Apply for membership.
Membership is by descent. You are eligible if you are 18 or older and can prove lineal descent from a person of African descent who was enslaved in the United States before the 13th Amendment (December 1865).
What you'll prepare
A Pedigree Chart, Family Group Sheets, a Worksheet, a Folder Cover Sheet, a Proof Argument, and Evidence Citations — supported by records such as birth and death certificates, wills, probate and court records, census records, church and Bible records, ship manifests, and Freedmen's Bureau documents. The archive helps you find many of these.
Dues
$65 to apply — a $40 application fee plus $25 for the first year's dues — submitted with your application. Membership renews at $25 per year.
The guided online application & member portal is in development. Until it launches, contact us to begin, or start building your line in the archive.