Tag: african american history
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Day 3: Albany, GA and Montgomery
It was my goal to blog once a day on the bus tour; however, each day was HEAVY and by the time we made it to our next hotel exhaustion set in. The tour officially ended on June 18th, but I made an effort to journal and keep notes each day. The next series of…
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Day One of the Civil Rights Bus Tour
June 10, 2017 commenced the Returning to the Roots of Civil Rights 16th Annual Tour. That morning our bus departed from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and nearly eight hours entered my home state of North Carolina. Fortunately, I am familiar with the history of this movement, yet despite my familiarity with the civil rights struggle, this…
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The Thesis Process
This past January I celebrated my five year research anniversary *does a happy dance*. Since 2012, I conducted research on the Flowers family and continued my research into graduate school. I had a small advantage–I completed the majority of my research over the years. At this point, I simply needed to write. It was impossible…
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Change.
I successfully defended my thesis and graduated. I am excited about this next chapter in my life and a bit nervous (a good nervous). For those who do not follow me on social media, I will share my PhD reveal photo shoot. So where I am going, take a look and see. First, I graduated…
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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…
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(Updated) Chauncey Sawyer Flowers
In 1895, Harry and Nancy (Sawyer) Flowers gave birth to their first child, Chauncey Flowers in the city of Jacksonville, Florida. He is Rachel Flowers’ eldest brother. One of the first items I look for in my research is a photo. I discovered a number of primary sources detailing his life, yet currently no photo…
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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.…
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Joseph J. Sawyer and Zion Sabbath School, 1868-1870
First thesis chapter submitted and still no break–PhD application time! Joseph J. Sawyer’s legacy rested largely in the Florida AME Church. He stood as a pioneer of the church and as a reverend who pushed for the funding of the denomination’s first church school in the state–Florida Divinity High School (Jacksonville, FL). I also wanted…
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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…
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“Our Children’s Children Live Forever” By Geraldine L. Wilson
Geraldine Wilson, undated, Schomburg Center I am overwhelmed by this thesis (in a good way). Because my time at the archives was precious, I did not read Wilson’s papers as close as I hoped to. As I begin to transcribe letters and review her records, I often cry. I cry because she was so passionate for…
Diary of a Historian 