 Every time I enter the doors of the National Archives, I'm struck by the magnitude of this institution and its role in our democracy. It not only is the repository for the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but also for the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments, which advanced our nation's aspiration to expand rights for all Americans, no matter who you are and no matter when your ancestor arrived, there is a record in these walls that helps tell your family's story. This is especially true of the United States Census, because the Constitution mandated that every person living in the United States be counted every 10 years. We have more than 200 years worth of records documenting who we are as a people. Decades before I became Chair of the National Archives Foundation, I visited the National Archives to research my family history. What began as the tedious and sometimes vertigo-inducing scroll through microfilm census records eventually led me to serendipitous discoveries in original ledgers and handwritten documents. Through the years I've discovered ancestors who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and a great-great-grandfather who was elected to the Arkansas State Legislature during Reconstruction. Now, with the release of the 1950 census, I'm eager to make even more discoveries. My mother's family included successful entrepreneurs who became wealthy. My father's parents were equally as hardworking and industrious, but they lived in a house without indoor plumbing, as did a surprising number of Americans at the time. Believe it or not, the 1950 census recorded that kind of information. When I was growing up during the 1950s and 1960s, I never saw myself or my African-American ancestors reflected in my history textbooks. But once I began to do my own research, I found evidence of my family's story in census and military records and in newspaper articles. That's when my passion for history blossomed. Now, seeking the truth about black people in America and sharing that information in the books I write is what I do every single day. Nothing gives me greater joy than helping others discover their own family's place in the American narrative. There is meaning, satisfaction, and pride in knowing family history. Knowing who we are and the contributions our ancestors made in building America allows us to claim our place and to insist on all the rights that come with citizenship. Our stories are our power. And with all the new information you'll discover in the 1950s census, you'll be able to take your family research to the next level. I think you'll find it easier than ever to explore the records and to get to know details about your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, and your great-great-grandparents. Those records are waiting for you. I'll see you there.