Elizabeth Catlett was an artist and educator from Washington, D.C., who repatriated to Mexico. "Black is Beautiful: Mother and Son" depicts a profile view of a Black woman and her child. Catlett captures the mother's grace and her son's curiosity as they look away from the viewer.
In this letter, Jo, Frankye Adams-Johnson (Malika)'s sister, is writing to update her with the extensive traveling she's been doing in her search for different employment opportunities. She also addresses her communication limitations.
A heartfelt letter to President Gore from his father, written after the holidays, reflects on personal experiences and expresses gratitude. He highlighted the influence of his son’s guidance on his ongoing leadership and dedication to FAMC.
William Artis was a sculptor from Washington, NC. "A Mother's Love" is a limestone sculpture of a mother holding her daughter in her lap. The mother looks down affectionately as she cradles the child's head.
Aerl Cobbs was born in 1900 and lived in Jackson, Mississippi, his whole life. Mr. Cobbs talks about his childhood and the games they played. He remembers some of the great educators in Jackson from his time in various schools in the city. The transcript is handwritten.
Alphonso Alexander Barron was born in Mt. Olive, Mississippi, in 1905. He talks about what he considers the "good old days," the years from his childhood through the early years of his marriage. He discusses family, his education, his church life, his marriage, his career as an educator, and his experiences living in Jackson, Mississippi.
Annette Barnes was born in 1905 in Mount Olive, Mississippi. Her family moved to Jackson in 1909 when her father opened Barnes Drug Store. She talks about her childhood in Jackson being fun but also with responsibilities. She recalls the “Good Old Days'' as the times she can look back on and times were not as hard as they were then thought to be.
Annie Smith was part of the group that started the first Head Start program in Edwards, Mississippi, in 1965. She talks about that process, including buying and renovating the building, hiring teachers, and recruiting students to get the program off the ground.
Maggie/Jean, a White revolutionary, writes to an unknown Black Liberation movement leader. The author is apologizing for the way White revolutionaries dealt with the struggle for Black liberation during the time they worked together. The writer says that the criticisms of their group exposed the national chauvinism and racism of their organization.
Barbara Mason discusses the beginnings of Head Start in Utica, Mississippi, in 1965 and sending her daughter to attend the Head Start Center at St. Mark's Catholic Church. She goes on to talk about working at a Head Start center in Jackson, Mississippi, as a driver for the kids in the program.
Beatrice Coats talks about her involvement in voter registration work with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. She talks extensively about her experiences helping to register people to vote in 1964, after being a registered voter herself since 1946. That work led her to helping open a Head Start Center in Hollandale, Mississippi.
Beatrice Martin was born in Rankin County, Mississippi, in 1904 and moved to Jackson two years later. For her, the "Good Old Days" were when she was younger and went to church and played games with her father. She discusses getting married in 1928 and purchasing some land and a home in a part of Jackson that had not yet been fully developed.
Bernice Jones (aka Safiya Bukhari) was a Black Panther Party member and vice president of the Republic of New Afrika. In this personal narrative, she tells her life story from the time of her birth in 1950 until her time in high school.
Bessie Warren took a job in 1972 at Lift Incorporated Community Action Agency in Tupelo, Mississippi, where she worked as a rotating teacher’s assistant. Later, she became Head Start Educational Coordinator and Career Development Officer, positions she had held for 12 years up to the time of the interview.
John Woodrow Wilson was a famous painter known for his creative portraits and stylistic approach to social justice. "Black Despair" shows a Black man in a state of anguish with his arms crossed over his head, facing downward, loooking into his lap, resting his body on a table or desk. His right fist sits above his head, and he is wearing a military uniform.
Mass depicts scenes of family life, including a gathering at the dinner table and church services. The laborer at the far right suggests the role of physical work in sustaining the Black family. As in other murals, architectural elements from Hannah Hall are incorporated in this mural.
Brown Scott was born in 1912 and came to Jackson in 1951. He recalls the "Good Old Days" as a comparison between the past and present: they were good in the sense that people enjoyed them at the time, but what is good now is quite different. He discusses racial issues he faced in Jackson and being in Europe in the Army for World War II.
A card from Ashanti Alston, a Black Liberation Army (BLA) member who was imprisoned for 11 years for a robbery to raise money for the BLA, to an unknown recipient. A collage of Malcolm X photos is on the cover. He updates the recipient on a pregnancy and marriage taking place and informs them of his schedule and admits to procrastination.
A card from Frankye Adams-Johnson (Malika) to her husband, Nuh Abdul Qaiyum, who was sentenced to prison in 1975 for a 1971 Black Liberation Army (BLA) connected shooting of police officers in New York. She relates her desire to become a complete person and expresses the need for mutual love and effort for her and her husband to last together.
A card from Frankye Adams-Johnson (Malika) to her husband, Nuh Abdul Qaiyum, who is imprisoned. The front of the card is a depiction of a bridge. She writes of the beauty of Black and imagines a day where there will be no fight, and they can be the beautiful people they truly are.
Carolyn Parker began working with the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) in 1966 after years of working clerical jobs for different human rights organizations. She talks about her work in the Civil Rights Movement and the role of community organization in the beginning of Head Start.
Carolyn Cannon Lindsey attended Smith Robertson School as an elementary student beginning in 1952. At the school she completed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades. She discusses the segregation of schools during that time. She also recalls some of her teachers and fondest memories of her time as a student there.
Charoennimuang’s print shows three women wearing babies on their backs and carrying baskets atop their heads. Two of the women’s faces are turned away from the viewer, while the closest gazes back fiercely. All three women’s hair is braided. This print highlights some of the varied and essential types of labor that women carry out.
Ceolia Herman was born in McGee, Mississippi, in 1904 and came to Jackson in 1919 to go to high school while living with her sister until getting married and moving to Chicago. She moved back and worked as a nurse and then in a cleaners. She recalls the "Good Old Days" as days when she was younger and didn't have to worry about anything.
Mr. Peterson was born in 1891 and was a lifelong resident of Clinton. He talks about his parents being born into slavery; the Clinton Riot; his Christian faith; and his education, specifically giving an overview of the curriculum of his school at the turn of the century.
John Woodrow Wilson was a sculptor, painter, and printmaker from Roxbury, MA. "Child With Father" shows a baby wrapped in cloth as large shadowy hands are folded around the baby, making a round, square-like shape.
Clarence Hall Jr. was a board member for the initial Head Start programs in Sharkey and Issaquena Counties (Mississippi) in 1965. He talks about joining the Army and being in England for 3 years during World War II. He says that the treatment he experienced with racism after coming home led to his work in the community and with Head Start.
This drawing by Dr. John T. Biggers depicts a family caught up in a wild storm that is swirling around them. Biggers' artwork frequently highlights family dynamics and the centrality of mothers. Biggers appears to have later repurposed this sketch and added additional floral details to create his 1992 print Metamorphosis III.
Etienne created her painting, “Dancing Still Life,” as part of a class assignment based on objects within her home. Etienne selected these figures, which her mother collected from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, white orchids in a blue pot, and a glass dish from her grandmother's home. A graduate from Texas Southern University, Etienne emphasizes femininity, movement, and flowers in her art.
A list of questions to establish the procedures for cataloging the Good Old Days Oral History Project into the Library of Congress. Details include description and scope of the project, the size of the collection, research restrictions, and proper citation.
