Omaha, Nebraska in 1966 with my family and me at the opening of the “pocket playground.” Mayor A.V. Sorensen (foreground) addresses the group that includes my Dad (with basketball) and me on the right side of him.
The next time you look at a public photo, take a second and third look. Look at little closer.
I did just that and discovered a few gems that otherwise would remain barely etched into my childhood memories. At the picture in this blog feed, you will notice a Black man with a basketball. That’s my Dad, Dr. Rodney S. Wead. I am right next to his right, left from our view. I also noticed my maternal grandmother, Helen Douthy (the sunglasses and bonnet-like hat) holding the hand of my cousin, Lori. Lori’s mother, Aunt Greta, is holding my other cousin, Debbie.
Franklin Elementary School playground time in 1969.
I was 11 years old when this photo was take at Franklin Elementary School. Always the tallest girl in each grade, it helps now that my height helps to identify me in a crowd such as this one.
My paternal grandfather, Sampson Wead, is pictured in what was a rare sighting. He was a member of the DePorres Club and they were protesting Reed Ice Cream not hiring Black workers. That took a lot to do in the 1950s for Black folk no matter the location.
Sampson Wead, foreground left, is identified by me in this 1953 photo.
A recent visit to East St. Louis, I’ll., yielded highs and lows.
Jazz musician ancestor Miles Davis grew up in the deep South…that is, southern Illinois. Nearby Davis’ boyhood home are stark images of ravaged homes such as this one I captured while riding in the back seat of a SUV.
What are you capturing? Anywhere you are, I’m sure famous folk have walked those same streets. Research. Record. Reward your genealogy work.
The Administrative Research Assistant will be a member of a team working on a National Endowment for the Humanities grant-funded project to identify Georgia records regarding the state’s response to desegregation. The end goal for this project is to present interactive in-house and virtual classes and tours for college and university professors, and students. Responsibilities of this position include finding documents to support the goals of the project.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Identify documents regarding segregation, desegregation, and the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia in Georgia Archives collections through research and select material appropriate for higher education classes and the general public.
Research online newspapers to find articles on Georgia’s response to desegregation.
Look through Georgia’s Supreme Court cases to find related cases on segregation and desegregation.
Perform background research on documents when needed for context.
Scan records using proper equipment.
Perform data entry to record the location and description of documents in collections and note which documents need conservation work.
Scan and enhance digital records for use in PowerPoint presentations.
Support logistic activities for classroom and public presentations and exhibits.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
Ability to use Microsoft Office programs.
Knowledge of the history of the state of Georgia.
Knowledge of historical methods.
Skill in scanning documents.
Skill in interpersonal communications with colleagues.
Skill in project planning, implementation, and management
QUALIFICATIONS
Educational Requirements Associates degree.
Required Experience More than one year of experience performing clerical or administrative work.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in history with coursework in 20th Century American history or African American history.
Familiarity with Civil Rights history.
Experience performing research at an archives.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The University System Office is an equal employment, equal access, and equal educational opportunity, and affirmative action institution. It is the policy of the University System Office to recruit, hire, train, promote and educate persons without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status as required by applicable state and federal laws (including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Sections 503, and 504, ADEA, ADA, E.O. 11246, and Rev. Proc. 75-50).
For questions or more detailed information regarding this policy please contact the University System Office Human Resources at 404.962.3242. Individuals requiring disability related accommodations for participation in any event or to obtain print materials in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources.
EMPLOYER INFORMATION
Founded in 1918, the Georgia Archives identifies, collects, provides access to, and preserves Georgia’s historic records. As the state archives of Georgia, one of the original thirteen colonies, the Georgia Archives holds a rich collection of colonial and state records covering nearly three centuries. Of the 85,000 cubic feet of records in the Georgia Archives, approximately 72,000 are official state records, 6,000 are local government records, and 7,000 are non-governmental (manuscript) collections. The Georgia Archives maintains a library collection of 23,000 books, pamphlets, and periodicals. The Georgia Archives, as a unit of the Board of Regents, is not part of a specific institution of higher education. The Board of Regents is a state agency.
LOCATION
The Georgia Archives is located at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, Georgia, and is adjacent to Clayton State University and the National Archives at Atlanta. Morrow is in Clayton County and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about 20 minutes away.
SALARY
This temporary position pays $14.81 per hour and will end no later than the end of year 2022.
BACKGROUND CHECK
A successful background check will be required for successful candidate prior to hiring.
Join this listing, especially if you know the names of your families’ enslavers. Even if you are like us and have not confirmed those names, join the ones who have located this part of their legacies.
The gathering for ancestral prayer and healing at Hillside International Truth Center, Atlanta, GA
On a warm Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, Hillside’s Presiding Bishop Dr. Jack L. Bomar, led the sacred, community “Ancestral Prayer” ceremony. It included drumming that girded the rhymical and ancestral honoring blessings with the pouring of libations by Hillside member Sharon A. Smith. Today, she said, “I am the High Priestess” while acknowledging the oldest person attending the ceremony to give her the permission to continue.
The ceremony was the culmination of a monthlong series of genealogy workshops led by the Good Genes Genealogy Services team. GGGS donated its services to its host, Hillside International Truth Center, which is undergoing a massive renovation on the church’s nearly 50-year-old facility.
The outdoor ceremony was highlighted by Bishop Bomar leading the attendees in a process that began with everyone listing their ancestors on a blue sheet of paper. Everyone was asked to call the names of the ancestors and affirm the following prayer:
Some 60 persons recited the prayer and continued their family ceremony to remove any negative Karma they felt towards ancestors, and they symbolically cancelled all ancestral debt with the purpose of their families moving forward in all levels of prosperity.
