Branches of the ancestral tree: a sampler of resources for planning a gathering of relatives, researching African American roots or just basking in the rich histories of our people.

As late spring and summer holidays loom, many African Americans will be planning and heading to family reunions. About 74 percent of the trips taken by African Americans are for leisure, most often to visit friends or relatives, 44 percent, according to The Minority Traveler Report (2003), of the Travel Industry Association of America http://www.tia.org. Not so long ago, it was difficult, if not impossible, to find books to help plan these family events and to research the backgrounds of African American kin. Now a wealth of resources is available. Black Issues Book Review has surveyed them and selected some of the best.

KINFOLK: HISTORIES OF FAMILIES

A selection of classic histories of African American families.

African-American Odyssey: The Stewarts, 1853-1963 by Albert S. Broussard Kansas University Press, October 1998 $29.95, ISBN 0-700-60916-4

The history of three generations of an elite African American family. The book chronicles their accomplishments and struggles both inside and outside of the family. It begins with T. McCants Stewart, a prominent attorney during Reconstruction.

Alex Haley's Queen: The Story of an American Family by Alex Haley, David Stevens William Morrow & Co., April 1993 $25, ISBN 0-688-06331-4

The author of Roots continues his family saga through his grandmother Queen.

The Cayton Legacy: An African American Family by Richard S. Hobbs Washington State University, April 2002 $21.95, ISBN 0-874-22251-6

History of several generations of the Horace and Susie Cayton family from the Civil War to the present, set in Seattle and Chicago. Through trials and tribulations, they attained financial success through newspapers, public office and cultural leadership.

Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond by Essie Mae Washington-Williams ReganBooks, February 2005 $24.95, ISBN 0-060-76095-8

African American daughter of the late Senator Thurmond breaks her lifelong silence. [See "Some Kind of Kin," page 45.]

Free Born: 350 years of Eastern Shore African-American History: The Adams/Beckett Family by William Crawford Samuel Adams Heritage Books October 2000, $17, ISBN 0-788-41625-1

The story of remarkable men and women who came out of slavery on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and North Carolina.

The Hairstone: An American Family in Black and White by Henry Wiencek St Martin's Press, January 1999 $14.95, ISBN 0-312-19277-0

The story of one of the largest families in the South parallels both the black and white offspring. Their pre-Civil War holdings included 45 plantations spread over four states and 10,000 slaves.

I Cannot Tell A Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African-American Descendants by Linda Allen Bryant iUniverse, July 2004 $25.95, ISBN 0-595-31899-1

Oral history of the West Ford family, the slave son of Washington.

I Wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey: Two Centuries of an Afro-American Minister's Family by Leonidas H. Berr Johnson Publishing Co., September 1979 $14.95, ISBN 0-874-85079-7

Chronicles the impact of the A.M.E. Church on several generations of one family.

Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family by Shannon Lanier and Jane Feldman Random House Books for Young Readers September 2000, $19.95 ISBN 0-375-80597-4

See BIBR, CHILDREN'S BOOKSHELF, January-February 2001.

Passing for White: Race, Religion, and the Healy Family, 1820-1920 by James M. Toole University of Massachusetts Press June 2003. $40, ISBN 1-558-49341-7

The amazing saga of a mixed-race family in 19th-century America.

A President in the Family: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and Thomas Woodson by Byron W. Woodson Sr. Praeger, February 2001 $27.95, ISBN 0-275-97174-0

Chronicles the life and legacy of Jefferson's first child with Sally Hemings.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley Dell Publishing Co., November 1980 (reprint), $7.99, ISBN 0-440-17464-3

The classic story of six generations, from slaves to freedmen and women.

Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball Random House, January 1998 $30, ISBN 0-374-26582-8

The saga of the author's slave-owning family.

Somerset Homecoming by Dorothy Redford The University of North Carolina Press, April 2000, $18.95, ISBN 0-807-84843-3

The author researched her ancestors and in 1986 brought together 2000 descendants in North Carolina.

The African-American Kitchen: Cooking From Our Heritage by Angela Shelf Medearis, Penguin Group (USA), October 1997 $23.95, ISBN 0-452-27638-1

From her family heritage, the author includes more than 250 recipes from Africa and the Caribbean, slave quarters and plantations, church suppers, reunions and other celebrations. Mouthwatering bread pudding, hoecakes, groundnut stew and sassafras tea are just a few.

Black Family Dinner Quilt Book by National Council of Negro Woman Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group May 1994, $14, ISBN 0-671-79630-5

This cookbook offers traditional and contemporary recipes of African American cuisine. Downhome flavor with lowered fat, salt and sugar, including chicken and biscuits, Jamaican pork, Creole beans and rice and sweet potato pie.

The Black Family Reunion Cookbook: Recipes and Food Memories by National Council of Negro Women, Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group April 1993, $14, ISBN 0-671-79629-1

Two hundred-fifty family recipes and stories from various family celebrations.

Brown Sugar. Soul Food Desserts From Family and Friends by Joyce White HarperCollins Publishers, February 2003 $24.95, ISBN 0-066-20973-0

Recipes and stories from generations of African American kitchens, from coconut cream pie to burnt sugar ice cream.

Celebrating Our Mothers' Kitchens: Treasured Memories and Tested Recipes by the National Council of Negro Women edited by Glen Wimmer, Wimmer Cookbooks, August 1994, $17.95 ISBN 1-879-95823-6

Two hundred favorite recipes passed from mother to daughter through generations: Catfish Stew and Rice, Hoppin John Peas & Plenty and Mary McLeod Bethune's Sweet Potato Pie.

Family of the Spirit Cookbook: Recipes and Remembrances From African American Kitchens by John Pinderhughes DIANE Publishing Company, January 2004 $24.95, ISBN 0-756-77121-8

A cookbook and family album by a well-known photographer and at-home chef. The book traces traditional and nouvelle African American cooking from relatives and friends.

Grace the Table: Stories and Recipes From My Southern Revival by Alexander Smalls Harlem Moon, November 2004 $17.95, ISBN 0-767-91847-9

A former restaurateur and caterer shares the cooking of his South Carolina roots.

Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way: Smokin' Joe Butter Beans, OI' 'Fuskie Fried Crab Rice, Sticky-Bush Blackberry Dumpling, and Other Sea Island Favorites by Sallie Ann Robinson, The University of North Carolina Press March 2003, $15.95, ISBN 0-807-85456-5

A unique look at natives of the Sea Islands of South Carolina, a West African Gullah culture, through delicious recipes and stories.

Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories With Recipes by Maya Angelou Random House, September 2004 $29.95, ISBN 1-400-06289-6

The author connects her favorite recipes with her most poignant memories.

The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro: The Classic Yearlong Celebration of Black Heritage from Emancipation Proclamation Breakfast Cake to Wandering Pilgrim's Stew by National Council of Negro Women Beacon Press, October 2000, $20, ISBN 0-807-00964-4

A cookbook with 132 recipes and anecdotes tracing the history of the African American community and culture.

Mama Dip's Kitchen by Mildred Council The University of North Carolina Press October 1999. $24.95, ISBN 0-807-82508-5

Old-fashioned, down-home Southern cooking. More than 250 recipes from chicken pie, country style pork chops, to fresh corn casserole. Autobiographical story of Mildred Council and her life of cooking for her large family and later her restaurant, Mama Dip's Kitchen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine: Recipes and Reminiscences of a Family by Norma Jean and Carole Darden Harlem Moon, January 2004 (reprint) $18.95, ISBN 0-385-47270-6

Recipes collected over a seven-year period from Alabama to North Carolina, Ohio, to Virginia, with photographs, family rituals and celebrations.

Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cookbook: From Hemingway, South Carolina, to Harlem by Sylvia Woods, Melissa Clark William Morrow & Co., June 1999 $26.95, ISBN 0-688-16219-3

Recipes from the renowned Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem.

The Welcome Table: African-American Heritage Cooking by Jessica B. Harris Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group October 1996, $24, ISBN 0-684-81837-X

Two hundred African American recipes from grits w/ham, red-eye gravy and sweet potato pie. Historical photos and folklore are included.

A Taste of Heritage: The New African-American Cuisine by Chef Joe Randall and Toni Tipton-Martin John Wiley & Sons, January 2003 $19.95, ISBN 0-764-56710-1

Three-hundred recipes of traditional soul food with a twist: Chit'lin Pizza on a Cornmeal Crust, Catfish Stew with Cornbread Dumplings, Oyster Stuffing and Pecan Lemon Butter Sauce.

PLANNING THE GET-TOGETHER

Family Reunion Handbook: A Complete Guide for Reunion Planners Reunion Research, July 1998 (second edition), $14.99, ISBN 0-961-04706-2

A how-to book covering date, time, place, budget, delegating duties and documenting family history.

The Family Reunion Planner

by Donna Beasley, Donna Carter John Wiley & Sons, January 1997 $9.95, ISBN 0-028-61193-4

A practical handbook for the family reunion plan ners. It offers guidance for activities, location, budget, record keeping and family directory.

Family Reunion Planning Kit for Dummies by Cheryl Fall John Wiley & Sons, December 2001 $24.99, ISBN 0-764-55399-2

This is an informative step-by-step guide. It also provides templates for tracking expenses. The book also comes with a CD and several charts and lists to ensure you will not forget any details.

How to Plan Your African-American Family Reunion by Krystal Williams Citadel Press, October 2000 $14.95, ISBN 0-806-52097-3

This book offers more details and specifics on the business aspects of reunion planning. There are many ideas and a wide range of information including dealing with unexpected emergencies.

Your Family Reunion: How to Plan It Organize It, and Enjoy It by George G. Morgan My Family.com, October 2001 $16.95, ISBN 0-916-48997-3

This is a guide for organizing a successful family reunion. Chapters discuss financing the event, record keeping, and locating and inviting family members.

TRACING THE FAMILY TREE

African American Genealogical Sourcebook edited by Paula K. Byers, Gale Research, March 1995, $95, ISBN 0-819-39226-7

African American Genealogy: A Bibliography and Guide to Sources by Curt Bryan Witcher, Round Tower Books, November 2000 $19.95, ISBN 0-964-39253-4

Black Genesis: A Resource Book for African American Genealogy by James M. Rose and Alice Eichholz Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc. March 2003, $24.95, ISBN 0-806-31735-3

A Genealogist Guide to Discovering Your African American Ancestors: How to Find and Record You Unique Heritage by Emily Anne Croom and Frankin Carter Smith Betterway Books, December 2002 $21.99, ISBN 1-558-70605-4

A Student's Guide to African American Genealogy by Anne E. Johnson and Adam M. Cooper, Oryx Press, December 1995 $24.95, ISBN 0-897-74972-3A

Black Genealogy by Charles L. Blockson, Black Classics Press, April 1997 (reissue), $14.95, ISBN 0-933-12153-9

FAMILY STORIES WITH RECIPES

Many family histories of African Americans have been written in the form of cookbooks, and many other cookbooks shed light on black family history and customs--a tribute to the vast variety of dishes black cooks have contributed to American culture