Thursday, October 15, 2020

Riding While Black Memories

I read both Driving While Black by Gretchen Sorin and Overground Railroad: the Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy A. Taylor. Later I saw the 2-hour documentary based on Ms. Sorin's book.







Both had me remembering that our family was one of many that did not have a car in the 1950s and 1960s. Two of our neighbors across across the street on Walnut had cars and they each made the annual trip South to visit family. Both families were also very active in their respective churches which they drove to --  and I'm sure the family cars were used for the necessity of grocery shopping.

My family never made that Southern pilgrimage. My mother's mother, Lucy Washington Brown, never took her children South, probably because she was basically a single mother trying to made ends meet. Growing up I do remember her taking annual trips to Mississippi, Chicago, and Ashtabula Ohio to see her siblings and other family; however, this was long after her four children were adults with lives of their own. Her mode of transportation was either bus or train.

It wasn't until I saw the Freedom Rides Museum / Historic Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station in 2019 that I realized how difficult Granny's travel to Mississippi must have been -- the mental strain to switch from Northern to Southern thinking and actions. To stand in this museum that still had the vestiges of a segregated bus station was overwhelming.


From the personal collection of S.W. Bush



The Colored Entrance (now boarded up) where a passenger would go inside to purchase a ticket and then have to go outside to wait the bus. 



Neither of my parents drove or had a driver's license. My experiences of riding while Black include the jitney rides my mother took from the grocery store. We usually walked to the grocery store.  Jitney drivers (most often men) acted as taxicabs in their private cars and they were unlicensed. The drivers waited outside grocery stores to see if someone needed a ride home and they would charge a small fee.

My favorite car experiences were the occasional Sunday rides with my grandparents, Richard and Anna Davenport. What a treat viewing the world from the back of Popoo's station wagon! Also there were the rides to their summer place, Golden Hor-Shoe Motor Court in Idlewild Michigan. During those long rides from Buffalo, New York the car was packed with food, beverages, blankets, and pillows --  and laughter.



Copyright © 2020 by Sandra Williams Bush, Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, October 2, 2020

Genealogy Books -- Select Titles

I am a book person and my shelves overflow with books on various subjects. I am also a Librarian (retired) so I tend to group my collections by subject. Listing all my genealogy book would be a bit much. Listed below are some of my favorite titles.

General Titles

The Family Tree Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Uncovering Your Ancestry and Researching Genealogy by Kenyatta D. Berry




The Best of Reclaiming Kin: Helpful Tips On Researching Your Roots by Robyn N. Smith





The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy by Val D. Greenwood



How to Do Everything: Genealogy by George Morgan




Genealogy Standards compiled by Board for Certification of Genealogists




Research Like a Pro: A Genealogists Guide by Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer



African American Genealogy

A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage




Black Genealogy by Charles L. Blockson




Black Roots: A Beginner's Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree by Tony Burroughs




African American Genealogical Sourcebook edited by Paula K. Byers



Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity by Dee Parmer Woodtor



Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery by Heather Andrea Williams




Organization

Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher by Drew Smith




The Organized Family Historian: How to File, Manage, and Protect Your Genealogical Research and Heirlooms by Ann Carter Fleming




How to Use Evernote for Genealogy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Organize Your Research and Boost Your Genealogy Productivity by Kerry Scott











Copyright © 2020 by Sandra Williams Bush, Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots. All Rights Reserved.