“Almost to the Revolution: Rediscovering the Felmetta Family” presentation at MPAAGHS Monthly Meeting

September 13, 2025

Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society (MPAAGHS) will hold its monthly meeting virtually on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. The meeting will feature a talk by Dennis Richmond entitled “Almost to the Revolution: Rediscovering the Felmetta Family.”

In this engaging presentation, historian, educator, and author Dennis Richmond, Jr. shares his recent discoveries about the Felmetta Family—descendants of his 6th great-grandfather Jeffrey “Jeff” Felmetta—uncovering stories preserved in a rare family photo album with images from the 1800s. Richmond says that “after 17 years of research, I traced my father’s family from New York back to Greenwich, Connecticut in 1785. My 6th great-grandfather, Jeffrey “Jeff” Felmetta, was a free Black man—paying taxes and owning property just years after the American Revolution.” Richmond will also reflect on his career as a middle school teacher, connecting the lessons of history to the importance of inspiring today’s youth.

Dennis Richmond, Jr. is a New York–based educator, historian, author, and reporter. Born and raised in Yonkers, he now lives in Mount Vernon, NY, and teaches sixth-grade English Language Arts and Global History. A graduate of Claflin University and Sarah Lawrence College, Dennis has traced his family history back to the 1700s and 1800s, with research spanning New York, Connecticut, and South Carolina. Last month his research was the subject of a feature story on News12 Connecticut. Richmond is passionate about preserving African American history and mentoring the next generation.

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