Welcome

Sharing, Learning, Fellowship, Est. 1982

We're excited to post a link to our new fundraising activity page here on our website. 

Please click the link below to get more information on our 2024 fundraising activities.

By participating in our fundraising, you help BGSG to continue for another 40 years and beyond, helping 
African Americans, especially here in the West, to make sure that our stories get told,
and our families histories are not lost.

2024 Fundraising Activities 


Black Genealogy Search Group is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to assisting its members (and others) in: researching, preserving, and disseminating their genealogies and family histories.
Their "Roots."

The Black Genealogy Search Group of Denver was formed based on a listing of names and addresses of African American researchers that were collected by Shirley Sheets, (a Library Assistant at the Denver Public Library).  in February 1982, she gathered those six individuals who were interested in tracing their ancestry for the first meeting and formed the Black Genealogy Search. Over the years, they met at several different locations; the Capitol Hill Community Center, Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library, the Central Branch of the Denver Public Library, and the Ford-Warren branch library. In January 2004 the BGSG moved to the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Branch Library.


The current Mission and Goals of the organization remain the same as the original. Thanks to a large number of dedicated members and leaders, many researchers have been able to trace their roots and locate their ancestors including identifying some ancestors who were free and not enslaved. Although the BGSG was formed to promote research into the African-American family, the group includes many who research members in other ethnic groups including Latinos, Caucasians, and Asians.


BGSG offers a monthly program that is educational in its scope. Our annual Heritage event incorporates nationally and locally celebrated speakers with classes and presentations that focus on African American history; genealogy, and research methods.

Prominent Speakers:

Past Chairpersons

Barbara Shannon.............1982 - 1989 

Spurgeon Roberts, Co-Chair.....1983 - 1988

Dr. Fanny Fiddmont Co-Chair..........1989

Jacqueline Lawson...............................1990

Harriet Brown...................1991 - 1992

Francis Mozetta Currin.................1992 - 1993

Past Presidents

Harriette Brown.................................1994

Edward J.  Miller...................................1995

Oscar W. Hall......................................1996 

Iris Agard Hawkins..............1997 - 1998

Thaxson Patterson............1999 - 2001

James R. Anderson...........................2001

Iris Agard Hawkins..............2002 - 2004

James E. Mabry..................................2005

Hamilton Jenkins................................2006

Barbara Dozier...................2007 - 2008

Edward Walton.................2009 - 2010

Shirley Milligan.....................2011 - 2012

Janet K. Taylor....................2013 - 2016

Ken Burns..................................2017 - 2018

Janet K. Taylor....................2019 - 2020

Annie S. Mabry...................2021-2022

Current Leadership 2023 - 2024

Carolyn Lievers, President 2023

Thomas S. Entzminger, President 2024

Vacant, 1st & 2nd Vice President

Steve Shepard, Treasure

Jeanne A. Stevenson, Financial Secretary

Barbara Dozier, Corresponding Secretary

Debra Rankin, Fundraising Coordinator

Karen A. Allen, Parliamentarian

Vacant, Recording Secretary