Preservation of African American Cemeteries, Incorporated - PAAC

02/28/2026

🌴✨ Join Us for an Unforgettable Savannah Getaway! ✨🌴

PAAC & AAHGS invite you to travel with us to the historic South on a 7-day, 6-night motorcoach tour to Savannah, Georgia, Jekyll Island & Beaufort, SC — Sept 27 – Oct 3, 2026.

🚌 Departing: Little Rock & West Memphis
🏨 6 nights lodging (4 in the Savannah area)
🍽️ 10 meals included
🎭 Savannah Theatre evening show
⛪ Visit the historic First African Baptist Church
🌿 Guided tours of Savannah, Beaufort, St. Simons & Jekyll Island
🏝️ Free time on River Street & coastal islands
💲 $1111 per person (double occupancy)
📅 Reserve with $75 deposit | Final due July 20, 2026

📞 Reserve your seat today:
Tamela Tenpenny-Lewis
(501) 425-5578

Travel with friends, explore rich history, and make lasting memories on this beautiful coastal adventure! 🌅

02/26/2026

Thank you to AAHGS and PAAC member Kathy Anderson for sharing her time, insight, and passion at Keeping Our Stories Alive: Honoring Central Arkansas’s Community Storytellers.

Kathy’s work with Project 365 and her commitment to preserving local history continue to inspire our community. We’re grateful she joined fellow storytellers Angel Burt and Nancy Robinson Lott to uplift the places and people that shape Central Arkansas.

📍 UA Little Rock Downtown
🗓️ February 17, 2026
LittleRock

02/21/2026

AAHGS and PAAC were proud to participate in the CALS 2026 Black Family Expo! ✨

AAHGS and PAAC members hosted a display table highlighting family history and genealogy, where attendees learned about families with strong ties to Central Arkansas’s Black history and explored CALS resources for preserving their own family stories.

01/17/2026

🗞️✨ The AAHGS and PAAC 1st quarter Newsletter is here!

This issue is packed with updates, events, and resources for our genealogy community. Don’t miss what’s inside:

📅 Upcoming Events:
• AAHGS & PAAC 1st Quarter Meetings – Saturday, Jan 17 (Zoom)

• MLK Day of Service Jan 19

• Black History Month Activities Jan 17, Feb 7 and Feb 17

• Cemetery Preservation Workshop March 28

• Fundraiser Tour South Carolina. Sep 27

Read the full newsletter below...Join us in preserving and sharing our stories - one family at a time.

01/16/2026

Join the officers and members of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society & Preservation African American Cemeteries for our 2026 1st Quarter Meetings.

Please check your emails in the morning, prior to the meeting for the meeting agendas and announcements of our 1st quarter chapter activities.

Meeting Times for Saturday, January 17, 2026

AAHGS Meeting - 10:30 am - 11:15 am CST

11:15 - 12:00 Noon - Guest Speaker - Ms. Diane Trotter of Fontana, CA
Presentation Title: Gathering Moss and Searching for My Granddaddy!

PAAC Meeting - 12:15 - 1:00 pm CST

ZOOM INFORMATION

Topic: AAHGS & PAAC 2026 1st Quarter Meetings
Time: Jan 17, 2026 10:30 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81609819568?pwd=YoNilf0cmATxPXiZikhmGUmgCgQ7LA.1

Meeting ID: 816 0981 9568
Passcode: 486327

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11/06/2025

🗞️✨ The AAHGS and PAAC November 2025 Newsletter is here!

This issue is packed with updates, events, and resources for our genealogy community. Don’t miss what’s inside:

📅 Upcoming Events:
• AAHGS & PAAC 4th Quarter Meetings – Saturday, Nov 15 (Zoom)

• CALS 2025 Genealogy Workshop - Nov 8 at 3pm
• Veterans Day Webinar: Haiti and the Civil War – Tuesday, Nov 11 at 7pm
• Sunday Afternoon with AAHGS featuring David Anthony Taylor – Nov 16 at 6pm
• Finding Family Facts Virtual Series – Dec 20 at 10:30am

• AAHGS Christmas Brunch - December 11 at 11:30 am

💡 Inside this issue:
• Tribute to Mr. Curtis H. Sykes & the Odd Fellows Cemetery Project
• Membership renewal reminders for 2026
• Research resources and chapter updates

• PAAC Mourns the loss of Former Quapaw National Chairman John Lane Berry

Read the full newsletter below...Join us in preserving and sharing our stories - one family at a time.

10/07/2025

October is Family History Month!!!

Celebrate with us at the William F. Laman Public Library for From the Cradle to the Grave: A Genealogy Workshop on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the Lecture Hall.

Join us for a weekend filled with stories, history, and practical tips for researching your family tree and preserving cemeteries.

Friday features guest speakers Patrick M. Oliver and Michael D. Mason sharing their expertise on family history and cemetery research.

Saturday includes presentations from Tamela Tenpenny-Lewis, PAAC Junior, and a special author talk and signing with Kyzyl Tenpenny.

No registration is required. Come ready to be inspired and connect with your roots during this Family History Month celebration.

09/25/2025

AAGHS Arkansas and PAAC proudly presented an unforgettable adventure to Mount Rushmore, the Badlands & the Black Hills of South Dakota! This incredible journey was filled with history, breathtaking scenery, and lasting memories. Thanks to AAHGS Member Serita Clark for a recap of this adventure.

09/10/2025

Our genealogical journey continues with a host of engaging activities this season! Here’s a recap of past and future events in our AAHGS and PAAC Quarterly newsletter.

06/25/2025

06/03/2025

Thank You for Attending the PAAC Memorial in May Conference 2025! 🌿

On behalf of PAAC, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us on May 23–24, 2025, for a powerful and inspiring weekend of learning, sharing, and preserving history.

We are especially grateful to our presenters, panelists, moderators, and attendees for their dedication to honoring and preserving the legacy of African American cemeteries. Your participation and insights made this conference a memorable and meaningful event.

Special thanks to the Dumas Community Center, the Syrene Missionary Baptist Church and our incredible volunteers for their hospitality and support throughout the weekend.

Together, we’re making a difference—protecting sacred spaces, telling untold stories, and building stronger communities.

Let’s continue the work. We’ll see you next year!

The Memorial in May / PAAC Leadership Team

04/28/2025

PAAC Presents Its 2025 “Memorial In May” Cemetery Preservation Conference - Cemeteries of Southeast Arkansas “Revealing the History of Early Black Communities”

May 23-24, 2025
Dumas Community Center
18 Belmont Street, Dumas, Arkansas

Sponsored in part by:
The Select Committee for the Preservation of
Syrene Missionary Baptist Church, Pickins, AR &
The Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society
Arkansas Chapter

Register by accessing this link https://form.jotform.com/241109124678153