The Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society (SBCGS) will present Exploring Plantation Records for Genealogy Research: They’re Everybody’s Business, featuring genealogist Renate Sanders, 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21.

The free event, which is free to attend, is part of the SBCGS monthly meeting and will take place in Sahyun Genealogy Research Library, 316 Castillo St.

Advance registration is required at SBGen.org to attend the program in-person or via Zoom. Due to limited onsite parking, in-person attendance is limited to 60 people.

Plantation records are among the most complex yet rewarding sources for Southern genealogical research, according to SBCGS.

“The documents in these collections serve as a vital archive of the diverse communities, including enslaved persons, property owners, overseers, and neighboring tradespeople, who lived and worked within the plantation ecosystem,” SBCGS said.

Sanders’ presentation reveals research strategies for finding and navigating these historical business records and family papers.

Participants will learn how to identify genealogical data points, track familial migrations, and leverage collateral research to reconstruct lost narratives and preserve the stories of those who came before us.

Sanders is a genealogist, educator and blogger, specializing in African American and ancestral research.

She is the creator of the blogs “Into the LIGHT” and “Genea-Related,” and produces the (Mostly) African-American Funeral Programs online database.

A leader in national and regional genealogy organizations, she cohosts “Let’s Talk North Carolina Genealogy,” an online platform and YouTube show.

Sanders has presented for institutions including Mount Vernon, NASA, and several universities, and her research has been featured by PBS Radio and National Geographic.

She specializes in teaching beginning-to-intermediate research methods, particularly techniques for researching ancestors of color before and after Emancipation.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for refreshments and informal discussions with the SBCGS Special Interest Groups, covering a variety of topics from getting started in genealogy to writing family histories.

A short business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m., ahead of Sanders’ talk.

For more about the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society, visit SBGen.org.