Black History Commons^™

Carrying Memory, Building Capital: Black Family Child Care Educators’ Community Mothering And Educational Equity, Ashley R. Watts, Crystasany R. Turner

Occasional Paper Series

This narrative unfolds not only as research but as living archives of Black family child care educators’ daily acts of care, resistance, and cultural preservation. Each image and story becomes a window into the layered identities of FCCEs—community mothers, pedagogues, and cultural stewards—whose homes and classrooms are sites of both survival and joy. The photographs capture the textures of their caregiving environments: the toys worn smooth by generations of children, the kitchen tables transformed into learning hubs, the walls adorned with cultural symbols and affirmations. These visual and narrative fragments remind us that FCCEs are not simply providers; they are …

Freedom Is Taught Here: Freedom Schools And The Radical Tradition Of Intergenerational Community Learning In Black Education, Trayc D. Freeman, Wintre F. Johnson, Tiffany D. Meadows, Christine Onyinyechi-Uju Emuka, Naila A. Smith

Occasional Paper Series

The Black American community has always understood the power of literacy and education, and the importance of Black self-sufficiency to attain these. The establishment of Freedom Schools during the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi is an actualization of that understanding. Since 1995, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) has carried on the work and legacy, with Freedom Schools still taking place all over the United States. For two summers, we, researchers from the University of Virginia, have had the opportunity to partner with a CDF Freedom School as part of a mixed-method research study. This essay serves as a reflection and …

Dred Scott Article Correspondence From Walter Ehrlich, Associate Professor Of History At University Of Missouri – St. Louis, May 23, 1980, Walter Ehrlich

Correspondence

Correspondence from Walter Ehrlich, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Missouri-St. Louis, to William Lindsey McDonald concerning McDonald's paper on Dred Scott's time in Florence, Alabama.

McDonald's paper, with implemented feedback from Ehrlich, is accessible in the research articles section of the William Lindsey McDonald Digital Collection.

The Declaration Of Sentiments: A Womanist Perspective, Emmalee Layton

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

This paper examines the Declaration of Sentiments, an influential document in the creation of the early feminist movement, through a womanist lens. This paper aims to address whether the formulation of the Declaration of Sentiments had Black women’s liberation in mind, and how feminist movements must approach misogyny and racialization as co-constitutive in order to create liberatory strategies for Black women. This paper examines specific grievances that are outlined within the Declaration of Sentiments which are then put into historical context to signal whether the Declaration of Sentiments addresses the nuances of misogynoir and effectively strategizes for Black women’s liberation …

Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church To Jean Meyer, 1.26.1990, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Mrs. Jean Meyer regarding the history of the Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church, originally located on the Old Jackson Highway in St. Florine, Lauderdale County, Alabama. The Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1865 after the Civil War resulted in a split of the original congregants of the Hopewell Methodist Episcopal Church.

Church (Town) Springs Correspondence To Mr. David Craig, 1.20.2000, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

William Lindsey McDonald's correspondence to Mr. David Craig of Knoxville, Tennessee concerning the historic Church Springs district, also known as Town Spring. The area is located between Pine and Court Streets and was the earliest source of water for Florence, Alabama when it was established in 1818.

Church Spring was the site of the first African American church in Florence, the Greater Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was established in 1895, and the first African American school in the area.

The historical marker for Church Spring and School can be accessed here.

The Relation Of Archival Repair, Black Communities, And The American Healthcare System, Aaisha Haykal, Tabitha Y. Samuel

MUSC Conference Presentations

Historians and genealogists depend on records preserved in archival repositories and special collections libraries to provide the foundation of their research and scholarship. Systemic inadequacies in archival practice, including bias in the development of collections and the pitfalls of engagement, outreach, and advocacy to actively document and promote the work of archives and special collections libraries among potential stakeholders and interest-group communities, often contribute to archival silences, or gaps in the documentary record relating to historically marginalized communities. This is particularly significant in documenting the history of the ways Black communities have engaged with the American healthcare system as patients, …

"The Merchant Prince", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

The article gives an overview of the life of Richard Rapier, who McDonald refers to as "the merchant prince," one of the most prominent businessmen in 19th Century Florence, Alabama and his descendants. Rapier's exploitation of Suson, an enslaved woman, resulted in several children. Rapier's grandson, by way of his son John, James Rapier was elected to the US House of Representatives during Reconstruction.

"The Mysterious Disappearance Of Parson Dick: A Civil War Story", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

Parson Dick was enslaved on the Forks of Cypress plantation in Florence, Alabama. The article relates a brief history of his life including his marriage to an unnamed woman enslaved on the nearby Woodlawn plantation, his conversion to Christianity and decision to preach, and eventual escape from slavery, which the Jacksons (his enslavers) and McDonald refer to as "his disappearance."

Border Fascism And The Fascistization Of Society, Nicholas P. De Genova

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

The massive destruction and social dislocation wrought by capitalist crisis has culminated, historically, in the brutal cataclysms of fascism and other forms of authoritarian rule. Today, across the globe, we are confronted with the aggressive advance and entrenchment of a variety of such authoritarian political projects. Anxious discourses about ascendant fascism have become perfectly mainstream. These developments command our acute attention and critical analysis. This essay addresses these dire questions and the conceptual vexations surrounding the concept of fascism, particularly as it has been elaborated in various Marxist analyses.  Specifically, much of the debate around fascism as an analytical category …

"Deibert Park: A Place Of Beauty And Legacy", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

The article discusses the history of Deibert Park and the benefactors Dr. Kirk and Lillian Deibert. The Deibert Park historical marker can be found in the national historical marker database.

McDonald recounts the history of the historic African American Posey Community that the Florence, Alabama park is located in.

Archives As Activism: Using Cuny Archives To Examine And Analyze Social Change, Marci Littlefield

Open Educational Resources

Archives as Activism uses CUNY archival materials to help students examine the relationship between activism, social issues and social change. Students will analyze primary sources such as flyers, newsletters, photographs, student newspapers, and institutional documents and connect them to contemporary social issues. CUNY’s history of activism around, race, gender, educational access, women’s organizing and institutional power provides students with an opportunity to investigate questions about power, collective action, intersectionality and social change.

"The Sounds Of Handy's Music On The Tennessee River", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

William Christopher Handy "the father of the blues" was raised in Florence, Alabama. The article offers a synopsis of the connection between Handy, his music, and the Tennessee River.

More information about W.C. Handy and a digitized image gallery is available at the William Christopher Handy Collection.

"A Renowned Slave In The Early Life Of Florence", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

Dred Scott, the plaintiff in Dred Scott v. Sanford, was a confirmed resident of Florence, Alabama in the 1820s-1830s. The article gives an overview of Dred Scott's life, including his time in Lauderdale County.

"State's First Black Church Was Started By Lightfoot", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

TimesDaily article by William Lindsey McDonald about the establishment of the first African American Church in Alabama, Church Spring and eventually the Greater Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, by the Reverend Robin Lightfoot in 1837.

"Private Reuben Patterson", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

Speech outline given at the dedication ceremony for the grave marker for Private Reuben Patterson, a horn blower for the Fifth Alabama Calvary during the Civil War and formerly enslaved person. Private Patterson was one of the last remaining Confederate soldiers in Florence, Alabama when he passed away at 85 years old.

An excerpt from an article about Private Patterson written by William Lindsey McDonald and published in the TimesDaily is also included within the digital file.

"'Uncle' Tom Brannon And The Capture Of John A. Murrel", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

The speech recounts the capture of outlaw John A. Murrel by Tom Brannon, who was enslaved by the Oaks Plantation in Florence, Alabama.

"Stories About Black Heritage In Florence", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

Annotated speech outline about African American heritage in Florence, Alabama. The speech includes an overview of African Americans in Florence and Muscle Shoals and a discussion of notable stories and figures, such as "Tom Brannon and the Capture of John A. Murrell" (winter 1834), Randall Campbell, Dred Scott, Edmund Patton, Sam Patton, and Parson Dick. The document also contains xerox portraits of the notable individuals mentioned.

"Unsung Americans Sung" List Of Songs, W. C. Handy

Documents

List of songs in Unsung Americans Sung, a volume of African American music edited by W.C. Handy. The volume's thirty-eight songs range from ballads about specific historical figures, such as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, to arrangement of poems like Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."

"Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled", Russell Smith, Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc.

Documents

Sheet music for the sacred solo "Let Not Your Heart Be Trouble" with lyrics derived from the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of St. John. The sheet music was published by Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by W.C. Handy on December 30, 1946

"Opportunity," Signed Sheet Music, Walter Malone, W. C. Handy, Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc.

Documents

Sheet music for "Opportunity" with music by W.C. Handy and lyrics based on the poem by Walter Malone. The sheet music was published by the Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by W.C. Handy on December 30, 1946.

"How Like A Rose Is Love," Signed Sheet Music, Hal Hode, Peter Tinturin, Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc.

Documents

Sheet music to How Like a Rose is Love published by Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by W.C. Handy on December 30, 1946.

"How The First Song Was Born," Signed Sheet Music, Alexander Hill, Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc.

Documents

Sheet music for the Alexander Hill Ballad "How the First Song was Born" published by Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by W.C. Handy on December 30, 1946.

Obituary & Memorial Article, The Florence Times

Documents

Obituary and memorial article entitled "Father of the Blues: W.C. Handy, Famed Composer Dies; Florence Native" derived from The Florence Times. Handy passed way at Sydenham Hospital in New York following admission to the hospital with bronchial pneumonia. The article recounts memories from community members of Handy's youth in Florence and lasting influence on the community.

"Pasadena: Romanza Occidental," Signed Sheet Music, W. C. Handy

Documents

Sheet music for "Pasadena: Romanza Occidental" with lyrics and music by W.C. Handy. The composition was published by Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by W.C. Handy.

"Shine Like A Mornin' Star," Signed Sheet Music, W. C. Handy

Documents

Sheet music arranged by W.C. Handy for the unrecorded spiritual "Shine Like a Mornin' Star" published by Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by Handy on December 30, 1946.

"Twenty-Third Psalm," Signed Sheet Music, Lillian Evanti, Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc.

Documents

Sheet music for the "Twenty-Third Psalm" arranged by Lillian Evanti. The arrangement was published by Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. and signed by W.C. Handy on December 30, 1946.

"There's A Red Glow In The Sky Above Vesuvius," Signed Sheet Music, Andy Razaf, William C. Handy, Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc.

Documents

Sheet music for "There's a Red Glow in the Sky Above Vesuvius: A Timely Plea for Universal Peace" published by the Handy Brothers Music Co. Inc. The title and arrangement are by W.C. Handy, who signed the copy.

Annotated Broadway Daily News Clipping Featuring Handy, Danton Walker

Documents

Annotated excerpt from the Broadway Daily News that discusses William C. Handy and his home in Yonkers, New York.

Chamber Committee Begins Work On Handy Shrine, Wilma Hardin

Documents

Article from The Florence Picture discussing the development of a Handy Shrine in commemoration of W.C. Handy. The article includes a photograph of Handy's childhood home, the site of the new museum, and a brief discussion of his rise to fame alongside a photograph of Handy with Welton Reynolds.