About BAAG
Our Story
BAAG began in 2008 around a kitchen table on Birmingham's Southside, where seven cousins were trying to piece together a family that slavery, migration, and time had scattered. Today we are a nonprofit organization serving more than 350 members across Alabama and beyond.
Mission
To research, preserve, and share the genealogical heritage of African American families with ties to Birmingham and central Alabama, and to equip every interested descendant with the tools and community needed to recover their ancestry.
Vision
A future where no Black family in Alabama hits a "brick wall" alone — where archives are accessible, oral histories are recorded, and ancestral names are spoken with pride across generations.
Values
- TruthRigorous, source-based research.
- CommunityKnowledge shared, never hoarded.
- RespectHonoring ancestors and the living.
- AccessFree or low-cost programs, always.
Board of Directors
All BAAG board members serve as volunteers.
Dr. Vanessa J. Howard
President
Retired Miles College history professor; researching Howard and Pickens family lines since 1992.
Marcus T. Reynolds
Vice President
Genealogist specializing in Reconstruction-era Jefferson County land records.
Loretta Mae Wilkins
Secretary
Founding member; oral history coordinator and former BPL archivist.
James E. Boateng
Treasurer
CPA and DNA-evidence specialist serving members since 2014.
Patricia Ann Coleman
Education Chair
Leads our beginner workshop series and Freedmen's Bureau study group.
Reverend Calvin Whitfield
Outreach Chair
Coordinates partnerships with Birmingham-area churches and cemeteries.