Research Disclaimer

The Black Lineage & Heritage Institute publishes historical research, references, and educational materials in support of family lineage and heritage recovery. The following disclosures govern how those materials should be read and used.

Historical materials

The historical record on Black American lineage — particularly for the descendants of those enslaved in the United States — is incomplete by design. Even carefully sourced research can contain gaps, conflicts, and entries that must be verified against primary sources. Materials published here are shared as scholarly reference, not as final legal or genealogical adjudication.

Illustrative imagery

Photography, illustration, and archival-style imagery on this site is used for editorial and educational purposes. Images do not depict identified ancestors unless explicitly labeled as such. Family portraits and historical photographs of specific individuals will only be published with clear attribution and, where the family is known, with their consent.

Family research

Nothing on this site should be treated as a substitute for a family's own research or for verified primary-source documentation. When Institute programs support family research, findings are shared with sourcing and with the acknowledgment that further discovery is always possible.

Corrections

If you identify a factual error in materials published by the Institute, please let us know so we can review and correct the record. Once contact routing is activated, corrections may be sent to info@BlackLineageInstitute.com.