Tag: Black History
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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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(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…
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“My Grandmothers Were Six Feet Tall”: Geraldine’s Family Memories
Geraldine Wilson, 1955 The more I discover about this family, the more I wondered if they were aware of one another’s accomplishments. I wondered if Geraldine knew of her grandfather’s service in the American Civil War. Did Rachel know of her grandfather’s educational activism? Did this fuel her own activism?As always in research, with many…
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A Tribute to Queen Mother Moore from Geraldine Wilson
Miss Moore came to be called Queen Mother during a trip to Africa years ago, when a tribe in Ghana awarded her the honorary title. In Africa, as she once put it, “I felt the lash on the backs of my people.” Her outrage over the suffering of blacks in America led to years of…
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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…
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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…
Diary of a Historian 