Published: August 26, 2008 09:41 am      

Library collects families' history

DANVILLE — Local African-American history will be the focus Saturday at Danville Public Library.

Families and individuals are invited to attend and bring family photos, documents and memories to the library. Documents will be copied and interviews will be scheduled for the library’s permanent collection.

Jacqueline Woodard-Smith, library assistant in the DPL Records and Archives Department, leads the project she titled “Pardon Me, Brother.” That title comes from a 1970 song by Curtis Mayfield called “We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue.”

Woodard-Smith said she intentionally chose this time of year for the project. “People have family members in town for the Labor Day weekend,” she said. “We hope they’ll come in and share their history.”

She encourages people to bring photographs, papers, old records — anything that documents life in Danville for African-Americans, especially from 1900-1960.

Beverly Woodard, Jacqueline’s mother and a Danville native, was instrumental in the idea of collecting this memorabilia.

“My own parents were always interested in our family history,” Beverly said. “We still have our annual reunions in Owensboro, Ky. Our 113th is this year.”

That kind of tradition should be documented in Danville, Beverly thought, and she mentioned it to her daughter.

“Families today don’t know about their past,” the older woman said. “It’s important to get it started for their children.”

That’s just what these two women are doing. Beverly provided photos of their family which Jacqueline will copy for the library’s collection. She hopes other families will join with hers in sharing their information.

In addition to private and personal histories, library director Barb Nolan hopes for some specific, more public information.

“If any black residents have photos of family events at the sunken garden in Lincoln Park, the community football team called the Lincoln Raiders or African-American coalminers, we’d like to get copies,” Nolan said.

“Jacqui, with Roberta Allen’s (Reference and Archives Department head) help, has prepared a packet of information about researching African-American family history and genealogy. She’ll hand that out to people who come to our Family History Day.

“She also has a PowerPoint slide show about African-American genealogy research that we’re hoping to have running continuously during the event,” she said.

Plans are to photocopy documents with the help of volunteers and return them immediately. Interviews with those who wish to share their experiences will be scheduled at the same time.

“People can come in or call to schedule an interview,” Woodard-Smith said. “We will interview them in their home if they wish.”

IF YOU GO

The Danville Public Library will have its first “Pardon Me, Brother” African-American Family History Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the second floor conference room. For more information or to sign up for an interview, call Jacqueline Woodard-Smith at 477-5228.