Library/Information Science from the Catholic University of America (CUA), was once
the President’s librarian at Blair House, focused on cultural preservation in my last
decade of work at the U.S. Department of State and just completed two years on the
faculty of the school of Library/Information at CUA. Others agree that the work
completed so far has been important. We have been supported by a joint resolution
the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, news reports by Loudoun Now and NBC
News (see our website), as well as a full page in the annual report of the
Superintendent of the Public School system. In addition, we have a fantastic team of
volunteers, a PhD candidate in Education, a retired Professor of English and many
others who understand the importance of protecting the files and explaining the history
we are revealing. .
We have already accomplished much. We have catalogued thousands of records and
begun a significant digital program, scanning documents to protect the information from
fires and floods, and started a database that for the first time will show every AfricanAmerican student, teacher and school from Reconstruction to integration. We are
moving fragile files into archival containers and are developing the story of educational
segregation,. Sometimes, the story will be disappointing, such as when the County
fought for segregation in the 1950’s and 60’s but other times we have found positive
stories such as in 1920 when the Superintendent decided to no longer use whites to
supervise black teachers. We also found a true national treasure in the form of a roll of
hand written petitions by white and African-American parents and teachers asking for
toilets, repairs to schools, qualified teachers and other improvements to educational life.
One undated document may be the first petition for an accredited high school, all done
during Jim Crow, when it was dangerous to for African-Americans to be politically
active.
If you can help, this will make a significant contribution to the preservation of AfricanAmerican history. More than that, your role will help us build a true monument to the
many African-American children, parents, teachers and their supporters who struggled
to educate themselves against terrible odds. Their descendants live today. We have
many monuments to soldiers. My team and I would like this to be a monument to a
peaceful struggle that offers an effective counter-argument to anyone in the world today
who would advocate for racial or religious prejudice, or segregation.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,