May 2024 just so happened to begin on a Wednesday. I gave the monthly overview and posted a Black History Note. I usually begin these re-cap posts with the series that just so happens to occur on or closest to the first of each month. Accordingly for May 2024 I begin with the Black History Note posts; then in turn come the Uniquely BDC Materials Monday posts; two Finding Aid Friday posts; posts about upcoming local history programs; and a few "Just Because" posts.
Black History Notes: May 1, 2024 - "Black History Note:" I've always liked this image. Though we don't know who the two men are, the image was taken on Hall's Island in the 1880s and is part of the Library's "Phosphate, Farms and Family" digital collection hosted on the Lowcountry Digital Library website.
May 8, 2024 - "Black History Note in National Postcard Week:" I've always been rather fond of this postcard - with the entire student body arrayed on the porch, in front of and along one side of the building. If you visit the postcard online, you can enlarge the image to see if you recognize anyone. The photograph was probably taken in the 1910s since it's a Luther's Pharmacy image of the school when it was on Carteret Street. The school would relocate to Ribaut Road in the early 1920s.
May 15, 2024 - "Black History Note:" As most of you know, Beaufort County is full of sites connected to the National Park Service's Reconstruction Era network. I got an email notice just this Monday from the American Historical Association about a free Library of Congress webinar covering the Reconstruction period.
Wednesday, May 15, 4 p.m. ET
Visions and Realities of Black Freedom in the Nineteenth Century
Join the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress for an online event exploring how the United States grappled with the post-emancipation future for Black Americans. In the years preceding and during the American Civil War, antislavery reformers began to imagine what a world without slavery might look like—what shape a post-emancipation society might take. As such ideas clashed with realities in the wake of wartime emancipation, activists came to understand how the struggles for Black freedom and justice would be ongoing. This discussion will be chaired and moderated by Corey Brooks (York Coll. of Pennsylvania), and panelists include Frank Cirillo (Univ. of Michigan), Myisha Eatmon (Harvard Univ.), and Sarah Gronningsater (Univ. of Pennsylvania). How much of the panel discussion will touch on our own local history remains to be seen. But just in case you're interested: A recording will be available at loc.gov in the weeks following the event. [But it wasn't yet when I compiled this post - gmc]
May 22, 2024 - The Gullah Festival was established in 1987 to honor and recreate the atmosphere of a celebration called Decoration Day, now named, Memorial Day. Rosalie Pazant, her family, and Deloris Nevils helped found the event held over the Memorial Day weekend. The Festival provides a unique family friendly cultural experience for local, national and international attendees of over 35,000 during the 3 day event. The BDC has a vertical file of clippings and a small archival collection (Deloris Nevils Papers) about the festival. This year's festivities start on Friday:
May 29, 2024 - "Black History Note:" Going to the unveiling of the Harriet Tubman monument at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Saturday? She did, after all, help free more enslaved people here in Beaufort District than during all the other years she served as the "Moses of her people." Learn more about Tubman's role in the Combahee Raid through the BDC's WordPress blog.
PSST: If you prefer historical novels to history, then I recommend The Tubman Command by Elizabeth Cobbs (2019) available in print or on Hoopla with your BCL library card. If you want to know the state of latest research on the topic, then borrow Combee by Edda Fields-Black (2024).
Uniquely BDC: Materials Mondays:
May 6, 2027 - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday in National Postcard Week:" Even though postcards by their nature are meant to be reproduced and distributed in mass market numbers, sometimes there are only a few remaining copies of a particular postcard 25, 50, 100, or 125 years later. The BDC is lucky to have 4 discrete postcard collections - one of which is online through our partnership with the Lowcountry Digital Collection. Check out the digital Arnsberger Postcard Collection to see some of the rare - and not so rare - postcards. May 13, 2024 - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" in Asian American, Hawaiian Native and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month - Admittedly we are a little light in the BDC on this particular theme. But there is one event that touches on the intersection of the several themes. We have a few relevant clippings in the CHIN SANG FAMILY vertical file about a Jewish merchant and a Chinese grocer involved in a "Sensational Shooting on Bay Street" in August of 1903. According to the Beaufort Gazette, "There has been bad blood between these men for years, owing to some trifling misunderstanding." For the rest of the story, come and see the the contents of the vertical file.
May 20, 2024 - "Uniquely BDC: Materials Monday" in Jewish American Heritage Month - Leon Keyserling Leon Keyserling grew up on St. Helena Island and in the town of Beaufort graduating from Beaufort High School in 1924. He was both an attorney and an economist who helped craft New Deal legislation under Roosevelt. He served as an economic adviser to Presidents Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson. He spent much of his career exercising behind-the-scenes power advancing liberal causes.
May 27, 2024 - For many Memorial Day is the kick-off to summer fun but its origins lie in a much more solemn tradition. Just as the Civil War history of this place is different than elsewhere in the country, so too is its remembrance of fallen Civil War soldiers. Learn about the unique history of Memorial Day traditions in Beaufort District in a recently updated post to the BDC’s Connections blog. [All units of the Library system re-open Tuesday, May 28, 2024].
May 24, 2024 - It's Finding Aid Friday - and as it just so happens to be Gullah Festival weekend, I'd like to highlight the Nevils Papers. Delores Brazel Nevils relocated to South Carolina in 1977 where she became a contributor to the local newspaper, joined the Penn Club, and helped incorporate the Gullah Festival in 1987. Read about the small archival collection she donated to the BDC. Heads up: We're down a staff member (again). We strongly encourage that researchers make an appointment before just showing up at our door. I'd hate for you to go to all the trouble of finding a parking space and paying the City of Beaufort's meters to come to this facility only to find that no one is in the BDC to help you. Please contact us ahead of your proposed visit: bdc@bcgov.net; or 843-255-6468.
Programs Related Posts:
May 3, 2024 - Today's the day for the start of the SC Academy of Authors weekend. If you didn't get a ticket for the in-person lecture happening later today, perhaps you can watch it through the Pat Conroy Literary Center's Facebook page. Or perhaps you'd like to read more about Ann Head on Connections. [UPDATE: You can view Nancy Thode and Stacey Ahner's presentation on the Pat Conroy Literary Center's YouTube Channel.] May 10, 2024 - Next up is the final program of the 2023-2024 "Historically Speaking" season brought to you by the Beaufort County Historical Society and the BDC - and this time by the Hilton Head Chapter, Archaeological Society of South Carolina: James Spirek about "Shoals and Shipwrecks." We hope to see you at the Education Building on Thursday. Just a heads up: Dr. Rowland's lecture originally meant to happen on Tuesday, May 14th has been postponed until next season.
May 14, 2024 - Don't miss our next local history program: "Shoals and Shipwrecks" with underwater Archaeologist James Spirek.
May 17, 2024 - Even if you missed "Shoals and Shipwrecks" the BDC has got plenty of information to share - as Jalen's last display shows.
Note: I got a little behind in posting photographs of our local history programs: "Remembering Ann Head" with Nancy Thode and Stacey Ahner held on May 3rd and
"Shoals and Shipwreks" with James Spirek held on May 16th.
Just Because Posts:
May 1, 2024 - We did our "One Thing" in honor of MayDay 2024. I confirmed that Jalen and Cassi know where the emergency equipment closest to the BDC Research Room is. The 2nd floor has two fire extinguishers in relative proximity to our area; There's a Jacob's Kit close at hand. But the defibrillator is downstairs near the timeclock in Beaufort Branch.
May 7, 2024 - In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week: The Mills Atlas map of Beaufort District circa 1825 is a prominent feature on the walls of the Research Room. It is one of the BDC's true treasures. It was given in memory of James O. Cook around the year 2000. Mr. Cook was a beloved history teacher in the local public high schools. With money donated to the Library in his memory, former Director Julie Zachowski located, purchased and framed the map in archival quality housing for safe-keeping and preservation purposes.
May 18, 2024 - Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 by the Secretary of Defense, Louis Johnson. It replaced separate days that honored various branches of the military (Army, Air Force and Navy) and was intended to “expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life.” Set to be observed on the third Saturday in May, Armed Forces Day was celebrated with parades as shown in these images [Girl Scouts; Boy Scouts] taken of the local festivities in 1957 from the Library's Lucille Hasell Culp Collection.
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