Curtis Ward spoke about his parents and his siblings, growing up on a small farm in a rural area in Jamaica, the businesses his father managed, primary school and high school, discipline in the school and in the community, and where he worked before he left Jamaica to attend Howard University.
Ward spoke about his experiences when he first arrived in the United States, as a student at Howard University for undergraduate study and law school, working for the embassy of Jamaica, leaving civil service, and establishing a law practice. He also talked about his involvement within the Jamaican community in Washington, DC area, including his time as president of Jamaican Nationals Association; working as taxicab driver; his wife and children, including how he disciplined his children and their Jamaican heritage pride; the feeling of freedom when stepping off plane in Jamaica; cooking Jamaican style food at home; his various residence statuses in the United States; music, including Bob Marley and reggae music, and warning labels on records; influence of Jamaicans and Rastafarians on the community; legacy of Marcus Garvey; discrimination of Jamaicans and stereotyping of Jamaicans in the United States; his thoughts on the television show "Going to Extremes"; immigration reform under Reagan and its impact; and the importance of family and Jamaican culture.
Interview is in English. Digital audio files include very loud white noise and static, and some sound distortions / voices distorted. Interviewee can be heard and voices are intelligible for most of the interview.
General:
Associated documentation, including partial transcripts, for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives. The textual transcripts are not verbatim of the audio recordings.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Patrick Hylton spoke about how he became involved in the music scene in Washington, DC; a description and the evolution of reggae, including the instruments used, in the Washington, DC region and internationally; why he decided to come to Washington, DC; why he applied to Howard University; how he supported himself financially while attending Howard University; returning to Jamaica for about 5 years after he finished school in the United States; and why he returned to the United States again; plays he wrote; his law practice and political action work; and his wife and children. He identified himself as a Caribbean citizen, American citizen, and citizen of the world.
Hylton explained the relationship between Rastafarianism and reggae music; the history and relationship of ska, rocksteady, dancehall, and reggae music; the relationship between culture, everyday life, and music with descriptive examples; how and why music changes over time, illustrating changing economic, political, and social conditions; music comes from the people; and the role and purpose of music in people's lives. He also discussed crime and the posse; and racial, ethnic, and national origin discrimination.
Hylton stated he writes plays and uses music in the plays, including his current work on a reggae musical. He talked about the lewd and vulgar content, and lack of creativity in current music; and explained there is nothing for him to learn from current music.
Interview is in English. Digital audio files include very loud white noise and static; loud background noise, including people talking and sirens; and a little sound distortion. Interviewee's voice is difficult to hear at times.
General:
Associated documentation for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives.
Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Esther Nighbert discusses her involvement with the Anacostia Community Museum from its opening in 1967 through 1972. She describes her role and her work, including serving as a secretary for John Kinard, assisting him with editing and re-writing various publications, and the various ways she provided support to the museum. She discusses the museum's impact on the neighborhood, its relationship with the Smithsonian Institution, and its influence nationally and internationally. She recollects various exhibits, events, youth programs, and the many individuals involved in managing, developing, and advising the museum.
The interview was conducted by Gail S. Lowe on September 1, 1992. Periodically, there is some minor background noise. The interviewee can be heard clearly throughout the recording.
Exhibitions mentioned: The Rat: Man's Invited Affliction, This Thing Called Jazz.
Biographical / Historical:
Esther Nighbert (1912-2004) was born in Hazelton, PA. She graduated from Emerson College in Boston and authored Handbook on Creative Dramatics. She lived in Washington DC for a time and served as a secretary to John Kinard at the Anacostia Museum from its opening in 1967 through 1972. She moved to Gainesville, FL in 1976. She was awarded the Eleanor Gordon Award for Lifetime Service to Unitarian Universalist Ideals and Humanist of the Year from the Florida Humanist Association. She was a member of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, served on the national board for INFACT, and was a member of United Farm Workers Ministry and Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Asian American Arts and Media, Inc. (Washington, D.C.) Search this
Extent:
0.01 Linear feet (1 folder)
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Brochures
Press releases
Picture postcards
Newspaper clippings
Place:
Washington (D.C.)
Date:
1982-1997
Scope and Contents:
Asian American Arts and Media, Inc., collection, which dates from 1982 to 1997 and measures .01 linear feet, documents an early era of Asian American art activism in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The collection includes flyers, photo postcards, clippings and newsletters, which highlight the organizations' activities aimed "to promote more positive and realistic images of Asian Pacific Americans through the arts and humanities, and to develop a greater appreciation ans awareness of Asian Pacific American art forms." Among the holdings is a program book from the first Annual Asian American Film Festival cosponsored by Gold Mountain Radio Collective and the Organization of Pan Asian American Women, Inc.
Historical:
In 1982, Wendy Lim (1956- present) and Theodric Feng organized Washington
D.C.'s first Asian-American film festival. Following the success of the film festival, Lim
and Feng created the Asian American Arts and Media, Inc. This nonprofit based in
Washington, D.C. was designed to help promote and support creative expression in
Asian-American communities through design, media, literary, visual, and performing
arts. Asian American Arts and Media, Inc. established memberships and donation
processes to fund local Asian American artists as well as spread awareness about
Asian American experiences through printed materials, such as pamphlets, newsletters,
and flyers. The nonprofit was active through the late 1990s.
Biographical:
Wendy Lim (1956- present) is a Chinese American community organizer, whose
work centered on supporting and encouraging Asian American art and media in local
communities. Lim was born in 1956 in Hong Kong and moved to the United States in
1959. Her father worked as a laborer in several locations around the United States
before making a career as a chef in the Washington D.C. area. Wendy's mother worked
at home, raising Wendy, her brother, and her two –half-brothers from her father's first
marriage.The family lived in an apartment above Lee's Groceries in northeast
Washington D.C., for a time. The Lim children grew up speaking primarily Mandarin,
but they understood basic Taishanese and Cantonese.
In the late 1960s, Lim and her family moved to Oxon Hill, Maryland, where Lim
and her younger brother attended middle and high school. Wendy graduated from high
school in 1975, and entered the East Asian Study program at Oberlin College. While at
Oberlin, Lim joined the Asian American Alliance and attended talks and workshops
about the experiences of Asian Americans. After graduating from Oberlin in 1979, Lim
met Franklin Chao and learned about "Gold Mountain D.C.," a WPFW radio show that
discussed Asian-American issues. Lim, Theodric Feng and Mariko Yamada (1950-
present) took over the running of the show until 1982.
In 1982, Lim and Feng organized Washington D.C.'s first Asian-American film
festival, which became an annual event. The Asian American Arts and Media Inc.
nonprofit was created to help Lim and Feng continually fund the annual film festival, and
to facilitate donations in support of Asian American art in their communities. During this
time, Lim also volunteered with the Organization of Pan-Asian American Women and
was the president of the organization for one year. In 1990, Lim joined the committee
that helped create the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at ACMarchives@si.edu
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
These records document the planning, organizing, and launch of the Community and Creativity Project, an initiative to survey and document cultural venues and activities in wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC. Materials include meeting notes, project brochures, research files, photographs, interviews, and video recordings.
Biographical / Historical:
Community and Creativity project launched in the summer of 2010 with a survey of art and cultural activities in wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC. The project staff canvass daycare and senior centers, community centers, churches, and other institutions and organization in the area to ask about the kinds of arts and cultural activities that take place there. Project staff documented selected performances and activities and interviewed participants.
Provenance:
Records of Community and Creativity Project were created by the Anacostia Community Museum.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Citation:
Community and Creativity Project Records,2010-2012, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Artist Roderick Turner, raised in Providence and attended RISD, talks about his artistic family, his early art experiences, the murals he painted, his inspiration and sources of encouragement, and teaching and working with youth and senior citizens. He explains his creative thought process, importance of creating art for the artist, how an artist works in regards to his/her mind as well as technique, and the value of art to the community. Turner describes how his work has evolved, and how his European experience changed his life and affected his art. He also describes the relationship between his artwork and where he lives; he records the changes in his community - Ward 8 of Washington, D. C. - through his paintings.
Interview. Dated 20110519.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
4 Digital files ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.)))
Container:
Box 2, Folder 26
Box 4, Cassette 14A
Box 4, Cassette 14B
Box 4, Cassette 14C
Box 5, Disk 14A & 14B
Box 5, Disk 14C
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Sound cassettes
Sound discs
Digital files
Oral histories (document genres)
Place:
Anacostia Community Museum
Date:
1970- 19 Mar 1971
2007 September 14
Scope and Contents:
Norris Scott, an African American man born on November 13, 1888, and his wife Claudine (née Blires) Trivers Scott, an African American woman born around 1893, discuss what Anacostia was like throughout their marriage, with Norris being from the area. They talk about the changing demographics of the neighborhood; what recreation was available for African American residents then, such as Eureka and Green Willow Parks for playing sports (baseball and rugby) as well as Ottaway Holmes for boating; what typical occupations, such as laborers and domestic workers; how the biggest churches at that time were Campbell AME Church and Bethlehem Baptist Church; and about banking at the only bank in the neighborhood, the Anacostia Bank (now Anacostia National Bank).
The Scotts also speak about the construction of public housing and Suitland Parkways starting in the 1940s and how those projects changed Anacostia. Additionally, they discuss how segregation and integration impacted the community, particularly how different administrations, such as the Wilson Administration, made racial tension worse. They conclude the interview providing information about the current problems of the neighborhood: transportation, sanitation, and crime.
Claudine (née Blires) Trivers Scott and Norris Scott were interviewed on December 5, 1970, by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
General:
Claudine's maiden name is Blires. Her first husband's last name is Trivers (she is the mother of George J. Trivers) and Norris Scott is her second husband.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Pierre McKinley Taylor, an African American man born in 1898, recounts his experiences in Anacostia growing up, describing the housing and shacks that were built under Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur and his memories of raising farm animals on Cedar Hill and selling milk around the neighborhood. He provides detailed information about prominent families and community members (such as the Dale and Douglass families), local businesses (such as Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy and Dyson's Barbershop), and important landmarks (such as Douglass Hall, the Frederick Douglass Home, and Eureka and Green Willow Parks).
He talks about church-going and the closest three major churches growing up, Campbell AME Church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, and St. Philip's Church, as well as what transportation was available then. Other topics of discussion include the geographical boundaries of Anacostia and how they were segregated, typical employment and incomes, and the Anacostia newspaper.
Taylor also describes the political involvement, community organizing, and banking at the Anacostia Bank (now Anacostia National Bank). He recalls what it was like growing up in the Frederick Douglass Home with his sister, Caroline Taylor Crocker, including details about the history and maintenance of the home after the death of Helen Pitts Douglass.
Pierre McKinley Taylor was interviewed by John Bradshaw on December 31, 1970. His wife, Sarah Davis McKinley, was also present for the interview and answered a few questions under the name "Sarah" in the transcripts. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
2 Digital files ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.)))
Container:
Box 2, Folder 21
Box 4, Cassette 20A
Box 4, Cassette 20B
Box 5, Disk 20
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Sound discs
Sound cassettes
Digital files
Oral histories (document genres)
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Anacostia Community Museum
Date:
1970- 1971 March 19
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
1 Sound disk CD-R ((1 sound disk CD-R (01:05:41). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ))
1 Digital file ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.)))
Container:
Box 2, Folder 12
Box 4, Cassette 22A
Box 4, Cassette 22B
Box 5, Disk 22
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Sound cassettes
Sound disk cd-r
Digital files
Oral histories (document genres)
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Anacostia Community Museum
Date:
1970- 1971 March 19
2007 September 14
Scope and Contents note:
George A. Patterson, an African American man, and his stepmother, Elsie Patterson, an African American woman born in 1904, discuss important topics about Anacostia, such as education, segregation, recreation, and church. George talks about local businesses he remembers when he was growing up, including Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy and the Anacostia Bank (now the Anacostia National Bank), and Elsie speaks about typical family structures and what types of jobs people had. They both recall how close knit the community was at that time, even with businesses owned by white people, and how little crime there was.
Throughout the interview, George and Elsie recall prominent community members, such as Ledru Koontz, Charlie Howard, Ella Foster, Carrie Young, and Roland Dale. They end the interview discussing important landmarks in the neighborhood, such as Smoot Funeral Services, Dr. Charles Quall's Drug Store, Robert and G. Mason's Funeral Home as well as local churches: Bethlehem Baptist Church, Campbell AME Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and Macedonia Baptist Church.
George A. Patterson and Elsie Patterson were interviewed on December 17, 1970, by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
1 Digital file ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV. )))
1 Sound disk CD-R ((1 sound disk CD-R (01:01:24). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ))
1 Sound cassette ((1 sound cassette (01:01:24)))
Container:
Box 2, Folder 13
Box 4, Cassette 3
Box 5, Disk 3
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Digital files
Sound disk cd-r
Sound cassettes
Oral histories (document genres)
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Anacostia Community Museum
Date:
1970- 1971 March 19
Scope and Contents note:
George Trivers discusses growing up in Anacostia from the age of 5. Topics include occupations, sports, and transportation and education issues.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
2 Digital files ((1 sound disk CD-R (01:11:10). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ))
Container:
Box 2, Folder 7
Box 4, Cassette 1A
Box 4, Cassette 1B
Box 5, Disk 1
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Sound cassettes
Sound discs
Digital files
Oral histories (document genres)
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Anacostia Community Museum
Date:
1970 November 21 - 1973 June 27, 1975 February 28
2007 September 14
Scope and Contents note:
Ethel K. Graham Greene, an African American woman born around 1894, discusses her life and family growing up in Anacostia and how her father, Captain George D. Graham, was heavily involved in improving the neighborhood. She recalls that her father was part of different civic associations that helped to bring electricity and streetcars to Anacostia, and he was one of the first African Americans to be appointed to the federal government.
Greene speaks about Douglass Hall and the many businesses there, including the dance hall on the second floor, Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy, and the Sayles' confectionery store. She describes her husband's family and how many of them were doctors and lawyers in Washington, D.C. She discusses her employment with the federal government in various departments, such as the Bureau of War Risk Litigation and the Office of Special Education.
Throughout the interview, Greene recalls important places for Anacostia residents, such as the parks (Eureka and Green Willow), schools (Birney Elementary and Dunbar High), and churches (Campbell AME Church and Bethlehem Baptist). Greene concludes the interview talking about the Howard family and the recent city planning projects for Anacostia.
Ethel K. Graham Greene was interviewed on November 21, 1971, by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
General:
Ethel K. Graham Greene's name is sometimes misspelled as Ethel G. or P. Green.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Esther Johnson, an African American woman who lived in Anacostia since 1922, talks about growing up in this tight-knit community. She recalls the various places and activities the community had to offer, including Birney Elementary School, a community center, the Anacostia Bank (now the Anacostia National Bank), the Frederick Douglass Home, and Lombardy Dance Hall. She talks about other landmarks, such as Mason's Funeral Home, Curtis Brothers Furniture, and the Bethlehem Baptist Church, as well as newer additions to the neighborhood, including St. Philip's Episcopal Church, apartment complexes, and Suitland Parkway. She touches on how many of the places she knew as a child are now gone, such as the woods near her house that people used to cut through to get home, a small community graveyard, Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy, the Sayles Coal Yard, and a local strip of stores on Nichols Avenue.
Johnson describes her time working at the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling as a secretary and a warrant officer and later working for the Girl Scouts. She includes information about a local civic association she is a part of, Southeast Neighborhood Action Board, which helps to build a strong mental health program in Anacostia. She remembers the leaders in the neighborhood when she was growing up, including the Dale family, Dorothy Sayles, and Martha Ellis.
Johnson concludes the interview talking about how World War II changed the neighborhood by bringing in stores, theaters, and recreation halls but by the mid-1970s, most of those businesses closed. She discusses her worries about the infrastructure and economy of the neighborhood, which brings up other problems in the neighborhood with transportation and the police force.
Esther Johnson was interviewed in the spring of 1971 by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Edward J. Edwards Jr., an African American man born around 1910, speaks about his experience as a teacher beginning in 1937 and his appointment as principal of the Garfield and Turner schools in 1946. Topics include Garfield Elementary School, Birney Elementary School, important landmarks in Anacostia, and prominent community members, such as Ella Foster and Emma Smith.
Edward J. Edwards Jr. was interviewed on December 12, 1970 by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). Digital audio files include significant white noise and static; interviewee cannot be heard for most parts.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
1 Sound recording ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV. )))
1 Sound recording ((2 sound cassettes))
Container:
Box 2, Folder 2
Box 4, Cassette 43A
Box 4, Cassette 43B
Box 5, Disk 43
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Sound recordings
Oral histories (document genres)
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Congress Heights (Washington, D.C.)
Barry Farms (Washington, D.C.)
Anacostia Community Museum
Date:
1970- 1971 March 19
2007 September 14
Scope and Contents note:
Edith P. (née Green) Greene, an African American woman born on June 4, 1900, describes her experience growing up in Anacostia, where she attended Birney Elementary School and crossing the bridge to reach Dunbar High School. She discusses her father working as a fireman (working with the furnaces) at St. Elizabeth's before working for the government. She recalls the segregation of communities (Congress Heights, Barry Farm-Hillsdale, and Uniontown) and visiting different markets around Washington, D.C. She talks about what women's lives were like at that time, including gardening for food, keeping chickens for eggs, sewing in sewing circles, and helping raise each other's children. She recalls attending church social events at Macedonia Baptist Church and Douglass Hall, teaching Sunday School, and going to the theater at Republic, Lincoln, or Howard Theaters as well as Green Willow and Eureka parks.
Greene describes the changes in the neighborhood, particularly in the Barry Farm-Hillsdale area and how the community was no longer as close as it once was and how the crime rates are increasing. Greene provides information about her family and their history, remembering the deaths of her older sister, Lillian E. Green, and her older brother, Oliver Green, and how their funerals put the family in debt. Throughout the interview, she talks about residents in the community she grew up with, including Raymond McKenzie, Mary E. Young, Della Lowery, the Dale family, the Patterson family, James Howard, and Sallie Underdue. She ends the interview speaking about the police presence in the neighborhood, the Frederick Douglass Home, Mason's Funeral Home, and the Anacostia Bank (now the Anacostia National Bank).
Edith P. (née Green) Greene was interviewed by John Bradshaw in the spring of 1971. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
General:
Edith's maiden name is Green and her married name is Greene.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Caroline Taylor Crocker, a woman of mixed African American and white ancestry born around 1902, recalls growing up in Anacostia until her marriage in 1924. Topics include her ancestry and schooling at Birney Elementary School. She recalls growing up with her brother, Pierre McKinley Taylor, in the Frederick Douglass Home where her parents (John W. Taylor and Gertrude Burleigh) maintained the property and attended Campbell AME Church every Sunday. Throughout the interview, Crocker talks about prominent community members, including Lucille and John Henry Dale Jr., George and Susie Cooke, and Gladys Wilkerson and her family.
Crocker describes her work at Western Union and the difficulty of being a mixed woman in a predominately white job. She also touches on her father having trouble getting work as a laborer with no union. Crocker ends the interview commenting on the absence of racial tension when she was growing up but in contrast to escalating tension in recent years about the Urban League's work with the League regarding segregation and discrimination, and about her own struggles with her race.
Caroline Taylor Crocker was interviewed by John Bradshaw on December 30. 1970. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at ACMarchives@si.edu
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Dorothy Burlage collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Dorothy Burlage.
Sponsor:
This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
The records of the Asian American Foodways Project document the planning, execution and outcome of the Anacostia Community Museum's effort to collect community-informed evidence of Chinese American, Korean American and Vietnamese American food businesses, practices and traditions in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. The project was carried out between August 2020 and December 2022 and involved photo-documentation, interviews, collecting, and description by community curators. Materials include photographs, interviews, video, advertisements, menus, recipes and other ephemera. The project received Federal support from the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Asian American Foodways Project encompass hundreds of photographs, some 40 audio interviews, and 2.05 linear feet and 27.4 GB of field-collected materials including recipes and cookbooks, restaurant menus, supermarket flyers, and other ephemera. The bulk of the material dates from 2020 to 2022, with some photographs and ephemera dating to the late 2010s.
The collection was developed in close consultation with the project's community-based scholars. The series are arranged according to types of businesses or organizations (e.g. eating & dining) or types of activities (e.g. festivals & events), and reflect a desire to convey the curatorial underpinnings of the project while also facilitating public access and understanding. Subseries correspond to specific individuals, organizations, places, or events. All photographs and interviews were described or captioned by the scholars.
Materials documenting neighborhoods with Asian American businesses include photographs of urban landscapes and food businesses, from individually-owned institutions to franchises of popular chains from East Asia. Photographs also depict food products for sale in markets and shopping centers.
Asian American producers and distributors are documented with photographs and interviews that provide insights on farming, supply chains, kitchen equipment, cottage food producers, catering and meal delivery services.
Asian American supermarkets and convenience stores are documented with photographs, interviews, and supermarket flyers. The materials document both Asian- or ethnic-focused markets and small stores in neighborhoods with a smaller Asian presence.
The eating and dining series consists of photographs, interviews and menus that document Asian American food services including new and legacy restaurants; take-out or carry-out businesses; and food delivery services. Menus provide a record of local tastes, culinary offerings, imagery, and prices, as well as insight into business models and locations.
Festivals and events held in the Washington, DC region are documented with photographs, interviews, short videos, and programs or flyers. These include community festivals, sponsored events that promote Asian American food and culinary traditions, and public celebrations of significant Asian American holidays such as Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival.
The work of Korean American artists is documented via photographs and interviews. Another series focuses on recipes and cookbooks developed, compiled, transcribed or commemorated by Asian American home cooks. Materials include photographs, interviews, recipes and cookbooks.
Project files contain background research, planning documents, internal and external correspondence, reports, newspaper articles, and working photos of the community curators.
Arrangement:
The Asian American Foodways Project Records collection is arranged into 8 series which were conceived in close consultation with the project's community-based scholars. The series are arranged according to types of businesses or organizations (e.g. eating & dining) or types of activities (e.g. festivals & events). Subseries correspond to specific individuals, organizations, places, or events.
Series 1: Neighborhoods with Asian American food businesses, 2021-2022
Series 2: Producers and distributors, 2021
Series 3: Supermarkets and convenience stores, 2020-2022
Series 4: Eating and dining, 2020-2022
Series 5: Festivals and events, 2021
Series 6: Artists and creators, 2021
Series 7: Recipes and cookbooks, 2021-2022
Series 8: Project files, 2020-2022
Historical:
The Asian American Foodways Project was developed by the Anacostia Community Museum's Collections & Research department in collaboration with food scholars Jung Min (Kevin) Kim and Anh Hong Duong, who acted as community curators. The project launched in August 2020 and continued until December 2022, with the goal to document Asian American culinary traditions, food businesses and foodways that are a mainstay of the Washington, DC metropolitan area's food landscape. The project focused specifically on the local Chinese American, Korean American and Vietnamese American communities, and happened in parallel with the development of the museum's exhibition Food for the People: Eating and Activism in Greater Washington (April 17, 2021-September 17, 2022).
Topics addressed in the project include Asian American contributions to the food landscape in the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region, from farming and food production to supermarkets and other points of sale, as well as food preparation and dining, including restaurants, cafes, catering and take-out. A range of businesses are documented, and a theme that emerges is urban development and demographic change, with providers opening or relocating in neighborhoods with large Asian American populations, or adapting and diversifying offerings to cater to a broader clientele. Documentation covers public spaces and businesses in traditionally Asian American enclaves such as Wheaton, Maryland; Annandale, Virginia; the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, DC; Union Market in Washington, DC; and the Eden Center shopping complex in Falls Church, Virginia.
Another topic is the way food touches on the everyday lives of Asian Americans in the Washington, DC region. Collecting was guided by themes including tradition, exchange, innovation, hybridity, resistance, resilience, and social justice. The collection documents ways in which local Chinese American, Korean American and Vietnamese American communities have preserved and/or adapted dishes, recipes, and practices. An area of focus is the range of ingredients sold in ethnic markets and supermarkets, specialty products available from small businesses, and seasonal and holiday foods produced or sold locally. Local Asian American cuisine is documented in restaurant menus, photographs, and interviews with food business owners from restaurateurs to take-out and food-delivery operators.
The role of food and meals in facilitating social and cultural connections among Chinese American, Korean American and Vietnamese American communities is documented. Some legacy dining institutions double as popular meeting spots for civic and social groups, and church cookbooks share the congregation's recipes. Documentation also covers the celebration of traditional holidays such as Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, when many Asian American businesses increase sales of traditional foods, and Asian American communities gather and celebrate their common heritage. Also documented are several Korean American artists whose work connects to food and foodways.
The project enabled community-informed documentation of Asian American food traditions and foodways. Museum staff worked closely with food scholars Jung Min (Kevin) Kim (Korean American) and Anh Hong Duong (Vietnamese American) to develop collecting priorities, identify content, and describe collected materials. The scholars leaned on their academic expertise and intimate knowledge of the cultures and communities involved. They led outreach and communication with individuals, businesses and organizations, identified and acquired relevant photographs and materials, conducted interviews, and in collaboration with museum staff, developed rich descriptions of the materials.
The project was affected by the COVID 19 pandemic, which curtailed opportunities for in-person engagement, cancelled cultural events, and caused some businesses to pivot, downsize or close. The pandemic was also associated with a rise in anti-Asian rhetoric and violence nationwide, which influenced this project and its participants.
The project team, including Jung Min (Kevin) Kim, Anh Hong Duong, and the museum's collections manager Miriam Doutriaux, expresses its gratitude to the many people who contributed to making this project a success—prime among them, the participants who generously shared their time, knowledge and insights, and consented to their activities and businesses being documented. The museum's archivist, Jennifer Morris, contributed significantly to shaping, arranging, and describing the collection, and registrar Grant Czubinski facilitated acquisitions. Curator Samir Meghelli served as an advisor on the project and archivist Christina Meninger supported cataloguing.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Asian American Foodways Project Records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
This Asian Pacific American Foodways Project received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
This subseries contains an oral history interview and a sketchbook (zine and cookbook) documenting the work of cookbook author and comic book artist Robin Ha.
Biographical / Historical:
Robin Ha is a nationally recognized cookbook author and comic book artist based in Northern Virginia. Her graphic novel cookbook "Cook Korean" is a compilation of favorite recipes and cooking tips in comics. Ha is active in the zine community in Washington, DC, and incorporates insights on food and foodways into her work.
Related Materials:
This subseries contains artifacts catalogued in the ACM Objects collection.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Asian American Foodways Project Records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
This Asian Pacific American Foodways Project received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
This subseries contains photographs, an oral history interview, and sales flyers documenting Lotte Plaza Market. Materials were created or acquired in 2020.
Biographical / Historical:
Lotte Plaza Market is a popular Korean/Asian supermarket chain with 14 locations across Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and New Jersey. The company began as a wholesale importer of Korean and Japanese products in 1978, and opened its first store in Rockville, Maryland, in 1989. The supermarket initially catered to local Korean and Japanese communities and has expanded to carry produce and products used by a range of Asian Pacific American and Latinx home cooks. The Rockville location moved in 2016 to occupy a building vacated by a Safeway Supermarket.
Related Materials:
This subseries contains artifacts catalogued in the ACM Objects collection.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Asian American Foodways Project Records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
This Asian Pacific American Foodways Project received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
