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Category: Civil Rights

Violet Hill Gordon in uniform.

The Courage to Deliver: The Women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Nathan Cross, an archivist for the American Folklife Center. This African American History Month, the Veterans History Project (VHP) is pleased to announce a new resource designed to introduce VHP’s holdings related to the veterans of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-African American, all-female unit …

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

‘Yes, You Can’: The Rose Witherspoon Spence Story

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest post by Matt McCrady, a Digital Conversion Specialist for the Library of Congress. “It was a world of men,…We were trained and taught that our whole life was to make sure that these men were happy” Rose Witherspoon Spence was always a little “different.” That is the word she uses …

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

Flashbulb Memories: Where Were You When…?

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

Flashbulb memories are those vivid, autobiographical memories that form when we learn of a particularly surprising, traumatic or impactful event. These kinds of memories burrow themselves deep into our memory banks, and often remain dormant until triggered to resurface. An image. A sound. A scent. Anything, really, can be the catalyst that sets the wheels …

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

Who’s that Lady?

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

It might have been her eyes. Perhaps it was that hint of a knowing smile. Or maybe it was the culmination of it all—torso leaning in, chin on fist, legs crossed, nails polished and hat tilted. Whatever it was, it grabbed my attention when I first saw the sepia-toned image several years ago. Its subject …

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

Blazing Trails and Taking Names: Women in the Military

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is the second post in a six-part series highlighting women veterans’ collections from the Veterans History Project (VHP) archive in recognition of Women’s History Month. (Note: Due to the closure of all DC-area Federal Government buildings on March 2, 2018, the Women’s History Month book talk  featuring Liza Mundy  has been canceled. Stay …

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

Cutting the Tension – VHP Narrators’ Cracks, Jokes and Quips

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest blog post by Owen Rogers, Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). Among VHP’s oral histories, memoirs and correspondence, we frequently find humorous anecdotes about jokes, pranks and creative punishments. This post began as an “April Fools” ruse developed from some of the more absurd scenarios recounted by veterans …

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

The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

The following is a guest post by Christy Chason, Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). Until recently, Dr. Héctor P. García was someone about whom I knew precious little. In fact, knowing what I know now, I am embarrassed to say that I had only ever heard his name in the context of …

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

Consider Making Monday a Day On, Not a Day Off

Posted by: Lisa Taylor

Every year, on the third Monday of January, America pauses to celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His widow, Coretta Scott King, along with many civil rights leaders, public figures and everyday people campaigned against the odds—and many resistant politicians—to make Dr. King’s birthday a federal holiday. I …