Tracing African American Ancestry:
Building, Witnessing, & Shaping the Americas

The theme "Tracing African American Ancestry: Building, Witnessing, and Shaping the Americas" highlights African American communities' profound influence and enduring legacy throughout the Americas. It emphasizes the role of African Americans as foundational builders, contributing to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of the region despite centuries of enslavement and systemic oppression.

The theme also underscores the importance of bearing witness to African Americans' struggles, triumphs, and resilience, calling for a deeper exploration of our ancestry, identity, and interconnectedness of the past and present in shaping the future.

Furthermore, it explores how African American history and heritage continue to shape the cultural and societal evolution of the Americas, offering a lens through which to examine the ongoing quest for justice, equality, and recognition.

Registration Information

AAHGS Members: Early Bird $300 (August 1: $375)
AAHGS Students: Early Bird $60 (August 1: $75)
AAHGS Board and Chapter Presidents: Early Bird $240 (August 1: $300)
AAHGS Life Members: Early Bird $210 (August 1: $260)

Non-Members: Early Bird $345 (August 1: $425)
Non-Members Students: $80 (August 1: $100)

Hotel Information:

Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Airport Hotel & Convention Center
5055 International Boulevard
North Charleston, SC, 29418
(800) 362-2779

Book Today!

Guests will need to reference the Group Code: 91T or they can reference the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Group Block.

Residence Inn Charleston Airport
5035 International Boulevard
North Charleston, South Carolina 29418
(843) 266-3434

10 minute walk to the conference. Shuttle is provided.

Book Today!

Guests will need to reference the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Group Block. When booking, dates can be modified to accommodate a shorter length of stay.
Cutoff date: September 9, 2025

Hyatt Place Charleston Airport/Convention Center
3234 West Montague Avenue
North Charleston, SC 29418
(888) 591-1234

6 minute walk to the conference. No shuttle provided.

Book Today!

Guests will need to reference Group Code: G-AAHG or they can reference the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society. When booking, dates can be modified to accommodate a shorter length of stay.
Cutoff date: September 8, 2025

Pre-Conference Tours

International African American Museum
Tuesday, October 7 and Wednesday, October 8, 2025
$55

The International African American Museum in downtown Charleston tells the unvarnished stories of the African American experience across generations, the trauma and triumph that gave rise to a resilient people. You will have a guided tour through 12 permanent exhibitions that include 9 galleries and one Special Exhibitions Gallery that rotates between two to three exhibitions annually, and an ongoing series of digital exhibitions published via the Google Arts & Culture platform. As there is no parking around the museum, a charter bus will transport you from the hotel to the museum.

Tuesday: Bus loads at 2:15pm, tour at 3:00pm, bus loads for return at 5:10pm
Wednesday: Bus loads at 12:15pm, tour at 1:00pm, bus loads for return at 3:10pm

Gullah Tour
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
10:00 am
$56

The Gullah language was spoken by the Lowcountry's first black inhabitants. The language and culture still thrive today in and around the Charleston/Beaufort, South Carolina region. Gullah Tours explores the places, history, and stories that are relevant to the rich and varied contributions made by Black Charlestonians.

Stops will include:
Black Slave Owners — Catfish Row — Denmark Vesey’s — Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church — Hexes, Fixes, Roots — Jones Hotel — Old Slave Mart — Philip Simmons Blacksmith — Slave Quarters — Sweetgrass Market — The Patty Wagan — The Underground Railroad — The Whipping House

Tracing African American Ancestry: Building, Witnessing, & Shaping the Americas

Registration Information

Hotel Information:

Pre-Conference Tours

Tracing African American Ancestry:
Building, Witnessing, & Shaping the Americas