JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================^K" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?/I&WqbFJ}0ܠHzzJ┾Sٱ$(y幎?yn*~lwԆBOw)esW-mjIsVӡ`=x;Y6_׌k5iW ecjγU⊊lj$0El Io^xl꣏UqNam#'i$&6.Oys7W] 6ы=9+֢W+FI_}s73IM<.3kf:yF`:;f:)a9v߃k>.} a+D̄$Rs|WJ*$ٌ!?M?ku8Uwȥ2*F+Ϯ$sFv_Qs^AkD FN;XK2$^lh ԅhҤ7VG/svq1=3 a_ ^ AH'i݌"cx8F- i^6ntXfC@ 'V$V85&CsRj^)XyI¤g+Z^Tv Q^]dZig(˚w})ef8Viq2nWURX 8=O֤zm̷K0dw[cҨZ-6vl%+ Nyd [ƭ4Vv ז!HleF+bΤd^ i'Y;34eؓ!3^ MM]# nxiwm\|gk7bTeP_Y QS$1'㓚,1ã nUza߯`e/xa4;}h)W{W8qc]mmcJYzS }ٞ6G8{*)1;#/WemV֒>i^F ]I8.br8>ԤBw ,[$_)c 3"IZyVA8*4R,s F?*XկW]'t:WvC =Y*1-r{W ujv/\w Wf=:X g:PS bpR>~ m[dkiW7 ,N"fH+|-' UѣpmLN3ѣ5/vpH#ֶ|APH 'Va,{n>JδIc Sf2Ω;YtPmK{hIOEQM:qk->@zYKrגܰ;c5Family history researchers have long known about the Freedman s Bank records. The originals are preserved in the National Archives. But the data on microfilm has been essentially useless because it lacked effective and reliable indexes. The microfilm contains mid-19th century family records of 480,000 African-Americans. <br> Marie Taylor discovered these Freedman s Bank records and envisioned African-Americans breaking the chains of slavery and forging the bonds of families. She put together an inspired plan for the daunting task of compiling all these records into a useable format. The day-to-day efforts of extracting, linking and automating the 480,000 names contained in the bank records, were performed by a team of inmates from the Utah State Prison. Approximately 550 prisoners donated their time to this project. They worked in a unique, three-room facility filled with microfilm and microfiche readers and 30 computer stations. After 11 years, the project was completed in the form of a CD of the Freedman s Bank re