Black History Commons^™

"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.

"'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.

"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.

"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.

"W.C. Handy Plays A Prominent Part At Ascap's Festival Of American Music", American Society Of Composers

Documents

American Society of Composers (ASCAP) program discussing W.C. Handy's prominent part at their Festival of American Music. The program includes a selection of arrangements featured as well as excerpts from The New York Sun, New York Hearld Tribune, and The New York Times discussing Handy's musical talent.

The Handy News, The Music House Of Handy

Documents

The Handy News is a compilation of articles about W.C. Handy featured in various newspapers throughout the United States "published every now and then by the Music House of Handy." This particular edition contains articles from 1955 and 1956, on topics ranging from the "Plan World Interracial Jazz Fest" to "Worker Reporter Interviews the Father of the Blues."

African American Gold Star Mothers: Race, Black Motherhood, Loyalism And European Superiority In The First World War, Giovanni Nickolette Gibbs

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines the US government’s pilgrimages for Gold Star Mothers of the First World War. It focuses on the Jim-Crowing of black Gold Star Mothers. Through the analysis of archival records, letters, telegrams, newspaper articles, poems, and secondary literature, the thesis explores how two domineering forces, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the federal government of the United States of America, captured dissension when seeking to send black Gold Star Mothers on segregated pilgrimages to Europe. The War Department’s announcement that the widows’ pilgrimages to Europe in the 1930s would be segregated caused a great …

Historical Inquiry-Based Lessons In World History Classrooms: Creating Opportunities For Historical Thinking, Melinda Thatcher Lofland

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This Plan B project creates inquiry-based lessons that help students investigate the global tapestry of World History with its vast threads of transregional connections and diverse cultures that color our contemporary world and help prepare them to participate as global citizens. This project uses primary and secondary sources to create evidence-based lesson plans that will help history teachers provide opportunities for students to practice historical inquiry skills in Utah’s world history classrooms. These plans employ current scholarship and best teaching practices while following national and state standards for World History. In addition, these lessons were developed using inquiry-based historical thinking …

His 127 Microhistories: A Lens Into The Past — Apartheid In South Africa Syllabus, Marta Millar

Open Educational Resources

The microhistory course introduces students to the study of history by exploring a particular event, individual, or issue, and its legacy. Students will read both primary source documents and modern texts to examine how the topic under consideration was shaped by, and in turn shaped contemporary culture.

This syllabus is for a course focusing on the history of apartheid in South Africa. Students will analyze the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of the apartheid era. This includes understanding how segregationist policies developed in South Africa, what political transformations led to the implementation of the apartheid system, how different policies …

"Your Problem Is Not At All An Uncommon One": Visibility, Black Men, And Sexual Orientation In The Anti-Apartheid And Civil Rights Movements, Wren Addison Weddell

Dissertations and Theses

The South African Anti-Apartheid Movement and the American Civil Rights Movement are two of the most well-known examples of racial liberation movements, but there are few scholarly works that offer comparisons between the two. Furthermore, the experiences of people who fall outside the bounds of heteronormative society are often overlooked in historical research on both movements. Despite the dearth in research, there are several key factors that are revealed when comparing the lives of Black non-heterosexual men among the activists for both of these movements, including the role of the global community, unique local cultures, and how the state polices …

Balancing Our Capacity To Serve: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Women Navigating Personal, Professional, And Community Leadership Roles, Shemeka K. Brathwaite

Student Theses

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Black women community leaders as they navigate a balance between their professional, personal, and community leadership roles. The research design uses the theoretical frameworks of Black Feminist Intersectionality and Role Theory, specifically addressing the cultural burdens imposed by the Strong Black Woman archetype, which adds additional role strain. The study began with a questionnaire completed by 54 Black women community leaders, followed by 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews selected from this pool. The study’s key findings are illustrated in a Black Women’s Sustainable Community Leadership Framework. Black women community leaders exude high self-efficacy, …