Tag: ancestry
-
“Susan and Gordy Adopt a Baby!”: Geraldine Wilson and The Children’s Television Workshop
Over winter break, I spent time with my one year old nephew. We spent most of our morning eating cereal, dancing, and watching my childhood favorite show–Sesame Street. We bonded over our love of Elmer and Big Bird and wept over the absence of Ernie and Bert. A few weeks later, I traveled to New…
-
“Greenview Dwelling”: Finding the Flowers Family’s Home
In the early twentieth-century, Rachel Flowers was a Black socialite in the Harrisburg and Philadelphia region. Her parties attracted members of the Black middle class and due to her educational activism, also educators from New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and even Bermuda. When her events were hosted in Harrisburg, news articles referred to her country…
-
Differing Opinions: Segregation in Philadelphia’s Public Schools During the 1930s
As I complete the second chapter of my thesis, I re-read Rachel’s articles published in the Philadelphia Tribune between 1931-1933. Her eloquence, her writing, and her activism is always worth admiring. In her first article, “What Have You to Say?: A System that Breeds Prejudice, she directed her argument against a previous article written by Jas…
-
Chapter Two: “What Have You To Say”
With the completion of chapter one of my thesis, I move on to the introduction (backwards I know) and chapter two, the biography of Rachel Flowers. Photo Source: Messiah College Archives This image first introduced me to my research. Messiah College archivist placed the image’s date between 1916 to 1918, the years of her enrollment.…
-
Thesis Writing
Photo Source I am writing my thesis, the long awaited thesis. I entitled the project “Our Children’s Children Live Forever”: The Educational Activism of the Sawyer-Flowers Family in America From 1866-1988. It is exciting, but it is a bit scary. Scary because I am writing the history of a family I have never met. Scary because it…
-
From the Schomburg: Geraldine Wilson’s Resume
Undated photo, Geraldine Wilson Papers, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture I concluded my summer travels…YAY! Panama was beautiful (will post later about that), gentrified Harlem treated me well, and Pennsylvania was full of reunions and research. I am still processing my research notes from the Schomburg. This time I carefully searched and read through her…
-
Sawyer and The AME’s Christian Recorder
This blog is a continuation of my previous post on Joseph Sawyer and his articles within The Christian Recorder. I will continue to share bulletins which referenced Sawyer’s work in Florida. This is my first time reading these pieces; therefore, I highlighted information that caught my attention. Also I am in Panama this week and will…
-
An Unexpected Surprise: New Findings on Rev. J.J. Sawyer
Still searching for a living descendant. I spent the majority of my research this month on compiling primary sources about Reverend Joseph J. Sawyer. Sawyer is a recent addition to my research; therefore, I need to ensure there is a good amount of information for his biography. I wrongly assumed a lot about his life and he proved…
-
Its All In The Name
Vincent Allen Flowers 1906-2002 My thesis does not include the biography of Vincent Allen Flowers. To make my research more practical in two semesters, I focus on the biographies and more specifically the educational activism of Reverend Joseph J. Sawyer, Rachel Helen Flowers, and Geraldine Louise Wilson. Nonetheless, I continue to research all of the…
-
Geraldine Wilson’s Statement of Purpose
When she applied to graduate school at New York University, Geraldine resided in Jackson, Mississippi where she worked with the state’s Head Start Program. As I researched Geraldine’s biography, I connected with her story, her resilience, and her passion for the education of African American children. It helps that her archival collection at the Schomburg…
Diary of a Historian 