In 1976 Karen Batchelor began her genealogy research. She later became the first African American woman to successfully join the Daughters of the American Revolution, through her documented descent from a white Revolutionary War soldier. (The battle for a member through descent from an African American Revolutionary soldier was still a few years away.)
In 2011 Karen started a blog, Extreme Ancestry, in which she discusses her family history research, which has continued over the past thirty-odd years. This blog is a welcome addition to the genea-blogosphere. Its beautiful design and flowing prose make for a very enjoyable and informative read.
The following are my favorite posts from Karen's blog. I recommend that everyone take the time to read them and others:
- "The Genealogist’s Genealogist." [This post was written about James Dent Walker, one of Karen's mentors in her early days of research. Mr. Walker was an employee of the U. S. National Archives and Records Administration, a trustee of the Board for the Certification of Genealogists, and a Fellow of the National Genealogical Society. He has been honored as the 14th inductee into the National Genealogy Hall of Fame, is the namesake of a memorial lecture at the annual Federation of Genealogical Societies conference, and is the namesake of the District of Columbia chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.]
- "The Mulatto Factor in Black Family Genealogy"
- "Getting the Skinny on Genealogy and Genetics"
- "Family Racism"
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