Oral histories honor elders

Sarah J. Gregory (left) and Audry M. Ross of the historical society’s African-American History Committe browse through the “Fourscore & More” exhibit at the Chesterfield Museum. Ash Daniel/Chesterfield Observer History is usually written by victors, and the oppressed are rarely given a voice, but a new project through the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia is honoring the lives of African-American elders by making sure their stories are heard.

Eighty years ago African Americans were second-class citizens with few rights, little access to education and an uncertain hope for the future. Many of Chesterfield’s elders remember those seldom-told stories because they were a part of them.

Since 2005, the CHSV has been adding to history by collecting oral histories. This month CHSV opened an exhibit at the Chesterfield Museum titled “Fourscore & More: African-American Oral Histories,” which includes photos and artifacts relating to more than 25 oral histories.

This antique doll is one of the items on display at the museum. Ash Daniel/Chesterfield Observer “Our focus is that we let people write their own history,” said Bernard Anderson, a member of the African-American History Committee, which is responsible for the exhibit. “There’s not much of black people’s history around. We’re trying to fill in the gaps from the African-American perspective because that’s where the missing stories are.”

The oral histories come from African- American elders – 80 years or older – whose lives began around 1930 during the height of Jim Crow laws.

“One of the ideas we’re proceeding with is that there are stories out there that haven’t been told,” Anderson said. “These were people who developed here [in Chesterfield], had their own businesses here and struggled for their education here.”

Hearing the life stories of Chesterfield’s African-American elders is a rare privilege, said Cornelia Owens Goode, chairwoman of the committee. She’s conducted several of the interviews and said that although there are certain topics, such as education, that the committee hopes to cover, once the elders start talking, it’s their story to tell.

“They’ve talked about their lives, growing up, education and family life,” she said. “Some of them took part in the military. Some had professional careers, and some did not. But, they’ve all had the experience of a segregated environment.”

Segregation was particularly apparent in education. For centuries African Americans who had the opportunity to attend schools did so either secretly, or separately from white Americans.

“We’re aware of these schools,” said Anderson, who is heading up a research project about schools, “but if we look at documented history of that time period, there’s not a lot available.”

Anderson has begun a project to gather and document more information about early African-American schools using information from the oral histories. Many of these schools were originally in churches, or started by small black communities. The committee is primarily looking for elementary schools since high school was rarely available for blacks during the early 20th century.

“Many of those schools were built in the 1800s, some probably earlier,” Anderson said. “We’re trying to determine whether any of these schools are still standing. Anybody who has any information, we’d be very receptive.”

In addition to following leads from oral histories, committee members are using family documents, databases and archives, looking for any photos or artifacts that might help them identify the names or locations of early schools.

For many committee members, including Anderson and the Rev. Herbert Townes, who grew up in Chesterfield, this project is particularly relevant. Their parents and grandparents attended these schools.

“We have a history in Chesterfield,” Townes said, “and it hasn’t been told as it truly was. History has been told so that people are made to feel comfortable, but we weren’t comfortable. We struggled. Now we want to honor [the elders] for their perseverance.”

The museum exhibit opened on Feb. 5, but it’s only part of the committee’s work. In total, 50-60 interviews are complete, and there’s still a long list. The project is an ongoing priority, said Owens Goode.

“It’s our hope that people will be inspired,” she said. “It’ll help people in the future to understand what happened in the past. It’ll bring cultures together.”

Culture is one of the purposes for the committee’s work, too, Townes said.

“One of the results we hope to have is that we’re honoring our elders,” he said. “It’s a truly African concept to honor our elders, and we don’t want to lose that. It’s very important to us. Honoring them is a lifelong thing. We want to honor those who are part of us, especially our elders. It’s healthy for us as a culture.”

Those who would like to contribute information to the school project should call 796-7121.

See the exhibit

“Fourscore & More” will be on exhibit at the Chesterfield Museum, 6813 Mims Loop, Chesterfield, throughout this month. The museum is open Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is $2. For more information, call 796-7121 or visit www.chesterfieldhistory.com.