Alabama's Auburn University recently hosted a preservation workshop aimed at educating families on how to preserve their family history after their loved ones have passed on, The Auburn Plainsman reports.

At the workshop, Auburn students presented their findings from research done at a nearby cemetery. The students' professor, Robert Bubb, became interested in the cemetery and its black residents after learning that his great-grandmother was black.

“Immediately, I knew there was a story here,” Bubb, who is white, said. “I needed to know more about her and her history.”

Author Frazine Taylor, who was aware that her ancestors were black, had a similar interest in her family's history. But in researching her family's past, she quickly learned a lesson that she passed on to those at the workshop.

“Be aware that no matter how much studying of your family you will do, or how often you will go to their gravesite, they will not speak to you because they are dead,” Taylor said. 

Still, Taylor didn't let early roadblocks stop her. She reviewed various records and files to investigate the history of the deceased, including dog registration records from the 1920s. She told those at the workshop not to hesitate in seeking out more esoteric records, telling them that that is where missing connections often lie.

Auburn junior Kira Kingston discovered this as she did the work she presented at the workshop. She says she was drawn to the hidden history of local cemeteries "because, being a biracial student, my dad is really involved with finding our African American history, and I got involved, too," and added, “I’m also really passionate about telling people’s stories that can’t tell them themselves.”

She got the chance to do so, digging up the hidden history of local landmark Toomer's Corner, and the forgotten story of the black man who helped to make it what it is today.

Speaking to the crowd, Bubb stressed the importance of ordinary people like Taylor doing the same work that his students do.

“Seek out your family story," Bubb said. "You’ll find ways you're connected to your ancestors. It could be little things, like personality traits. It’s good to know where you’ve been so you know where you’re going.”