The Association for African American Historical Research and Preservation (AAAHRP) has announced that its 2009 Black History Conference, to be held at Seattle University on Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and March 22, will be the organization's final conference in Seattle. Future conferences will be held in other states.
AAAHRP conferences have evolved from a local history conference to an international event. The 2009 conference has attracted historians and scholars from across the nation, and other countries including Brazil, Ghana, Mexico, and Namibia. More than sixty experts will be in Seattle to share their knowledge of black history at the conference this coming weekend.
"Our conferences have become so popular that we decided it is time to travel to other cities," said Ed Diaz, AAAHRP president. "The upcoming conference is the last opportunity for the local community to attend an AAAHRP conference in its own backyard."
Welcoming the visiting history experts will be Dr. Isiaah Crawford, Seattle University Provost; Leonard Garfield, Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) director; Larry Gossett, Metropolitan King County Councilmember; Moni T. Law, Esq., Washington State Bar Association member; Barbara Earl Thomas, Acting Director of the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM); and Diaz.
The keynote speaker will be Tim Pinnick, Association of Professional Genealogists board member, noted researcher, and author of the books Conducting Coal Miner Research and Finding and Using African American Newspapers. Pinnick's keynote address will be "African American History: The Rest of the Story."
The AAAHRP conference is open to the public, and anyone wishing to attend can register at the conference on Saturday, March 21. There are several registration options that range from $20 to $100. For complete conference information, including registration options, visit www.aaahrp.org, or e-mail [email protected].