Tag: Black History
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What Does A Researcher Do on Her Birthday?
Personally, I think I am my mother’s easiest child. I never asked for much and spent much of my childhood as I preferred it–alone and with a book in my hand. I tended to my little sister’s every need, skipped out on prom, never failed a course, and always prided myself on my independence. No…
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Happy Memorial Day: A Tribute to the Flowers Family
Memorial Day, Owen Freeman War kills people and destroys human creation; but as though mocking war’s devastation, flowers inevitably bloom through its ruins. After a long siege, a prolonged bombardment for months from all around the harbor, and numerous fires, the beautiful port city of Charleston, South Carolina, where the war had begun in April,…
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Part Three: The Flowers Family and The Black Church
Harry Flowers —-/—-Nancy Sawyer | ———————————————————————————— Chauncey Fred John Rachel Theodore Vincent Gladyce Hilda Philadelphia In West Philadelphia born and raised…perhaps not the best introduction; however, the young women of the Flowers family did call Philadelphia home following their father’s death. For Rachel and Gladyce, Wesley AME Zion became their spiritual home during the late 1920s.…
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The Black Church and the Flowers Family (Part II)
Wesley Union AME Zion Church The image of this church was taken at its original location on the corner of Tanner’s Alley and South Street in Harrisburg. From Pennsylvania to Florida Reverend J.J. Sawyer was a powerful member within the Florida AME Church. He even introduced the Independent African Methodist Episcopal Church which was quickly…
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The Black Church and the Flowers Family (Part One)
This three part series will explore the Flowers’ religion and church affiliation beginning with Rachel’s maternal grandfather, Reverend Joseph J. “J.J.” Sawyer of North Carolina. If you are new to my blog, I encourage you to use this family tree as a helpful guide. It is too huge to recreate digitally, but I will try…
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The Mystery Behind the Flowers Family Photos
To learn more about the Flowers family check out my about page, previous posts, or the Flowers family website (which will be updated). Over the summer of 2013, I entered the doors of the Schomburg Center as a lost and slightly nervous researcher (I am such an introvert). I had just returned from Pittsburgh as…
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The Curious Case of Theodore Flowers
This past week has been full of much needed research. I spent much of my time searching through databases at Newspaper.com. It is a helpful tool when conducting genealogy; however, not for African American research. They have a limited number of black newspapers provided, which made me extremely upset, but hey it was a free trail.…
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The Men of the Flowers Family: Theodore Flowers (1903-1933)
Just a friendly reminder: Doing one’s family history is difficult work, yet conducting someone else’s family history is horrendous (rewarding, but horrendous). Also: Always save drafts periodically or you will find yourself writing the same post twice =( What I do all day, everyday This is the Flowers Family, well part of the Flowers family.…
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His Name Was Gordon: The Man Behind One of the Nation’s Most Iconic Photos
On Monday night I was up until 11:30 pm watching Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People on PBS. It was not a wise move given my morning job; however, I am an avid fan of documentaries and this one quickly placed itself in my top ten list of outstanding films. I…
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From Mother to Daughter: “What Do I Tell My Children Who Are Black?”
History helps us to understand who we are and how deep our roots have grown. It teaches us that we are a people with a glorious past that had its beginning in the dark corners of African civilizations centuries ago and spread to the lighted civilizations of today. In the following pages you will discover…
Diary of a Historian 