Felicia Talks History

An offer was found and is waiting for review.

Niche

Genealogy for Black American families: records past the 1870 census wall

Audience

Black Americans researching family history who are stuck at the 1870 census, plus viewers curious about Native American ancestry stories and what DNA results mean (inferred from titles, the about text and descriptions; there are no audience statistics).

Avatar

• Talking head
• A photorealistic older woman with short gray hair and a pendant necklace, in a solid-colour polo or blouse (sometimes with a cream stole), framed from the chest up in a study with bookshelves, archive boxes and a DNA-helix model.

Format

Spoken genealogy explainer on one record set (Freedmen's Bureau, Dawes rolls, church registers) or a surname list: a family-story hook, the history behind the records, where to search, a comment question and a teaser for the next record. The newest video also pitches a surname report.

Content pillars

• Freedmen records and the 1870 census wall
• Cherokee, Choctaw and Dawes rolls for Black families
• Surname lists and what the records say about them
• Regional and military records (New Orleans, Appalachia, USCT, WWII)
• DNA and ancestry myths (Native American traits, bloodlines)
• Hidden-history stories (passing as white, lost towns, Clotilda)

Title patterns

• If Your Last Name Is on This List, It's Been in [X] Records for [N] Years
• If You Have These [N] [Black] Surnames — Your Family [May Have Been Free Before 1865]
• If Your [Black Ancestors/Family] [Condition] — These Records [May Reveal X]
• If You Are Black and Have [Trait] [Claim About Your Genetic History]
• These [N] Black [People/Towns] [Secret or Shock Claim]

Thumbnails

The same wide-eyed older woman sits on the right of the frame, holding or pointing at a large prop (a roll, ledger, map, chart or old photo) in front of bookshelves or archive boxes. Bold white caps of 3-6 words, one or two words in yellow or red, and often a red arrow.

Their thumbnails, most viewed first

• 
  575K views (opens on YouTube in a new tab)
• 
  44.7K views (opens on YouTube in a new tab)
• 
  28.1K views (opens on YouTube in a new tab)

Why it works

• One upload carries the channel: 'If Your Last Name Is on This List' (Aug 29) has 539,937 views, 56% of 962,522 total and 12x the next video
• A repeatable title formula: 19 of 30 titles open with 'If' (all 8 newest), and 10 of 30 name a surname or last name
• Same thumbnail template in 10 of 10 images: the host, a large document prop and a 3-6 word caps caption, with a red arrow on 7
• A source-first promise and a 30-plus-year researcher persona; 9 of 30 descriptions link an archives.gov page and the about text names Dawes records
• High output of long videos: 30 dated uploads in 48 days (about 4.4 a week), median gap 1.1 days, usually 19-24 minutes

• Websitearchives.gov6 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Storeokhistory.org5 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Storefeliciatalkshistory.shop5 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Storefeliciatalkshistory.shop2 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Storefeliciatalkshistory.shop2 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Websiteucpress.edu2 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Storefeliciasurname.store2 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkaccessgenealogy.com1 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Websitearchives.gov1 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkscielo.org.za1 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkpbs.org1 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)
• Linkjewishlanguages.org1 of the last 30 descriptions (opens in a new tab)

• The Grayson Report43.8K subs · Australian car-buying warnings: ranked lists of vehicles to avoid
• Nia Prescott29.6K subs · Money rules, deadlines and exemptions for U.S. seniors over 65
• Danshari Home5.09K subs · Japanese-inspired decluttering, cleaning and home organizing tips
• Prepared Dale1.87K subs · Backup power buying advice: generators, power stations and solar for blackouts
• Calvin Rusk244 subs · Cruise tips, packing and fee-saving advice for travellers over 60
• Kevin Carter Silver5 subs · Silver coin checks before selling: Morgans, Silver Eagles, Kennedy halves