Documenting Diversity in Florida’s Historical Record

Black Broward Speaks Acquiring, Preserving and Accessing the Historical Record of

Blacks in Broward County

African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Broward County Library, 2014

About AARLCC

PresenterPresentation Notesabout the library purpose mission what we offer

Special Collections & Archives

Special Collections and Archives

Special Collections and Archives

Save Our African American Treasures Smithsonian Institution

Created a program for the Smithsonian’s Save Our African American Treasures in January 2014 which highlighted local African American experience through our collections

African American Research Library and Cultural Center

Broward County Historical Commission

Fort Lauderdale Historical Society

• Limited archival resources • The majority of the resources we had in common were photographs • Conclusion… locating, collecting, and documentating the Black experience in

Broward is an on-going challenge

PresenterPresentation NotesWe still had a lot of work to do in documenting and collecting the black experience in BC.. Briefly touched on the subject it was never more so true than when we had producing the NW 5th exhibit. There was limited archival resources

Celebrating our 10th Anniversary To celebrate the 10th anniversary of our facility we wanted to create an exhibit in the gallery

highlighting the history of Blacks in Fort Lauderdale as part of the city’s centennial celebration

Exhibit would be in the gallery and would recreate the local black neighborhood where businesses and entertainment venues were located.

PresenterPresentation NotesOut of that experience this presentation was born b/c I want to highlight the the experience of locating resources on Blacks in BC. Similar to the Detroit Historical Society

Challenge 1: Background history My Soul is a Witness: A History of Black Fort Lauderdale by Deborah Work

(2001) Across the Tracks V.1 by Dr. Gwendolyn Hankerson with the Council of

Elders (2003) Black Pioneers in Broward County: A Legacy Revealed. Edited by The Links,

Inc (1976)

PresenterPresentation NotesOnly resources on black history , across the tracks unfinished… not enough information

Existing archival collections

Rev. Clinton R. Mack Photo Collections

Margaret and Cato Roach Papers

Ethell Mizell Pappy Papers

Vertical File subjects (Sistrunk, Provident Hospital, Mizell)

Trailblazers of Broward County Inc. Oral Histories (still on-going)

PresenterPresentation NotesWe thought those would be enough but we still did not have raw materials out there… theses were NOT large collections mostly papers, not related to Fort Lauderdale black life as a whole ..

Challenge 2: Expanding our search for resources

Going to other organization for scattered information: • Fort Lauderdale Historical Society • Broward County Historical Commission • Old Dillard Museum (site of the original colored school building) • Broward County Property Appraiser • The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South

Florida, Inc. • State Library of Florida

PresenterPresentation NotesOld Dillard information: Broward County School Board

Fort Lauderdale City Directory 1948-49

PresenterPresentation NotesCity directory 1948-1949 NW 5th AVE … no longer Sistrunk but NW 5th Ave as the hub of Black life in Fort Lauderdale. Digitized…good thing!!

Bring us your memorabilia

Looking for artifacts

Challenge 3: Bringing Together the Historians

Inviting the Elders: FUN, FOOD and FELLOWSHIP

PresenterPresentation NotesFood fun and fellowship and record the whole thing!!! They might not remember later at the oral history session. Trailblazers and the Council of Elders

Making a connection

• Understanding the need to preserve and collect resources on local history

• Meeting on neutral ground: The Library • Institution had to “create” the collection to be used for the exhibit • We started getting customers first from the original trailblazer • The community as a whole started bringing in their memories • Became an opportunity to collect any memorabilia about blacks in

Broward County

PresenterPresentation NotesBecame overwhelming … bringing stuff not about the NW 5th but ok because it was still BC history regardless of time frame. Charles Shorter, Sweetings photographs.

Fabulous 40s on the Ave

Fabulous 40s on the Ave

PresenterPresentation NotesImages of the exhibit

Fabulous 40s on the Ave

Challenge 4: Storing, processing and promoting

• Down the line an online exhibit of the materials we received • Create collection level records • Digital copies maintained for researchers • Making sure a pathfinder is in place • Maintaining proper documentation for digital donations

PresenterPresentation NotesGoals for collecting are not the same for everyone in the in the organization. For us in SPC it was an opportunity to collect as much as we could on Black Broward history period. Customers are asking about : Black hair salon owners and beauty salons …

Mangos, Guavas & Mullet by Tony Thompson

PresenterPresentation NotesPlay created out of the collections and scans we received about life in the Fort Lauderdale

Questions & Answers

Myrka Don Fred

Special Collections Librarian

mdonfred@broward.org

mailto:mdonfred@broward.org

Documenting Diversity in Florida’s Historical RecordAbout AARLCCSpecial Collections & ArchivesSpecial Collections and ArchivesSpecial Collections and ArchivesSave Our African American Treasures Smithsonian InstitutionCelebrating our 10th AnniversaryChallenge 1: Background historyExisting archival collections Challenge 2: Expanding our search for resources Fort Lauderdale City Directory 1948-49Bring us your memorabilia Looking for artifactsChallenge 3: Bringing Together the HistoriansMaking a connection Fabulous 40s on the AveFabulous 40s on the AveFabulous 40s on the AveChallenge 4: Storing, processing and promotingMangos, Guavas & Mullet by � Tony ThompsonQuestions & Answers