors left evidence. AI can help you ask better questions to find it.
A hands-on genealogy and family archives workbook for using artificial intelligence responsibly. Rooted in African American and African diaspora research, Speak to Me puts records, context, and human judgment at the center of every discovery.
Work through 25 practical protocols to plan searches, evaluate evidence, preserve family memories, and record the reasoning behind your conclusions.
What’s inside
Better questions. Careful research. Lasting legacy.
Focused research questions
Turn a family story or a research dead end into a clear question, an ancestor dossier, and a practical search plan.
Records and historical context
Explore census, Freedmen’s Bureau, land, church, and newspaper records with AI as your research partner.
Evidence you can evaluate
Separate documented facts from inference, oral history, contested claims, and AI-generated suggestions.
Conflicting clues
Check sources, compare records, and document your reasoning before adding a conclusion to your family history.
A family archive worth keeping
Interview family elders and organize and preserve the records, photographs, and stories entrusted to you.
A workbook for doing the work
Use 25 protocols and space for reflection to develop a repeatable practice with the large language model of your choice.
The Reclamation Method
Four movements. One continuing search.
Prepare the Search
Clarify your question, gather what you already know, and create a research foundation.
Find Me
Explore records and historical context to identify promising paths.
Prove Me
Evaluate sources, work through conflicts, and distinguish evidence from possibility.
Remember Me
Preserve family stories and the records that carry them into the future.
Questions
About the book
Who is this book for?
Genealogists, archivists, and family historians who want to use AI thoughtfully in their research. The examples are rooted in African American and African diaspora family history.
Do I need to be experienced with AI?
The protocols give you a structured way to begin. Bring what you know about your family, choose a research question, and work through the process one step at a time.
Does it work only with Krio Griot?
No. The Reclamation Method can be used with the large language model of your choice. It does not depend on one AI platform.
Can AI prove who my ancestors were?
An AI response is not historical proof. The book teaches you to return to records, check sources, evaluate conflicting evidence, and distinguish a possibility from a supported conclusion.
What is The Reclamation Method?
A sequence of 25 practical protocols organized into four movements: Prepare the Search, Find Me, Prove Me, and Remember Me.
Is this a book I can write in?
Yes. Speak to Me is designed as a hands-on workbook, with room to record your questions, reasoning, and reflections as your research develops.
Your family’s history deserves careful research.
Ask better questions. Follow the evidence. Preserve what matters. Discover how The Reclamation Method can guide your next chapter of research.