Black Homesteaders

1862

Genealogist Bernice A. Bennett has conducted research on African American families who became landowners through the Homestead Act of 1862. In this public program at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bennett shares stories of Black homesteaders in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Bennet explores how these families navigated the federal application process and what their legacy means to their descendants today.