Links

Here are some links to useful information.

Legal & Legislative
Genealogy
Articles
Other Sources

Legal & Legislative

These links are to legal and legislative pages that may help visitors better understand the law, what legal services are available, and what legislative measures are being considered that may have an impact on land loss and heir property issues.

Alabama Area Agencies on Aging
Among its numerous services, Alabama Area Agencies on Aging (most of which exist as divisions of regional councils) draft wills for free for anyone over 60. While some have attorneys on staff, others contract their services out. Click here to find the AAA nearest you.

Code of Alabama
Laws regarding heir property exist at the state level. For Alabama, these laws can be found in the Code of Alabama. Information about partition sales can be found in Title 35, Chapter 6. Information about intestate succession can be found in Title 43, Chapter 8. Information about quiet title action can be find in Title 6, Chapter 6, Article 12. Information about tax sales can be found in Title 40, Chapter 10.

Legal Services Alabama
Legal Services Alabama is a statewide nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance in civil cases to qualified low-income residents. The organization is in the process of making land loss prevention a core issue for advocates. Click here to find the location nearest you.

Legal Services Corporation
Legal Services Corporation is a nationwide organization aimed at providing legal assistance to poor Americans. Fully funded by Congress, LSC serves the public through 700 offices throughout the country.

SEARCH Act
The Servitude and Emancipation Archival Research Clearing House (SEARCH) Act was first introduced by Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) in an effort to authorize the creation of a database to help African Americans research their family histories. The national database, which would be housed within the National Archives and Records Administration, would allow African Americans to trace their ancestry through various documents, such as deeds, wills, and voter registration.

Office of the Monitor
The Office of the Monitor site contains documents, links, and reports related to the Pigford case (now Pigford v. Johanns) in which a class action lawsuit was filed against the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA for discrimination against black farmers.

Genealogy

These links provide tips and tools for those interested in researching their family history.

africanamericans.com
AfricanAmericans.com provides an array of information on African American culture and history, ranging from pop culture and biographies to health issues and education. Under the "genealogy" section, the site lists a variety of contacts and sources to help African Americans research their own personal histories.

AfriGeneas
AfriGeneas is a site devoted to African American genealogy and to developing resources to help those researching their African ancestry in the Americas. The site includes a mailing list, message boards, and regular chats.

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.
The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc., site provides tips for those researching African American genealogy. The site also includes links to other research services, as well as to regional chapters of the organization.

ancestry.com
Ancestry.com is a general genealogy Web site that provides tools to help you get started building a family tree.

genealogy.com
Genealogy.com is a membership-based Web site with access to various resources and data collections. While there is a fee for membership, the site provides contact information for African American resources here.

newspaperARCHIVE.com
NewspaperARCHIVE.com is a membership-based Web site that accesses articles and special collections by names, keywords, or dates.

RootsWeb.com
RootsWeb.com is a free genealogy site with all kinds of links to resources, tools, databases, search engines, mailing lists, message boards, genealogy projects, and more. Click here for information about genealogy research in Alabama.

Tony Burroughs
Tony Burroughs is a well-known genealogist and author of Black Roots: A Beginners Guide to Tracing the African-American Family Tree. Click here for his tips on building a family tree.

Articles

These are links to articles relevant to land loss and heir property issues.

"Who Owns the Land? Agricultural Land Ownership by Race/Ethnicity"

"Returning African American Farmers to the Land: Recent Trends and a Policy Rationale"

"Heirs Defy History of Blacks Losing Land"

"From Reconstruction to Deconstruction: Undermining Black Landownership, Political Independence, and Community through Partition Sales of Tenancies in Common"

"Not Giving Up the Fight: Family's Chance of Preserving 'Hooper Hill' Fades as Land Ruling Leads to Development"

"Land Tenure and Equitable Development: An African American Perspective"

"Heirs to Ex-slaves' Land Struggle to Keep Property in Family"

"S.C. Heirs Gain Protection"

"What is African-American Landownership?"

"How Does Medicaid Treat Heir Property?"