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Archive: February 2018 (14 Posts)

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Becky Elzy and Alberta Bradford: Spiritual Folklorists

Posted by: Stephen Winick

This blog post about the “Two Sweet Singers” Becky Elzy and Alberta Bradford is part of a series called “Hidden Folklorists,” which examines the folklore work of surprising people, including people better known for other pursuits. In preparing this post, I was greatly aided by Shane K. Bernard, the archivist at Avery Island in Louisiana, …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Botkin Lectures to Go!: African American Online Cultural Resources

Posted by: John Fenn

The following is a guest post from AFC Folklife Specialist Nancy Groce. A previous Folklife Today blog, “Botkin Lectures to Go!,” drew readers’ attention to an engaging and readily accessible AFC resource:  the more than 100 AFC Botkin Lectures on a wide variety of folklore and folklife topics that are currently available free-of-charge through the …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Sharpened Pencils and Sharper Minds: World War II Women Code Breakers

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is the first post in a six-part series highlighting women veterans’ collections from the Veterans History Project (VHP) archive in recognition of Women’s History Month. Imagine coming across this job announcement today: Candidates must be highly skilled in math and linguistics, willing to relocate and able to keep a secret to the death. …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

African American Liberators In The Netherlands

Posted by: Megan Harris

The following is a guest blog post by Sebastiaan Vonk and Mieke Kirkels, historians in the Netherlands working to research, document, and commemorate the history of African American soldiers stationed in the Netherlands during World War II. Much like the Veterans History Project, their work ensures that the stories of veterans—particularly those whose voices have …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Collection Spotlight: William H. Dillard Wins Olympic Gold

Posted by: Megan Harris

London, summer, 1948. All eyes were on the first Olympic Games held since 1936. After years of war, representatives from around the world met in venues like the track field stadium, the swimming pool and the boxing ring, instead of on the battlefield. At Wembley Stadium, six runners crouched on the track for the finals …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Frederick Douglass: “I Am A Man”

Posted by: Stephanie Hall

This blog post is the second of two about the abolitionist Frederick Douglass (celebrating his 200th birthday) and part of a series called “Hidden Folklorists,” which examines the folklore work of surprising people, including people better known for other pursuits. The first post, “Frederick Douglass: Free Folklorist,” is available at this link. The 1850s brought new …

A man playing a guitar and singing to a close crowd of a dozen or so men and women

Take Note! Court Reporters and Captioners Transcribe Interviews for Veterans History Project

Posted by: Kerry Ward

The following is a guest blog post by April Weiner, Foundation Manager at National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF). Veterans History Project (VHP) is very grateful for the long-time participation of the National Court Reporters Association and Foundation in their work to conduct and transcribe interviews.  While VHP does not require interviews to be transcribed, the …