Vinegar Hill Magazine | Fall 2023 by Vinegar Hill Magazine

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INSIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, FALL 2023

Katrina Spencer

REFLECTOR 03: PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF BLACK EDUCATION

20 28 34

Niya Bates

THE CHARLOTTESVILLE FREEDOM SCHOOL

Naila A. Smith, PhD.

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH

by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy

LOCAL CHILD CARE ENTREPRENEURS SHINE BRIGHT FOR KIDS

Gail Esterman

WHERE TO NOW... A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE

Bill Harris, Sr. and Bill Harris, Jr.

www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

Letter from the Editor, fall 2023

To our Enlightened Readers: all is on her way. After three years of highly abnormal and disruptive deviations from the norm, we return, wary and cautious of COVID-19, to some familiar and well trodden paths. With fall comes shopping for new backpacks and kicks one size up, yellowed leaves, and brisk walks to the schoolbus (in the absence of shortages, that is). We’re heading back to school, and in more ways than one. Education has long been central to Black Americans’ pathways to success. Our literacy was once outlawed to support enslavers whose economic successes were dependent on oppression and ignorance. Our ancestors risked their lives to access the privilege of education, and we have held it in great esteem before and since. In their memory, we embrace opportunities to expand our minds and encourage the youth to exercise their brain power.

Vinegar Hill Magazine Editor & Content Manager (Dec. 2022Aug. 2023) Katrina Spencer participates in a photoshoot arranged by Khalilah Jones of Chic & Classy Image Consulting and Jay Simple of The Bridge at Common House in Charlottesville. Photo Credit: Anica Marcelino

Here at Vinegar Hill Magazine, our fall issue gathers a variety of stories that center systems of learning, within the classroom and beyond, early and “late,” near and far. Whether you’re interested in the one-room schoolhouses of yesteryear, the contemporary child care crisis threatening some of the earliest educational environments, culturally relevant curricula of summer programs, or learning to reach back in your lineage to find those who populate your family tree, we’ve got something for you. As for me, after nine months and 40+ articles published under my supervision, delivering you the latest on Black Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and Central Virginia, I, too, will become a pupil anew. Listen to or read about my venture towards the University of Texas at Austin in “Departures & Arrivals: A Musical Memoir” at www. wocandlib.org/features/2023/7/departures-arrivals, or scan the QR code. You are likely to hear from me again! And if you’re interested in becoming a contributing writer, contact vinegarhillmag@gmail.com. Thank you for your consistent support!

Katrina Spencer Editor & Content Manager Katrina Spencer

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

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reReflector 03:

Preserving the History of Black Education by Niya Bates

Thirteen miles northeast of Charlottesville, an unassuming, one-story, white school building with two front doors on either side of a gabled vestibule sits across a paved parking lot from the historic St. John Baptist Church. Though the church has existed there since 1880, the present church building was built in 1919, and added onto over the years. The elementary school was built by members of the community in 1923 to replace an older, oneroom schoolhouse that had previously served the community in the years immediately after emancipation (1865). These two buildings are the heart of Cobham’s Black community, where generations of the Byrd, Chapman, Dickerson, Kinney, Mahanes, Payne, and a dozen other families came to be spiritually and intellectually fed. A recent article, “The 6

Reverend Speaks of Roots & Robes,” by Vinegar Hill Magazine’s editor, Katrina Spencer, speaks to the influential and important role that Black churches have played in African American history and culture. However, the focus of this installation of the (re)Reflector column is our historic Black primary schools and efforts to save the ones that still stand today. During the Reconstruction Era (1865- 1877), in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. Civil War (1861- 1865), the Freedmen’s Bureau, the government agency that was responsible for assisting and protecting newly freed Black Americans and active from 1865 until its unceremonious abandonment by Congress in 1872, established Virginia’s first statewide, free public education system. The Freedmen’s schools only served Black students.

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

Because education for enslaved people had been illegal in some places and highly discouraged elsewhere, children, their parents, and sometimes even grandparents crammed into what were often one-roomed, simple, wooden buildings to learn to read and write. In 1870, Virginia expanded free public education to include all residents. But, the ascendance of the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacist politics drastically slowed the expansion of schooling for Black communities, especially in rural areas. By the 1910s, there were wide gaps in schooling between white and Black students throughout the country. White enrollment in public schools had skyrocketed after federal Reconstruction started in 1865. Yet, school enrollment in the South continued to lag behind the rest of the

St. John Rosenwald School in Cobham, Virginia. Photo by Niya Bates.

country, and Black schools rarely received adequate public funding for school buildings, teachers, or books. Booker T. Washington, who was a graduate of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University) and founder of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University), partnered with Julius Rosenwald, a philanthropist and co-owner of Sears Roebuck, to establish a fund to support constructing school buildings throughout the South. From 1917- 1932, the Rosenwald Foundation supported the construction of over 5,300 schools, shop buildings, and teachers’ houses. In the later years of its operation, the Rosenwald Foundation also provided grants to Black scholars, writers, and

artists including photographer Gordon Parks, opera contralto Marian Anderson, writer Ralph Ellison, and poet laureate Rita Dove. The one-of-a-kind partnership between Tuskegee University and the Rosenwald Foundation resulted in modern, state-of-the-art school building plans that were designed by Black Tuskegee architects and distributed to communities throughout the country. Community participation was written into the rural school building fund, and in order to receive funding and school plans, public school boards were required to contribute their own funding in addition to any money contributed by local Black communities and the Rosenwald Foundation. The TuskegeeRosenwald program supported the construction of 382 schools and support buildings in 79 counties in Virginia. Most of them were open until Virginia’s school systems were forced to integrate after the 1950s’ era of Massive Resistance, which was an attempt by Virginia lawmakers to circumvent school integration that resulted in the closure of Charlottesville City Schools in 1958. The school plans were designed to be replicable so that as many communities as possible could have well built schools. Tuskegee architect Robert Robinson www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

St. John School alumni at the dedication ceremony for their historic highway marker in 2016. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Kinney.

Taylor created a distinctive and now iconic layout of banked windows to capture the most daylight while reducing glare on student desks inside the classrooms. Sliding, accordion-style partitions allowed for multiple activities or classes to exist within the same space without distraction. One, two, and three-room school plans featured doors and windows that were positioned to create cross-ventilation and air flow. Shop buildings provided workspace for normal and technical education, which was intended to prepare students for work in the skilled trades within their communities. Teachers’ housing provided accommodations for educators to move into, often in isolated, rural communities, to live near their students. When school integration shuttered TuskegeeRosenwald schools and other historically 8

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

Black schools throughout the country, local Black communities became the first to rally to save them. In Albemarle County, St. John School and Cismont Training Schools were converted to private homes. Yancey Elementary School and Jefferson School became community centers. Others, like the Rose Hill Elementary School in Milton, sat vacant under the watchful care of the churches next door while people dreamed of having the resources to restore and rehabilitate them for other uses. Even with their herculean efforts, many of these important historic schools fell into disrepair and neglect as children and their families moved away in search of better opportunities, marriage prospects, and exposure to new places. In the past decade, historic preservationists

Pine Grove School Alumni pose next to a history exhibit in the school after readying the classrooms for an event. Photo by Niya Bates.

– people who work in the professional field dedicated to saving historic buildings and landscapes and enthusiasts from all walks of life – have begun working earnestly to save historic Black schools. Preservation Virginia, Virginia’s statewide historic preservation education and advocacy group, listed all of Virginia’s surviving TuskegeeRosenwald schools among the state’s most endangered historic resources in 2013. Because the Tuskegee-Rosenwald schools were part of a well known building campaign with a distinctive architectural style, they have benefitted the most from new preservation initiatives. However, all historic Black schools are invaluable resources in the telling of Virginia’s history. While I can’t highlight all of the projects here, I want to share a few notable examples and encourage readers to get involved with this movement. St. John School I recently had the pleasure of talking with Kelvin Hawkins, Pastor of St. John Baptist Church, and Rebecca Kinney, an alumna of the St. John School, about their ongoing

effort to restore the school and convert it into a family life and fitness center. The church purchased the school in 2003. Since then, Pastor Hawkins and Rebecca Kinney have formed a non-profit organization to leverage grant funding from Preservation Piedmont and the Building Goodness Foundation. This year, the St. John School is celebrating its 100th year, and Pastor Hawkins is brimming with enthusiasm to commemorate the occasion. Hawkins, whose mother attended the St. John School before going to high school at Albemarle Training School, said he was initially anxious about preserving such an important and overlooked part of Cobham’s history. He says, “a conversation with Jim Hare of Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources reassured us. He told us to split the project into phases, which is exactly what made us so successful.” Ms. Kinney’s mother also attended St. John in the first years that it was open and Rebecca was part of the last class to attend once schools integrated. When asked what she hopes people take away from visiting St. John, she replied, “I hope that things like our memorial patio and the www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

restored classrooms will tell a story of how everyone was involved. It took a village to build it back then. Everyone was involved.” Additionally, she hopes for St. John School and the history of Booker T. Washington’s partnership with Julius Rosenwald to become part of our local K-12 curriculum. Speaking on the legacy of the school, Ms. Kinney remarked, “A school that was intended to keep us separate will unite us and sustain the community.” They will celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary later this fall once restoration work has been completed. Pine Grove School While communities like Cobham (home of the St. John School), Charlottesville (home of the Jefferson School), and Esmont (home of the Yancey School), have had the luxury of time to be strategic in their preservation journey, others have been forced into action because of immediate threats. Such is the case for the Pine Grove School in Cumberland County, where alumna Muriel Miller Branch, her daughter Sonja, and a dedicated team of family, friends, and allies have come together to fight back against a planned mega landfill. Pine Grove School was one

of five Tuskegee-Rosenwald Schools that was constructed in Cumberland County. The two-room school served grades one through seven with students seated by age and grade level. Mrs. Branch attributes her lifelong success as an educator and writer to the headstart that she received at Pine Grove when her teacher, Mrs. Gilliam, allowed her to join her older siblings at school a year before she was eligible to enroll. Branch formed the AMMD Pine Grove Project non-profit in 2018 to purchase the school and mount an environmental justice campaign against the Green Ridge Landfill. What originally started as a project to reclaim her family’s history in deeply rural Cumberland County, has evolved into a fight for the soul of historic preservation. Her daughter, Sonja Branch-Wilson, recently completed a fellowship with Preservation Virginia and is pioneering new ways to collect Black rural history through digitizing church programs and obituaries. They have already made an indelible impact by coining the “Tuskegee-Rosenwald” moniker that I have used throughout this story. In April, just after Booker T. Washington’s birthday, the AMMD Pine Grove Project erected a historic marker and celebrated the occasion with alumni and dozens of supporters. They have even

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

formed a Youth Council to serve as tour guides of the site. Next, they plan to undertake the slow and tedious work of creating a rural historic district. Each of the two schools above and their respective communities of alumni and descendants are working against the clock to preserve not only their school buildings, but the rural communities who built and depended on them. As Pastor Hawkins remarked in our conversation, the Tuskegee-Rosenwald Schools are an important part of United States history. Many living alumni of these schools are now in their 70s and 80s, and the time to collect their stories is now. Readers can get involved by recording oral histories of the elders in their communities; volunteering at the St. John School, Pine Grove School, Jefferson School, and others; and donating time and resources to the organizations that are preserving the history of Black schools. Last, schools like Pine Grove that are facing environmental justice battles, need community members to lobby elected officials for stronger environmental protections in vulnerable rural communities and for more robust investment in historic preservation.

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The Charlottesville Freedom School BY NAILA A. SMITH, PHD; FEATURED PHOTO PROVIDED BY BARBARA M. FITCH

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n the summer of 1964, a group of students coordinated the first Freedom School in the state of Mississippi and started a movement that continues to this day and takes place all over the country including in Charlottesville, Virginia. Freedom Schools were born out of the Civil Rights Movement. Members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) who started the first Freedom School had been a part of the March on Washington in 1963 and wanted to do something youth-led and enduring that provided the community with literacy and citizenship tools to bring about social change in their communities. The purpose of the freedom school was to provide young Mississippians with culturally and socially relevant curricula (i.e., lessons about Black history, equality, and freedom) that would empower them to become leaders in their communities. Today, Freedom Schools across the country, funded by the Children’s Defense Fund, continue to adhere to this mission and the Charlottesville Freedom School (CFS) is no different. CFS

is a 6-week summer literacy program for rising 3rd-8th graders in the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle county hosted at the St. Anne’s-Belfield School. The CFS is always free to the children who attend and this year approximately 50 students were enrolled out of a total of 170 applications received. At Freedom School, youth attendees are called “scholars” and CFS facilitators are current undergraduate students who are called “servant leader interns.” Each year Freedom Schools across the nation focus on an important social issue and each individual school develops its own theme. This year the national focus was gun violence and CFS’ theme was oral history and storytelling. The oral history project is the brainchild of Drs. Derrick Alridge and Johari Harris. Dr. Alridge is the Executive Director of CFS and Director for the Center for Race and Public Education in the South (CRPES) at the University of Virginia (UVA) where the Teachers in the Movement Oral History Project, an inspiration for this theme, resides.

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Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

Dr. Harris is a developmental psychologist, Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University, and director of the Educating for Democracy Initiative, another CRPES program. Dr. Harris was one of the original founders of the CFS when it began four years ago at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the CFS oral history project, CFS scholars interview individuals who have been directly or indirectly affected by gun violence in the community, such as their parents, grandparents, or other community members. Oral history is storytelling. It is a first person account or narrative of an individual or community about a past event or past events. This form of communication is very prevalent in communities of color because it was a way to pass on stories multi-generationally in communities where enslavement, oppression, and discrimination limited written documentation of lived experiences. These stories, which have not

always been valued by historians, are important sources that can provide a different perspective or an opposing account to what has been written about a person or event. Oral history, therefore, is often radical, as it counters the erasure of Black lives from the historical record. This project is also empowering for CFS scholars because, according to Dr. Alridge, it teaches them “not to be merely receivers of or bystanders to history but to be history makers and engaged in history themselves, not to just read about the history of the Freedom struggle but to go out and collect that history themselves.” The focus on telling Black history is not unique to the CFS; Freedom Schools across the country follow a well-developed curriculum that emphasizes five essential components that seek to ensure that children receive culturally relevant pedagogy to enhance their understanding of themselves and their social worlds. These components are: www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

High Quality Academic Enrichment to build on and in some cases challenge what scholars learn in schools; Parent and Family Development to foster parent engagement by including them in programming such as the cultural enrichment speaker series and interviewees in the oral history project; Civic Engagement and Social Action to engage in action to promote social change. For example, last year scholars wrote letters to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, urging him to support environmental measures to keep climate safe; Intergenerational Servant Leadership, provided by college students who receive four weeks of intensive training before beginning their charge. Servant leaders help facilitate scholar’s literacy skills and socioemotional learning, but also learn a lot about the community and themselves through the process; and Nutritional and Mental Health, met through the provision of meals (breakfast, snacks, lunch) and supportive relationships throughout Freedom School. The impact of Freedom Schools are many including improvement in reading skills, especially for those who were reading below grade level, and avoidance of summer learning loss. The curriculum plays a role in fostering these results but also Freedom School days are jampacked with many opportunities for scholars to immerse themselves in books about their community and people who look like them. After breakfast, scholars take part in “Harambe,” which means “comes together.” During this period, all scholars, servant leader interns, and staff meet together, sing songs, chant, and a guest reads a book to the children. According to Dr. Alridge, children of all ages love this. After Harambe, servant leaders engage scholars in the Freedom School curriculum until lunch time. After lunch they can play for a half hour, before the afternoon session when they work on their oral history project. 16

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

Sandwiched between “playtime” and “work time” is a 15-minute period when all scholars must select a book and read quietly. The Freedom School book list is carefully curated to provide a wide range of multiethnic and multicultural options such as books about African American, Latinx, and immigrant history, stories about people of color, and books about substantive contemporary social issues. The availability of these books is critical because many children, especially those from poorer backgrounds, may lack access to a wide selection of books and a quiet place to read. Given the important role reading plays in sharpening thinking and writing, this carved out time for communal reading is a powerful one, especially at a time in history where digital technologies can be a major source of distraction and when fewer children are reading for pleasure. Freedom Schools started 60 years ago, arising out of the Civil Rights Movement. But as Dr. Alridge shared, “movements don’t stop. They don’t end although we are in a different era.” He highlighted that the movement to protect our environment, teach a more culturally relevant history, and end gun violence are all highly salient present-day movements. Further, he shared that the movement to embrace each other regardless of our race, gender, or religion are core components of the movements we are in today. He sees today’s movement as much more expansive than in the 60’s as we are in a movement seeking equality among all people. To support the Charlottesville Freedom School (CFS), apply for your child to be a scholar at the next Freedom School by visiting the CFS website, https://tinyurl.com/39wp3ynw. Email uvafs@virginia.edu to become a future Harambe reader, volunteer, or a servant leader, or to donate.

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Strategies for Effective African

American

Genealogy Research by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, Descendant Project Researcher, University of Virginia

n avid genealogist for over 30 years, Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, also known as “familytreegirl,” was born and raised in Michigan, and is now living in Central Virginia. She conducts genealogy workshops at local, state, and national conferences. As the Descendant Project Researcher for the University of Virginia, her goal is to locate as many descendants as she can of the enslaved laborers who built the University of Virginia. This involves intense genealogical research on the owners of the enslaved people in Central Virginia and the enslaved laborers from the slavery era between 1800 until freedom. Tracing the genealogy of African American ancestors can present unique challenges due to the legacy of slavery and limited 20

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

access to historical records. However, with the right strategies and resources, it is possible to overcome these obstacles and uncover the rich heritage of African American families. Let’s explore effective strategies that can aid you in combating these challenges and successfully conducting African American genealogy research. African Americans are drawn to genealogy research as a means to reclaim their identity, heal historical trauma, preserve family legacies, connect with extended family, and contribute to a more accurate historical understanding. The rewards of this research extend beyond personal fulfillment, impacting both individual lives and the broader collective memory of African American heritage.

A picture of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, some identified by name and others by profession; photo credit: Emily Faith Morgan

1. Collaborate with others. One of the most valuable strategies in African American genealogy research is to collaborate with fellow researchers. Joining genealogy groups, online forums, local historical societies, and social media communities can provide a supportive network where knowledge and resources are shared. Engaging in conversations and exchanging ideas can lead to breakthroughs and new research avenues. For example, in the local area, there are three active genealogy groups: the Burke Brown Steppe African American Genealogy Group (BBS); the Central Virginia History Researchers (CVHR)), and the Central Virginia Genealogical Association (CVGA)) Each county, too, in Central Virginia, has a historical society, such as the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS). 2. Use Cluster Research. Cluster research involves viewing not only the direct ancestors but also the extended family members, neighbors, and community members. By analyzing the patterns

and connections within the clusters, researchers can uncover valuable information that may lead to the identification of ancestral relationships and provide essential context for understanding their lives. Always consider who else was in the neighborhood of a direct ancestor. 3. Explore DNA testing and genetic genealogy. DNA testing has revolutionized genealogy research, particularly for individuals with African ancestry. DNA tests can reveal connections to distant relatives and provide insights into ancestral origins. Participating in DNA projects and online communities dedicated to genetic genealogy can help researchers connect with others who share common genetic links. I suggest individuals begin with an autosomal DNA test from either Ancestry and/or 23andMe. Autosomal tests consider both your maternal and paternal side of your family. If you are looking to search just www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

A close up shot of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, some identified by name and others by profession; photo credit: Emily Faith Morgan

your father’s male line or just your mother’s female line, you would look to the Family Tree DNA company for Y-DNA and mtDNA.

shedding light on the lives of ancestors.

6. Be patient and persistent. Genealogy research requires patience and persistence, 4. Look beyond traditional records. While and this is especially true for African traditional records such as census records, American genealogy. Accept that progress vital records (such as birth, death, marriages/ may come in small discoveries and divorces, and adoption), and land deeds are breakthroughs rather than dramatic important, African American genealogy often revelations. Maintaining a determined requires going beyond these documents. mindset and not giving up in the face of Investigate oral histories passed down challenges is key to success. through generations, family heirlooms, and personal collections for hidden stories and 7. Explore the local area where your valuable information. Additionally, exploring ancestors lived. This is a vital aspect of local and regional histories can provide a African American genealogy research. broader context for understanding the lives Remember to value the resources available of ancestors. In addition, if you research at public and university libraries and the slavery era period, you will also have to historical societies. These institutions house research the slave holders. a treasure trove of invaluable materials that can greatly assist your research. Within 5. Utilize social history. Understanding the their collections, you may find local history social history surrounding ancestors’ lives books, newspapers, city directories, and is crucial for African American genealogy maps that provide insights into the social research. Delve into cultural traditions, and cultural context of the community employment patterns, migration routes, your ancestors were a part of. Historical and social networks that existed during the societies often possess archives with rare time period in question. This knowledge can documents, photographs, and personal offer valuable clues for locating records and papers that offer glimpses into the lives of 22

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

African Americans in the area. Additionally, engaging with genealogy groups like BBS and/or CVHR, whether online or in-person, can provide guidance, expertise, and access to specialized resources specifically tailored to African American genealogy research. By taking advantage of these local resources, you can uncover hidden gems and connect with individuals who share your enthusiasm for local history, enhancing your research journey and unearthing invaluable information about your ancestors. 8. Seek professional assistance. If the research becomes particularly challenging, consider seeking assistance from professional genealogists who specialize in African American research. They possess expertise, access to unique resources, and knowledge of specific research methodologies that can help overcome hurdles and advance the research journey. Attending workshops, conferences, and webinars can also enhance skills and provide valuable insights. A collection of webinars I would recommend is “BlackProgen” on Youtube. There are over 100 webinars covering all topics around African American genealogy. The Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) is the only genealogy institute that focuses on African ancestry in the United States. They offer a three-day genealogy institute in July each year. 9. Track timelines. Timelines offer several benefits that can greatly enhance the research process. By logging information in chronological order, timelines provide a visual representation of your ancestors’ lives and the events that shaped them. This organization helps to identify gaps in your knowledge and pinpoint areas that require further investigation. By including what you know and what you are missing on the timeline, you can identify missing records or information, prompting you to delve deeper into specific time periods or locations. This methodical approach can guide your research and highlight potential research avenues. Additionally, timelines can help identify patterns, migrations, and connections between family members or community events that may not be

immediately apparent. By visualizing the timeline, you may uncover previously unnoticed relationships or historical contexts that provide valuable insights into your African American ancestors’ lives. Embracing the use of timelines as part of your genealogy research toolkit can bring clarity, structure, and a proactive approach to overcoming common challenges. 10. Share information with others. Last, it is essential to recognize the immense value of people sharing their findings and stories about their African American ancestors. Genealogy research is not just about discovering names and dates; it is about connecting with the rich tapestry of human experiences and preserving the stories of those who came before us. By sharing your findings and engaging in conversations with others who are researching African American genealogy, you contribute to a collective knowledge base that benefits the entire community. Sharing findings can lead to collaboration, where different perspectives and insights come together to unravel complex family histories and break through research’s brick walls. Additionally, sharing stories and personal narratives of your ancestors helps to give them a voice and keep their memory alive. By sharing their triumphs, struggles, and contributions, you contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of African American history and heritage. Ultimately, the act of sharing fosters a sense of connection and solidarity among individuals with similar research interests, and it ensures that the legacy of African American ancestors continues to inspire and educate future generations. To get involved with local efforts surrounding African American genealogical research, contact the Descendants of Enslaved Communities (DEC) at https://www. descendantsuva.org/.

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Rita Cunningham of Rita’s Bright Beginnings, Photo Credit: Erin Flowers

y name is Gail Esterman and I have always been drawn to stories about how children are treated by our society and wondered why we choose to fail so many when we could do better. In my professional life, spanning New York City and Virginia, I’ve worked in mental health, adult and early childhood education, and non-profit program and policy development. I have had the privilege to get to know many individuals who quietly do the hard, unrecognized, and under-compensated labor of care and community building. 24

In that spirit, I wanted to share the story of two successful Charlottesville business owners who I met through a professional development program for early childhood care and education providers. As a white ally, I also feel compelled to share images that disrupt the deficit narrative put out by the mainstream media about the Black community. News headlines drum a steady beat these days about the child care crisis. Reporters highlight unaffordable tuition, the dearth of available spots, especially for infants, and the

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

low pay – less than what fast food servers make – that leads to a revolving door of high staff turnover and classroom closures. Young families from the working- and middle-classes are left to cobble together a care plan and are unprepared for the lack of affordable options to keep their little ones safe, healthy, cherished, and learning while they work or go to school. Even before the pandemic, child care offered a problematic business model. “We have a product that costs more to produce than most of the

Local Child Care

Entrepreneurs

Shine Bright for Kids by Gail Esterman

customers who need it can afford to pay. It's that simple,” says Linda Smith from the Early Childhood Development Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “You can't raise the wages of the staff without raising the fees to parents, and they're tapped out.” Smith wants Americans to recognize child care as an essential public good that has to be paid for by society at large. The reluctance to fund childcare is not just about fiscal conservatism. When I wrote to Representative Bob Good (RVA) in 2021, urging him to support early childhood initiatives, his response was, "It would ... give the government greater

control of our children, and provide the opportunity for them to be indoctrinated with left-leaning curriculum at even earlier ages." Clearly, there are issues of power and equity at play in what seems at face value to be a straightforward, bipartisan commonality – businesses need workers, workers need child care and everyone benefits from a strong system. Dig deeper and you’ll find that the burden of child care in the United States has historically been borne by women – mostly women of color. Unlike other developed countries where there is more recognition of the reality and needs of working families, women’s invisible labor subsidizes both families

and businesses. Two Black women I’ve met in Charlottesville, Princess Long and Rita Cunningham, are making unique, laudatory, and successful efforts to help turn the tide when it comes to a dearth of childcare. I’ll tell you a bit of their stories here. A Mother’s Touch Child Care I park my car on a wide, quiet street in Charlottesville, looking forward to talking with Princess Long, a local child care owner. I have no trouble finding her house -- the front yard is surrounded by a white wooden fence, the brightly colored materials and child-sized equipment on the lawn calling out an invitation to play. There

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is a toy kitchen, a “forest” made of foam pool noodles sticking up from the ground, a picnic table, and some climbers and slides. It doesn’t feel cluttered, but rather set up intentionally to appeal to small children. A sign lets me know I am at “A Mother’s Touch Child Care.” I am here to learn about how Princess created a successful home childcare business during a pandemic. We sit together on the front porch while the children nap inside, supervised by another caregiver. “What inspired you to develop this magical place?” I ask, gesturing toward the yard and house. Princess explains that before opening her program, she worked in the food industry but knew that it wasn’t a forever thing. “Since I was a little girl, I was always involved in caring for children and seniors. I have a loving spirit,” she says. She dreamed of working for herself doing something she loved but was afraid to venture into the unknown. “I wasn’t mentally prepared right away.” In 2021, she wasn’t scared any more. “I thought, will I sink or float? Thank God I’m floating.” I ask about the challenges of getting started. “The licensing process was very overwhelming. There was so much information to learn about the state regulations, food standards, and the childcare subsidy process. At times I felt like my pot was going to boil over.” Princess found community resources to “help us to be the best that we can be” like the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center, ReadyKids, Child Care Aware of Virginia, and the USDA Food Service. “People came out to the home and provided feedback and ideas you wouldn’t have thought of. For example, they brought our attention to asking children open-ended questions to get them thinking and talking more.” There were also grants to help purchase “anything that supports kids development.” She says, by now, most of the upkeep has become routine. At the same time, the regulations keep changing so there is always something new to incorporate.

Business owner and entrepreneur Princess Long of A Mother’s Touch Child Care, Photo Credit: Princess Long

“A Mother’s Touch” is licensed to enroll up to 12 www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

children, the most that a home-based program can serve. “While we’re not a big center, we serve a community need.” Some families prefer a smaller setting, and like the mixedage group and consistency. Princess has a long waitlist. “I hate to tell families ‘no.’ I hear the worry in their voices.” When she turns a family away, there aren’t many options – the supply simply doesn’t meet the demand. Additionally, a review of national 2019 data showed that only 16% of children eligible for a government subsidy were able to obtain one, limiting access even more for low-income families. The quality of the available slots varies. If a child care program isn’t full, there may be reasons why. One parent left A Mother’s Touch for a free preschool program, only to return a few weeks later because her daughter was not happy. 28

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

That brings me to the heart of the matter. Why do families choose “A Mother’s Touch Child Care,” and why do they stay? Here’s where Princess really lights up. “I think they see in my smile and my voice that I care for each and every child. There is such innocence in these early years, and it’s amazing to be part of their growth and development. We are dropping golden nuggets! I’m not just here for the paycheck. Here, we let kids be kids. We don’t impose limitations. We teach independence, community, and manners. Kids learn and grow through play.” Princess and her staff receive ongoing training on a new curriculum developed at the University of Virginia. She says proudly, “We were already doing so much of it. They have it organized into categories and explained the ‘why’ but we were on the right track.”

Princess notes that these days, many children don’t get to be outside enough. On her Facebook page, she shares photos of an outdoor obstacle course created for the children to use their large muscles. Another sequence shows a water-pouring activity that illustrates learning through sensory pleasure and excitement. Her page also displays a certificate from the Commonwealth of Virginia that designates A Mother’s Touch as a certified Small Micro, Woman-Owned, Minority-Owned business. The program is part of the local community. Neighbors come over to play guitar or invite the children to visit their resident roosters. Even trash pickup becomes an interactive opportunity – the children run out to greet the “big green truck” on their weekly rounds. One day, the sanitation workers surprise them with a furry hand puppet who wants to play! On National Garbage Truck Day, the children paint a mural to hang on the fence, and bring small bags filled with snacks for their working friends. Princess jumps up to show me the chant she leads, pantomiming the motion of the truck as it picks up and empties the containers: “The arms go up up up, and then they shake, shake shake,” her body swiveling and arms coming down. Her enthusiasm is infectious. As children get up from their naps, we bring our conversation to an end. Before I leave, I ask what’s next. Princess points to where she will be planting carrots, green beans, and tomatoes. She found someone willing to share some gardening expertise, and thinks the children will love it. I think she’s right. “What would you say to someone wanting to get started in child care?” I ask as I close the gate. Princess pauses. “A love for children, and patience. Oh, and endurance.” Rita’s Bright Beginnings The day I’m scheduled to visit with Rita Cunningham, the owner of Rita’s Bright Beginnings, I park near the old JCPenney’s in the Fashion Square mall – or what’s left of it. The store-

front is subtle, not screaming out that there is a childcare center. There are welcoming signs on the frosted windows and one inside designating them as a Breast-Feeding Friendly program. As I enter, Rita comes out to greet me and motions to a woman sitting behind the front desk reviewing a pile of files. I can tell right away that she is a licensing inspector from the Virginia Department of Education. Rita has only been open for 25 days in this location. While the unannounced inspection is routine, and not an indication that anything is wrong, I know Rita will want to be available to the inspector so we agree to reschedule for another time. I return two days later to find out the inspection went well. I am aware that this is a huge relief, but not an accident. Rita has worked hard to open her first center, and she is serious about her success. I saw the space before Rita had decided to rent it, back in August 2022. Cracked vinyl floors needed repairs, walls had to be moved, and only a few sets of cubbies were pushed up against the walls. That day, Rita walked me around, showing where she imagined each classroom might be and how the kitchen would be set up. The location would be convenient with easy parking for parents needing a quick drop-off en route to school or work. I can’t wait to catch up with Rita now that the center is finally open, where it can hold up to 40 children. Rita studied elementary education in college but realized her love was for younger children. She focused on classes about toddlers and preschoolers and decided that this was her life’s calling. After college, she worked in a few centers. When her own son turned three months old, she wanted to be at home with him. She also wanted to show other young children “what I see in them.” In 2014, Rita opened her first home daycare in Harrisonburg. When she moved to Charlottesville, she started “Rita’s Bright Beginnings” in her home. “A lot of busiwww.vinegarhillmagazine.com

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

nesses failed during the pandemic, but mine thrived. No matter what the crisis, people need child care.” Soon, Rita needed more space to serve more children and began to look for a larger facility. Once she found the site, the work began. “There were inspections from the fire marshall, building inspectors, health department approvals – so many steps to go through before I could even turn in the application. I had to find staff and to figure out how many I would need. I’m choosy about staff even though it’s hard to pay them what we should because we can’t make the rates higher for families.” She pauses for a few seconds. “Getting the building permit took much longer than it should have – they just didn’t see my vision and dreams and kept asking me why I wanted to be there. At times like those, I’ve wanted to give up, but I pushed through and took it day by day.” Word-of-mouth referrals have been plentiful with some paying in advance to reserve a spot. “Families see that their children will be safe and loved here. In my home program, I had a huge outside area which was great but now we don’t have the big yard. Families were comfortable with me, but it’s not just me anymore. I tried to think about how to make the center reflect ‘me.’ I thought, ‘what else we can offer? What will make us stand out?’ We provide breakfast, lunch, nap mats, food, formula, diapers, and wipes. We have an infant menu, a non-infant menu, and vegan options.” Rita continues, “Birthdays are a big deal here – the whole center celebrates the child. We are inclusive of all different types of holidays and celebrations. We integrate different traditions and don’t leave anyone out. We offer a “loose parts” approach that provides children with materials to create and build instead of only presenting toys that can be used one way. We don’t do TV time; the recommendation from doctors is to limit it and parents are paying for their children to learn when they are here.”

I ask Rita if she sees herself as an entrepreneur and the answer is an unequivocal yes. “What keeps me going is my own kids. I want my kids to see what their Mom did. Someday this will be theirs. Whether it’s a daycare or something else, I want them to know they can help someone else in life.” Rita adds, “It still amazes me when I go places and people recognize me as the lady with the daycare.” Rita is driven by a very personal mission. “Maybe some of the kids don’t have someone at home who has enough time for them because of everything they are dealing with. So we’re the ones loving them, we’re the ones teaching them. We spend time on them.” She becomes pensive. “I didn’t have a mother and father present when I was growing up. When they come here, kids are getting everything I wanted but didn’t have.” As I get ready to go, I ask Rita what keeps her up at night? She pauses. “Did I get it all done?” I look around and am struck by just how much she has gotten done and how bright the future is for Rita’s Bright Beginnings. --Princess and Rita represent a long, long tradition in the Black community of educators, innovators, and advocates for the next generation. They bring their unique gifts to their businesses and our community is fortunate to have them. In spite of the ongoing challenges like low wages, mounting demand, and ever evolving regulations, these women display a resilience that nurtures the community around them. If the system doesn’t change, it will continue to be hard for more small, culturally diverse business owners to get started, stay afloat, and offer families solid, high-quality choices. It is a complex issue and we need more voices at the table asking why this system isn’t working for families or providers, and how we can make it better.

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Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

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Where to Now... A Viable Alternative by William M. Harris, Sr. and William M. Harris, Jr. Educational attainment remains the centerpiece for social and economic progress in the United States. Nevertheless, the highest priority held by whites has always been to deny educational opportunities to Blacks. Thus it is clear that whites continue to hold fast to the idea of limiting educational opportunities to Blacks. The recent United State Supreme Court decision rejecting the use of affirmative action in determining admission to college supports that long held bias to limit college admission by Black applicants. This paper offers a viable alternative that will strengthen educational opportunities for Black citizens. That alternative focuses upon roles for Historical Black Colleges and Universities. The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it: “Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design. The fundamental issue remains white racism. Of course, some will differ about the singularity of white racism. As authors, we are not bothered by such concerns. Our presentation deals with a primary alternative to racism affirmative action policy that offers effective and purposeful social change to racism and affirmative action. In principle, our alternative is to the point. However, the devil is always in the details. Another basic issue is affirmative action. At a minimum, the concept of affirmative action is to level the field(s) of fairness

and justice for those longdiscriminated against because of race, color, religion, etc. The concept and its associated practices have been under attack from its early introduction. There is a substantial literature about this topic. We do not intend to engage the matter further except to note its “trigger” that lead the United States Supreme Court to strike down its application in college admissions. Our paper limits the proposals that relate to a search and recommendation for the most effective response to the ever-growing denial for equal opportunity for Black people in the educational arena. We offer these comments as an invitation for further discussion and research in this important area of public (and private) policies. There is much at stake and Black people must maintain our courage to effect socially purposeful change against the odds and barriers set by systemic

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

(white) racism. WHERE TO NOW For Black Americans, the ageold question, since 1619, is the subject of this section. The demonstrated courage, vision, and institutional development are perhaps no better offered than that of the creation and operation of the black college (Historical Black Colleges and Universities…hereafter HBCUs). Massively criticized, always underfunded, and frequently the recipients of physical assaults and attacks by white violence, the HBCUs continued to be the primary producers of educated black men and women in the US. Numbering slightly more than one hundred, these institutions of higher learning have become the central source for the intellectual, philosophical, and academic development of America’s most oppressed and long serving people. The bottom line is that, with support from the Black Church, some white philanthropic

organizations and individuals, and the raw courage of former slaves, the birth and sustained support of HBCUs maintain the status of quality of life improvements for all citizens. Our premise is that the most viable, sustainable response to the recent United States Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw full diversity in college admissions is a return to the HBCUs. Consider, for example, when so many Black college-bound students accepted the token admission to majority (white) colleges, their experiences were characterized as unqualified, unwelcomed, and assaults (especially against leadership, including being excluded in varsity sports) denying leadership development. It was the HBCU community that provided the opportunity and training for community leadership. The quality of this training stood favorably with majority (white) institutional training. The most outstanding contribution of the HBCU has been its sustained efforts to successfully confront systemic (white) racism at all levels as part of its legacy and commitment to justice through education and social change preparedness.

5. Secure the future through international recognition and contributions. Expand Endowments Endowments are critical for all HBCUs. Endowments are more than savings accounts. Endowments allow for future “rainy day” problems that have potential for long term negative consequences to the institution. Endowments also have high positive value as an institution plans for future expansion in capital projects, attracting new outstanding faculty, and meeting the ever increasing needs of students. Indeed, there are a number of types of endowment programs. However, the most immediate and necessary for HBCUs is that which allows attracting funds, investing those funds, and using the investment portions upon substantial need.

NEW ROLES FOR HBCUs To adequately meet the challenges forced by the antiaffirmative action Supreme Court, HBCUs must give serious consideration in five areas. It is important to understand that our recommendations are offered as strengthening proposals. We will develop each of these areas in greater detail.

To be successful in endowment building, the first order of business is the college must have (or hire) a development officer and staff dedicated to the purpose. Yes, this constitutes the initial investment, getting prepared to raise money and other resources. Our HBCUs are relatively poor. Only one has an endowment of one-billion dollars and another (second) with slightly more that 600-million dollars, and (third) with slightly more than 450-million dollars. There are increasing resource organizations that will provide support to HBCUs building endowment programs. Clearly, the litmus test for endurance (long term) for HBCUs is raising endowment support.

1. Expand endowments. 2. Increase highly qualified Black faculty. 3. Arrange cooperative scholarship in cutting edge science/technology. 4. Reconnect with peoples of the African diaspora, especially Africa.

Increase highly qualified Black faculty The most desegregated (by race) faculties in the nation are those at HBCUs. This fact is impressive and affords a model for majority white institutions of higher learning. However, there is a potential problem. The HBCUs

need to capture more highly qualified Black faculty who are culturally-secure, productive as researchers and teachers, and serve as strong advocates for the advancement of Black students toward leadership roles. In addition, historically, it has been Black faculties who have made positive, successful efforts to advance the institution as well as performing the usual roles of faculty. To achieve this end, HBCUs must give strong focus to building and growing within. That means identifying early the most important areas of intellectual and cultural needs of the institution. Equally, it will not be easy to depend less upon white universities for faculty supply. HBCU administrators and senior faculty must provide strong leadership that will produce the most desired outcome for the HBCU. In the past, HBCUs depended upon themselves for faculty development; however, they failed to maintain that orientation and lost the way. The future of HBCUs rests with the efforts of Black faculty and staff who are caring, competent, and courageous. Arrange cooperative scholarship in cutting edge science/ technology Historically, the primary curriculum of HBCUs has been the liberal arts, teacher education, and some fine arts. These small to medium-sized institutions have produced graduates in these areas who were completive with those of majority white schools. Now, the world’s demand for competent people who lean toward areas of stem (science, technology, engineering/ electronics and mathematics). HBCUs must expand into these areas and must do so with dispatch. Faculty members and students must work to conduct and publish research outside the confines of white, established,

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exclusive journals and publishing houses. There can perhaps be no more incentive than the work of early Black historians who were refused publication of their work by exclusionary white presses. In addition to the stem areas, HBCUs must continue to teach ethics, philosophy, and the arts. The nation continues to demonstrate a serious lack of human will and capacity to avoid calculated harm to the poor, marginalized, Blacks, and children. These may not acquire the heavy research funding as stem, however, these individuals may save the nation from self-destruction. They are, after-all, the wellspring of civilized behavior and sustained advocates for democratic human systems. Of course, HBCUs must continue to make the contributions of their past; however, HBCU endurance demands making changes that the environment post for the future. Reconnect with peoples of the African diaspora, especially Africa

Vinegar Hill Magazine Fall 2023

The world’s future is Africa! Europe is old, war-worn, lacking in humanity, and moving too slowly to meet the challenges of the coming centuries. Crippled by four centuries of slavery and political domination, the Old World cannot recover. The old alliances are no longer viable for reliable decision making, Europe, and most of the Pacific Rim, are entrapped in unsustainable regeneration. Required are the fresh, creative, courageous approaches that are available to HBCUs. HBCUs must move with great dispatch to re-seal its historical commitments and arrangements with black Africa. To achieve this end, the boldness of meeting new challenges will become commonplace. The evils of the old masters must be avoided. To reengage with black Africa is to meet the population (youthful, resource rich, and growth potential without domination of neighbors) explosion and leadership sophistication of the continent’s revival. HBCUs are afforded an opportunity not

students, making improved opportunities for faculty research and sabbaticals, and attracting administrators who are at the top of managerial best practices require massive levels of new monies from the Black community. Gifts may be modest or very large. The level of each gift from our Black community must be a measure of our confidence in higher education as a positive trigger for our future. To expand and grow HBCUs will require new thinking and radically different orientations to investment behaviors in our Black communities. The Black community must set very high goals for our HBCUs… and then exceed the goals. Second, HBCUs need the strong political advocacy of the Black community. This advocacy must be salient, focused, and powerful. Political advocacy has to come from elected officials (all levels from local to international) to guide HBCUs to new levels of legitimacy, visibility, and creditability. The Black community must not have ‘friends’ who refuse to support HBCUs, our students, and faculty. Political advocacy may come in the forms of public policy, private philanthropy, and international investors. Building upon the historical achievements of HBCUs, in spite of lack of adequate funding, Black political advocacy must move with dispatch to ensure the prescription is realized.

imaginable a few decades ago. That is why HBCUs cannot wait! In addition, perhaps no more salient encouragement and advice can be discerned than that of Elaine Brown. SUMMARY The case has been made as to the prescription required for HBCUs to provide a viable alternative to the racist court rulings and public policies that seek to deny Blacks the full opportunity for educational attainment. However, HBCUs need the fiscal support, political advocacy, and enrollment of students to endure and thrive with the prescription provided.

Third, every Black student must be made aware of the values of HBCUs. These students should be taught that historically, Black graduates of HBCUs have made immeasurable contributions to this nation and the world. Black students headed to college must be advised by parents, school counselors (politicalized by Black advocates), and HBCU recruiters that a strong, positive path to intellectual growth, increased leadership, and national/international calling is to be found at HBCUs. The authors are a father-son team. William M. Harris, Sr. is a retired faculty member. William M. Harris, Jr. is a long-time resident of Charlottesville.

First, HBCUs must have a significate influx of fiscal resources that will enhance their abilities to meet the prescription. Educating “our people” is the responsibility of every Black person. Expanding endowments, producing scholarship support for www.vinegarhillmagazine.com

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