From the BDC's Facebook Page, 1 January - 15 February, 2025

Because I was on vacation for much of December and January, the Facebook posts were few.  Then we got hit by Winter Storm Enzo for almost a week that threw everything - and I mean everything - off schedule. Thus, I'm combining January, and 1/2 of the February Facebook posts below for the somewhat monthly re-cap. I have culled most references to local history programs that have already occurred and the ones relating to the Winter Reading Program that ended on Saturday, February 15. Some wording has changed here and there as well for clarification. 

January 1, 2025 - To begin 2025 we suggest that you look back to 1863 and that Day of Jubilee, Emancipation Day. Read first person accounts of all that happened on that Red Letter Local History day in Connections. [cut-and- paste: bit.ly/36k394n ] Our local history programs for 2025 come fast and often beginning January 16th. We hope that you can join us for at least one this month. The Library system will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

February 1, 2025 - Monthly overview: The shortest month of the year is often one of the BDC's busiest. It definitely is in 2025. In case you didn't complete your Winter Reading during the recent wintry weather, there's still time. It's Black History Month so expect frequent posts about the contributions of the Gullah/Geechee people to Beaufort District's long and storied history. We will celebrate "Love in the Archives" in more ways than one - and take that love to the Books Sandwiched In series on February 10th. We also have 4 local history programs and one holiday scheduled for February covering topics from the American Revolution to the Library's current digital offerings. More details are in our Connections blog.

January 13, 2025 - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday:" Today's highlight is in honor of our first local history program of 2025: A Special Place and Time by Judy Hutson. Hutson recounts tales of Palmetto Bluff in the early 20th century and the Wilson, Beach and Hutson families who lived there. The BCL is the only SCLENDS library to own copies - 2 in Local History and 1 in the BDC's permanent collection. We hope that you'll join us for an Local History Author Book Talk by Mrs. Hutson on Thursday at Hilton Head Branch Library.

January 27, 2025 - Now that we're back in the office after the winter storm - which definitely impacted my usual FB post writing schedule -- and I'm about to leave for an outreach presentation - your "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" post comes from that upcoming presentation.

The oldest postcard in the Research Room is a "Privately Printed Card" of the Beaufort National Cemetery made between 1898 and 1901. It is one of the few PMCs that the BDC has. It features the 29-acre burial ground we know as the National Cemetery. The cemetery was established during the Civil War. Capt. Niels Christensen, superintendent from 1870 to 1876, landscaped the area, turning the burial ground into a park for residents and visitors. The Cemetery has since expanded several times.

February 3, 2025 - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" in Black History Month: Growing up on the Combahee River: An American Story by Charlotte Murray Taylor (Parker, CO: Outskirts Press, 2023) is a very personal memoir of a Black girl who was raised near the river after her young mother died shortly after giving birth. Murray Taylor grew up in the upper reaches of rural Beaufort County on Hobonny and Sugar Hill plantations. She shares reminiscences of her daily life until she went away to college. One of our bookmobiles and the BDC are the only libraries currently holding copies of this self-published work.

February 10, 2025 - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" in Black History Month - Autobiographies and Memoirs - Today's selection is With Open Arms : The Robert Middleton Story (2007). It recounts Middleton's search for his biological parents, his adoption into a warm and loving family on St. Helena Island, and his belief in God's plan for his life. The BDC and St. Helena Branch have copies to share.

January 15, 2025 - "Black History Note:" The "Winter Reading" program returns revitalized! Here are some materials about Gullah history and culture that will help you successfully complete the easy-peasy benchmark of reading for a total of 6 hours from 15 January to 15 February to be entered into the Grand Prize drawing. Note: The Winter Reading Program has ended.

January 29, 2025 - "Black History Note: Wednesday" : William Bennet, a well-regarded local Black man, was killed by a soldier who was sent to guard the town in the aftermath of the "Fire of 1907." Unfortunately, the inquest record into Bennett's death no longer survives. Read the "Fire of 1907" series and the Christensen diary entries about the Fire in the BDC's WordPress blog to learn more.

February 5, 2025 - "Black History Note:" Autobiographies & Memoirs - Lest You Forget by Wesley B. Glover, Jr. recounts his life and times from his perspective as a Black male growing up in the rural South. He shares tales of a warm family, his military service, and finding his calling as a school teacher. The BDC and the Allendale-Hampton-Jasper Regional Library have copies to share.

February 12, 2025 - "Black History Note:" - Autobiographies & Memoirs: Queen Quet is the Chieftess and Head-of-State for the Gullah/Geechee Nation. She has authored numerous books on Gullah/Geechee history and has co-authored a novella. She begins her memoir Love's Sea island Song with her roots on Polowana, St. Helena and Dataw Islands, through her early years, her enstoolment, and her journey of representing her people in the United Nations. The BCL and the State Library have copies of her book but only the BDC has a copy of the audio book narrated by the author herself.

Here is the one still relevant "This Week in the BDC" posts:

January 19, 2025 - "This Week in the BDC:" Today is the 118th anniversary of "Red Saturday." Read more about that local history red letter day in the BDC's blog.

The Library is closed on Monday, January 20th ... However ... we also have a weather forecast that might [emphasis on "might"] impact delivery of those programs. IF the Library’s customary schedule is impacted by bad weather, there will be a red bar along the top of every page of the Beaufort County Library’s website stating those schedule changes - and BDC programs previously scheduled for the dates will be cancelled.

January 30, 2025 - Cassi transcribed Fred Christensen's "Black Sunday" and his following Monday diary entries about the "Fire of 1907" to our blog.

February 9, 2025 - "This week in the BDC:" We'll be doing our regular and customary duties, plus an outreach and a local history program. On Monday, the BDC will share information about some of the autobiographies and memoirs we have at the Books Sandwiched In series sponsored by the Friends of the Beaufort Library. We'll be in the lobby so please stop by our table. On Thursday, we will host "Beaufort District's Militia in the Revolutionary War" with Rich Thomas, Chairman of Beaufort County's 250th Committee with the Beaufort County Historical Society. As we gear up for the Sesterquincentennial [a fancy word for 250], we're trying to help folks understand what happened in Beaufort District in 1775 - 1789. This lecture, co-sponsored with the Beaufort County 250th Committee, is another building block to reach our goal. As an aside: Other fancy ways of saying 250th anniversary include Bisesquicentennial, Semiquincentennial, or Quarter Millennial.

February 7, 2025 - "Finding Aid Friday" in Black History Month: Author Dorothy Sterling corresponded with the staff at the Beaufort Township Library as she was researching the life of Robert Smalls for a biography in the mid-1950s. This small archival collection consists of 7 letters and research notes.

February 14, 2025 - "Finding Aid Friday" on Valentine's Day: We have an archival collection of love letters perfect to share with you today! Mae Onthank of Seabrook, SC wrote letters to her fiancee, Billy MacLeod of Lynchburg, Virginia chronicling her life, activities, and plans for their wedding in June 1915. Give us a call 843-255-6468 or email us bdc@bcgov.net before you come to the Research Room. For those of you who find reading cursive writing challenging, Douglas MacLeod transcribed the letters for easier discovery.

Also seen on the BDC's Facebook page:

January 28, 2025 - Facebook keeps telling me that the prime time for BDC stuff to be seen is 6:00 PM. I'm going to test that theory this evening - and promote some "Short Local History Books" to help you reach the 6 hours of reading benchmark to enter the Library's "Winter Reading Program" prize drawing.

January 31, 2025 - On Wednesday, Shelly came to the BDC! Shelly is a staff recognition award bestowed by Library Director, Amanda Dickman for notable activities or projects. Our small but mighty unit received it for our sustained local history programs and community outreach successes. Going forward, our contribution to Shelly is that hot-glued acid-free (dried out and no longer usable for our usual archival purposes) Pigma pen.

But - and it is a very big BUT - we couldn't do what we do, without our program partners, viz. the Beaufort History Museum, the Beaufort County Historical Society, the Archaeological Society of South Carolina - Hilton Head Chapter, and the Beaufort County 250th Committee, the cooperation of the staff in the Branch Libraries, and all the generous and knowledgeable presenters who donate their services to the Library's special local history collection and archives unit. Go us! By the way - we did NOT intentionally coordinate our outfits today. It just sort of happened - which is kind of scary.

February 4, 2025 - You may recall that Winter Storm Enzo messed with our local history program schedule. We've got a new date for Tendaji Bailey's "A Song for Betty: Ancestors, Archives & Art" presentation. It will be held 3 weeks from today at the St. Helena Branch Library.

February 6, 2025 - You have about 10 days left to get those 6 hours of reading to finish the Winter Reading program - and though you don't have to read something about local history, it surely would be nice of you to do so from our standpoint. Might I suggest Shrimp Tales: Small Bites of History by Beverly Bowers Jennings - seeing as how she'll present her book at the end of the month - or one of the other books on the flyer "Shrimp & Shrimping in the Lowcountry"?

February 6, 2025 - Lafayette was a "big deal" in 1825 when he dropped by Beaufort for a few hours AND he'll be a "big deal" next month at a variety of events and educational opportunities sponsored by a host of local organizations in concert with the Historic Beaufort Foundation. Save the dates for the fun! For more details about the Library's events ; For more details about all that is planned.

Programs Update

As you are aware, Winter Storm Enzo did a number on our January program schedule. We have new dates for "A Song for Betty" with Tendaji Bailey and for "Beyond Robert Smalls" with Chris Barr. Plus we have a few additions to our roster to share. 

Now set for February 25, 2025: A Song for Betty with Tendaji Bailey 

I am so excited to bring you a program that connects archives, genealogy, and the musical arts. Local history collections are meant to document local community life in its joys, mundanity, and sorrows. Unfortunately, Tendaji's art is based in a local tragedy that the materials in the Research Room allowed him to expand upon stories told within his family. Below is what Tendaji wrote about his presentation.

A Song for Betty: Ancestors, Archives, & Art by Tendaji Bailey

Sankofa encourages us to look into the past in order to imagine the future. This presentation focuses on the story of Betty Gardner, a Gullah Geechee woman whose story was uncovered in the archives of the Beaufort County library. A Song for Betty highlights the power of art to inspire and heal trauma. 
 
Emerging artist, Tendaji Bailey will share how he turned his research into art through a lecture and musical performance. 
 
About Tendaji Bailey: 
Tendaji Bailey is a Gullah Geechee native of Port Royal & St Helena Island, SC in Beaufort County. He is a 2015 graduate of Morehouse College and former middle school math teacher and community organizer.
 
He is an Artist and the founder of the Gullah Geechee Futures Project. He helps to develop programs and events to educate the public about the rich history and culture of Gullah Geechee communities throughout the coastal south east and beyond through the Mellon Morehouse Movement, Memory, & Justice Project. He is also the Gullah Geechee educator at the Coastal Discovery Museum providing tours and workshops. He is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpreters.
 
As an emerging artist he transforms into a Griot, a traditional Stroyteller, by singing, song writing, and curating immersive experiences through his most recent work, “SEEKING|SOARING: Gullah Resilience Songs”.

A New Date for "Historically Speaking" 6.4B: "Beyond Robert Smalls" with Chris Barr: 

Beyond Robert Smalls: The Untold Stories of the Freedom Seekers on the Planter with Chris Barr

The earliest date that the speaker, BDC, Beaufort County Historical Society and Bluffton Branch Library could accommodate for the reprise about the people who were on the Planter with Robert Smalls is April 10, 1025 at 11 AM. On board that steamer on May 13, 1862 were more than a dozen enslaved people [the actual count and names of the freedom seekers change depending on the source used] who risked their lives at the chance for liberty in the Charleston Harbor. Their stories have long been lost in the shadow of Robert Smalls. This presentation by Park Ranger Chris Barr from Reconstruction Era National Historical Park will draw on newspaper and pension records to share the experiences of these little-known freedom-seekers. 

This program is part of the joint BDC and Beaufort County Historical Society "Historically Speaking" series. 

About Chris Barr: 

Chris Barr is the Chief of Interpretation at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. His career with the National Park Service has included work at Andersonville National Historic Site, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. He has been here in Beaufort County since 2019.

And don't forget the other programs on tap for February! 

The Final Additions 

As a very special, special treat, Chris Barr has agreed to do this presentation at Beaufort Branch on the anniversary of that momentous undertaking. BDC staff will be happy to see you in attendance at either  Bluffton Branch or Beaufort Branch - or both. Ranger Barr does have a way of adjusting the content each time a bit. You're sure to hear something new both outings.  

"Beyond Robert Smalls: The Untold Stories of the Freedom Seekers on the Planter" with NPS Chief of Interpretation Chris Barr | "Historically Speaking" series 6.4C | Monday, May 12, 2025 | Beaufort Branch, 311 Scott Street | 11 AM | First come, first seated. Door opens at 10:30 AM

We are pleased to add a local history program about the History of Parris Island with the Parris Island Museum's Steve Price and an Author Book Talk with Annelore Harrell into our schedule for May. Expect more details later.

The BDC has far exceeded its performance targets re: programs and community events for Fiscal Year 2025 which runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. It is beyond our organizational capacity to host any more local history programs or community outreach than are currently scheduled. We are, however, quite open to talk about programs and community outreach events for the period, July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026. Contact us to discuss: 843-255-6468 ; bdc@bcgov.net. 

"Gullah History and Culture Display" by Sydney Whiteside

I think that you can agree that Sydney is really getting a handle on creating displays that highlight interesting items in our Research Room. You will see an addition or two in brackets and italics below from me as it is very hard for me to not put in my 2 cents worth. But regular readers likely already know that. - Grace Cordial 

February is Black History Month, and to honor this, I wanted to fill the display case with materials from our collection that represent that struggles and triumphs of African Americans in our country, and more specifically, in our own community. The Lowcountry, particularly Beaufort, is an extremely special place as it is known to be home to Gullah culture. There were multiple aspects of African American history in the United States that I wanted to highlight in my case, so the layout of the case is as follows:

• ®     Black History in Beaufort
• ®     Gullah/Geechee culture and Shouting
• ®     Basketmaking
• ®     African American Women of Beaufort

The Beaufort District Collection contains a plethora of materials relating to African American History in this area. So, naturally, I found it quite difficult to compile all of my findings into one rather small display cabinet. Foremost, I wanted to be able to give a general overview on one shelf, then be able to go into depth about some of my favorite subjects within the remaining shelves. You can’t talk about Beaufort District history without acknowledging Gullah culture, so the next and largest shelf is dedicated to Gullah/Geechee history and traditions. Woven into African American culture is the art of sweet grass basket weaving (see what I did there?), which is featured on shelf three. On the fourth and final shelf we have materials that showcase the impact African American women have had on Beaufort District throughout history.

The month of February is dedicated to honoring African American history in the United States. Pinned to the back of the first shelf, you will see a piece that examines the origin of Black History Month. During the summer of 1915, historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse Moorland founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. With the creation of their association, Woodson and Moorland were able to establish “Negro History Week” in 1926. They purposefully chose to celebrate during the second week of February because the week coincided with both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays. In 1976, President Gerald Ford designated that Black History Week be turned into Black History Month. Unfortunately, Woodson and Moorland both passed away before they could see the full effect of their efforts. However, to this day, Carter G. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History (National, 2024).

To the left of the shelf is a beautiful purple book titled African Voices in the African American Heritage by Betty M. Kuyk (2003). Many scholars believed that African influences in American life were all but lost in the later part of the twentieth century, however, Kuyk proves that African values are indeed embedded in the core of American culture. Despite suffering through segregation, reconstruction, and endless calamities throughout their lives, African slaves brought unwillingly to North America persevered by holding tight to their familial and religious values. This act of steadfastness directly resulted in the survival of African culture in American life. African Voices in the African American Heritage consists of numerous art pieces from renowned artist William (Bill) Traylor. Traylor was born into slavery in 1854. He lived to be 94 years old but only began to explore his artistic talent within the last ten years of his life. He experimented mostly with colored pencils and paints. He is now considered to be an “accidental modernist” due to his abstract depictions of difficult topics such as racism and terrorism in such simplistic designs (Smithsonian, n.d.). Kuyk successfully fortifies her original argument by including and honoring Traylor and his artwork within her narrative.

On the opposite side, we have Defining Moments: African American Commemoration & Political Culture in the South, 1863-1913 by Kathleen Ann Clark (2005). As one can infer from the title, this piece is centered around key moments in African American history. At the time of the book's publication, historians inclined towards viewing events such as the Civil War and Reconstruction though too broad of a lens. They neglected to truly analyze how these detrimental circumstances directly affected minority groups and how these people struggled to recuperate from the fallout. In the previous piece I shared, Kuyk emphasized how African American values held strong throughout history, however, that does not mean that the effort came easy. Countering Kuyk’s narrative, Clark places emphasis on the countless complications African Americans struggled with in order to maintain their identity through America’s turbulence. Clark interprets how commemorations and urban celebrations on days such as Emancipation Day and Fourth of July provided African Americans with ways of coping and ensuring their culture and values would prevail.

Pinned to the back of the case is an illustration from Defining Moments: African American Commemoration & Political Culture in the South, 1863-1913. I was extremely excited to open this book and see that the first illustration was from none other than our own Port Royal! The illustration is titled “Emancipation Day in Port Royal, South Carolina, 1 January 1863.” [The BDC has an original, too! It’s SC PRINT 160]. In the piece you can see Black Union soldiers holding the American flag and celebrating with a band and large group of people. This is the exact kind of event that Clark references in her book as a celebration of freedom and discovery of identity.

Moving on to the second shelf, we have materials related to Gullah/Geechee culture. The BDC contains an abundance of historical Gullah materials, which made narrowing down my choices for this shelf really difficult. A little known fact about the Library system is this: “Beaufort County Library has one of the South’s largest collections of materials on the Gullah language and sea island culture” that began during the Beaufort Township Library days. Approximately 15-20% of our holdings relate in some way to Gullah history and culture. Pinned to the back of the case you will see an overview of Gullah heritage. Its states “Gullah or Geechee describes a unique group of African Americans descended from enslaved Africans who settled in the Sea Islands along the Atlantic coast between Wilmington, NC and Jacksonville, FL”. Gullah culture is full of so many different values and traditions, but there is one specific tradition that is often overlooked that I want to focus on in my display: Shouting.

The second shelf is dedicated to Shouting, which you can see is defined towards the back of the case. Shouting is “an improvisation of prayer, music, dance, and movement as a part of religious expression”. When northern missionaries visited the Sea Islands during the Civil War and Reconstruction, they were intrigued by shouting’s significance in Gullah culture.

If you have read any of my previous display posts, you know that I love to include different media formats to show how diverse our collection can be. In the front and center of the second shelf we have a CD titled Hunnuh Hafa Shout Sumtime!!! by Marquetta L. Goodwine (1998). [She made this recording before she became Queen Quet.] This is a collection of Gullah shout songs that are dedicated to “the Gullah/Geechee ancestral spirits that still walk the Sea Islands of the Gullah/Geechee Nation”. The material is quite moving. 

To the left of Hunnuh Hafa Shout Sometime!!!, we have Something to Shout About: Reflections on the Gullah Spiritual by Sally Plair (1972). This piece is part informational and part biographical. It provides definitions and origins of shouting as well as presentations of how to sing them yourself. I thought this would be a wonderful piece to add to this display with its step-by-step instruction of how shouts are performed.

To the right of Hunnuh Hafa Shout Sometime!!!, we have a picture book for children entitled Carolina Shout! by Alan Schroeder (1995). Carolina Shout! Is a first-hand account of a young girl who is exploring the streets of her home: Charleston, South Carolina. As she is walking, she can hear all of these vendors who are, to her knowledge, crying out. However, these songs of cries are actually shouts. Delia describes in awe what she is hearing all across the town. She can hear all types of rhythms across Charleston, but the most compelling of all is the shouts of the street vendors.

Shelf Three concentrates on Basketmaking. On the back of the display, you can see a newspaper clipping from the February 18, 1992 issue of the Beaufort Gazette. The article is titled “Basketmaking is Still Art on Coast” and it was written by Ellen Chamberlain, a University of South Carolina Beaufort librarian. Chamberlain provides an amazing historical overview of basketmaking. She states that the tradition has been passed from mother to daughter for many generations, specifically since enslaved people traveled to North America from West Africa. Men were known to craft agricultural baskets called “fanners”, whereas women were known to craft smaller baskets from sweetgrass that are meant for use inside of homes. [Contemporary sweetgrass basketmakers tend to be gender neutral. Men as well as women weave sweetgrass baskets of various sizes for various uses.]

In the center of the shelf, you can see a write up on Aleathia Manigault, an extremely talented sweetgrass basket maker. She learned the craft from her mother as well as her grandmother and has even passed her knowledge on to her own children and grandchildren (Isn’t that incredible?!). One of her larger basket crafts won a Mayor of Charleston’s Purchase Award of $2,000 in 1991. She also won a Merit Award for some hats that she had crafted in 1993. I found this article in the BDC’s SWEET GRASS BASKETS vertical file. - and some clipped pictures of a variety of hand-woven sweet grass baskets. I am very grateful to be able to provide actual visuals of these baskets to include in my display. I only wish I had a real basket to share!

To the left, we have A Sweet, Sweet Basket by Margie Willis Clary (1995). Written for children, this is a sweet fictional story about a young girl name Keisha. Keisha is learning how to weave sweet grass baskets from her grandmother. This book is a meaningful tribute to basket weavers in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina who have carried on the tradition of basketweaving from their African ancestors.

To the right, you can see Circle Unbroken: The Story of a Basket and It’s People by Margot Theis Raven (2008), another BDC title written for children. This is a touching story about a grandmother who is teaching her granddaughter how to sew sweetgrass baskets while also narrating a story from generations ago. As she is weaving, she tells the story of a young boy in Africa who was known to weave baskets so tight that they could hold rain. This young boy was taken on a slave ship and sent to America, and despite this, he passes this tradition down to his children, who then pass it on to their own, like it was being done in the current day.

The bottom shelf is dedicated to African American women in Beaufort District. Pinned to the back of the display, you will see an article about Charlotte Forten that I found inside of our vertical file titled: GRIMKE, CHARLOTTE FORTEN (1837-1914). Forten, who was originally raised in Philadelphia, was sent to live in Salem, Massachusetts. She attended school and studied education. She went on to teach in the Salem School District while also continuing her own education. She was soon asked to travel to Port Royal to help educated newly freed slaves during the Civil War. During her time in Beaufort, she witnessed bloody battles that she wrote about in her own journals. She spent the remainder of her life teaching and writing essays and poems.

Shrill Hurrahs: Women, Gender, and Racial Violence in South Carolina, 1865-1900 by Kate Côté Gillin (2013) provides a new and extremely important view of how gender roles and racial violence were weaponized against African American women following the Civil War. While there was an obvious social and political divide between men and women at the time, there was and even more sinister divide between black women and white women. Instead of building bonds to work together to achieve freedom and equality for all women, white women villainized black women and opposed their right to female autonomy while only advocating for their own. There was a harsh disconnect between women. There were the white women who were fighting against black women, and there were also white women who would advocate for black women, but only when it benefited them. This is a book that emphasizes the struggles that African American women have fought through and how their bravery inspired future generations to continue the political and social actions to change circumstances for the better.

Beside Shrill Hurrahs, we have Ah Tulk To De Dead All De Time: Religion Among Gullah/Geechee Women of the Carolina Lowcountry by LeRhonda S. Manigault-Bryant (2008). This is a compendium of Gullah women’s history. This book centers around the core of what it means to be a Gullah/Geechee woman in the Lowcountry. Manigault-Bryant explains that the ethnography of Gullah culture includes religion, patois, spiritualism, and most importantly: ensuring their African identity lives on through these traditions.

Finally, we have my favorite piece of the entire display: Daughters of the Dust: The Making of an African American Woman’s Film by Julie Dash (1992).  Julie Dash is an American filmmaker who attended UCLA film school. In her time at UCLA, she participated in something known as the L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement in which UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television students fought for affirmative action policies to be put in place in order to increase the enrollment of students of color in UCLA's film program. Dash went on to be a renowned filmmaker. She wrote and directed Daughters of the Dust, which was America’s first nationally distributed African American feature film. This book takes the reader through the making of the movie and even includes a copy of the screenplay for the film. [There are circulating DVD copies of the film in some of the BCL’s Local History sections in case you still have a DVD reading device.] 

Before I end, I’d like to share one final item. It’s really interesting and on display – just not in the exhibit case. When you enter the BDC you will see two bookshelves to your immediate right. This is where we display materials that are new to our collection. Recently, we got a noteworthy book: Gullah/Geechee Blessing pun de Sea by Marquetta L. Goodwine. It is the first book in the BDC to have A.I. generated illustrations and represents the ever-evolving state and use of technology.

If you are interested in any of the materials I have shared today, or wish to explore our collection for yourself, appointments are always a good idea. Send an email to bdc@bcgov.net or give us a call at 843-255-6468. I hope to hear from you soon!

What to Expect in February 2025

The shortest month of the year is often one of the BDC's busiest. It definitely is in 2025. 

In case you didn't complete your Winter Reading during the recent wintry weather, there's still time. We're half way through the Winter Reading Program and we have plenty of reading suggestions to share. Go for "Short" books with titles on the flyer:  

But if you want to explore local history topics in more depth, we suggest that you take a look at the BDCBCL: Links, Lists and Finding Aids blog. Here are just a few of the topics with some book recommendations: 

• Spanish Legacy in Beaufort District
• Battle of Port Royal Ferry, 1862
• Bootlegging
• Crime, Murder, and Mayhem ... and much more

It's Black History Month. All the "Uniquely BDC" will feature items about Gullah history on Facebook in addition to our customary "Black History Note Wednesday" posts. You could choose some of the titles from the Gullah Culture flyer shown below to honor Black History Month and complete the 6 hours of reading benchmark for the Winter Reading Program.  (Just saying - or writing -- in this particular case.)

Or you can take a deeper drive into these Gullah related topics on the BDCBCL: Links, Lists and Finding Aids blog in honor of Black History Month - and still find more than 6 hours of reading's worth of choices to complete the Winter Reading Program:  

• Praise Houses in Gullah Religious and Social Practices
• Understanding Hags in Sea Island Culture
• Sweetgrass Baskets in the Lowcountry  ... and much more

February happens to be National Library Lovers Month, too. Libraries and librarians of all stripes have been under a lot of stress in the past few years so we particularly embrace (figuratively, not physically - since that could get us in even more hot water) all you Library Lovers out there.

We celebrate Valentine's Day with a change of Research Room decorations and a "Love in the Archives" Connections post - both by our newest staff member, Sydney. One thing that she's done since her arrival in November is to select an item from our holdings, create a surrogate, and then feature it near the Researcher Registration book. It's a nice touch. I've decided that she should continue the practice going forward. 

Even though the Library will be closed on February 17, 2025 for Presidents' Day, I've written some posts about US Presidents who have visited Beaufort District and Beaufort County in the past that you could read as part of your observance of the holiday.

BDC staff will be meeting, greeting, and sharing information about the autobiographical and memoirs present in the BDC in the USC Performing Arts Center lobby at the February 10th Friends of the Beaufort Library Books Sandwiched In session. The featured book Black Boy by Richard Wright will be presented by Jeffery Blount.  

Programs-wise: The BDC has 4 local history programs scheduled this month. We're covering topics from the American Revolution to current digital offerings by the BCL in February. I have a particularly fond spot in my heart (See how I sneaked a seasonal Valentine's Day reference in?) for the BDC's own Cassandra Knoppel who will share some of the treasures and challenges she's had processing archival collections over the past 6 months on Wednesday February 19th. For those who came to her presentation in July, Cassi is talking about different collections this time - so please feel free to join us again.

We're also working on re-scheduling the 3 programs that got cancelled in January. As soon as those details get finalized, we will announce the new dates.

"Love in the Archives" by Sydney Whiteside

It’s almost February and love is in the air! The Beaufort District Collection is home to over 12,000+ local history materials, but did you know that we also have some love stories scattered about? To celebrate the month of February I have gathered a few materials full of love in order to spread the Valentine’s Day spirit!

♡ SC FIC SAY 1994 The Distance Between Us by Valerie Sayers. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Local author Valerie Sayers has written multiple novels centered around the town of Due East, which is loosely inspired by Beaufort itself. The distance between us is about two lovers, Franny and Steward, who could not be more different, yet they are forever entangled. Their common ground being the love they have for their hometown of Due East, South Carolina. The BDC has a copy of her first novel in the series, Due East as well. 

♡ SC FIC FRO 2003 From the Heart: Stories of Love and Friendship by Kendell Bell. Beaufort, S.C.: Coastal Villages Press, 2003.

In the aftermath of September 11^th, Journalist Kendall Bell began his project to collect stories from people all over the country in hopes to lift others' spirits. After receiving copious amounts of stories that will make the reader both laugh and cry, Bell compiled his favorite stories into one book, From the Heart. “Amazing Love Story” was written by Marlyn C. Phelps of Canton, Ohio. She sent in a heartwarming story of love at first sight and 32 beautiful years spent with her husband, Jim.

♡ SC B QUEEN QUET 2013 Love's Sea Island Song: A Gullah/Geechee Soul Journey by Marquetta L. Goodwine.

Love's Sea Island Song: A Gullah/Geechee Soul Journey was written by Queen Quet, the Chieftess and Head-of-State for the Gullah/Geechee Nation. She states that her novella is “dedicated to love. It is dedicated to my love”. Queen Quet takes the reader on a spiritual journey full of life and love in the Lowcountry. This was her first step into the world of audio books- we even have our own copy of the audio recording here in the BDC! If you would like to give it a listen for yourself, see below for how to make an appointment.

♡ SC 810.80757 HAM 2015 Lowcountry Lady by Gloria Hiers Hamilton. Beaufort, S.C.: Murr Printing Beaufort Publishing, 2015.

The Lowcountry Lady, Gloria Hamilton, created this combination of short stories, poems, and photographs to honor one of her greatest loves: The South. She even includes a Valentine’s Day poem that she lovingly dedicated to her husband. 

♡ SC 810.98975 HEY 2012 Stories and Poems of a Gullah Native, Book II by Elijah Heyward, Jr. Irmo, South Carolina: MavLit Publishing, 2018.

In his second book of Gullah stories and poems, Peppi Cool Breeze (Heyward) writes of his life in Beaufort during the mid to late 1900’s. It is a tribute to young black children who persevered through a time of discovery and hope for a greater world. Heyward included a sweet poem that he wrote titled “A Valentine Thought.” 

♡ SC SC FIC MCC 2015 Sway of the Siren: A Novel by L.K. McCall. Bluffton, S.C. : May River Press, 2015.

The summary of this book in the SCLENDS catalog says: Sway of the Siren involves a murder on a nearby island and an investigation that evolves into a love story, seamlessly weaving "history throughout a compelling narrative written in poetic prose, taking the reader on a journey of oppression, seduction, destruction and finally redemption." 

Other BDC titles in which you might go looking for love in include: 

♡ SC 811 DOW 1970 A Patchwork of Poems About South Carolina by Edith Bannister Dowling. Beaufort, SC: Peacock Press, Ltd., 1970.

This is an ensemble of poems that were written about numerous different parts of South Carolina, with many focusing on Beaufort itself. Dowling dedicates her book to the state of South Carolina in commemoration of its tricentennial. She included multiple love poems, but I wanted to shout out “Valentine” in particular. It is a humorous, yet elegant poem about boundless love. I liked it so much Dowling's poem is the featured BDC material by our Researcher Registration book. 

♡ SC 810.8 HIL 2021 Hilton Head Island Ripples: An Island Writers' Network Anthology. Hilton Head Island, SC: Island Writers' Network, 2021.

This is a collection of short stories from various authors across Hilton Head Island and includes "The Accidental Valentine" by Sangsing McPherson on pages ? . The story is about nine pages long and follows a woman named Sally whose biggest concern at the time is her assignment for work, not Valentine's Day. She runs into traffic on her way into work and gets into a car accident. The man who hit her was incredibly rude. However, a young man who she refers to as "Cute Blue Eyes" happens to pass by and offer to assist her. He later becomes her (you guessed it) accidental valentine.

If you are interested in any of the materials I have shared today, you can explore the local history section at your favorite Beaufort County Library branch and/or make an appointment to come visit us in the BDC. Send an email to bdc@bcgov.net or call 843-255-6468 to set up a BDC appointment date and time.

Reminder: The library will be closed Monday, February17th in observance of Presidents’ Day.