History never stops, so it’s time again for The Quest Continues! Thanks for joining me, Black History Quest host and fellow Pionerd, Mariah. Read along to get your fix of all things BHQ: a recap of our last episode, updates connected to earlier investigations, and a glimpse of what’s next!
Black History Quest: When is a box of letters history?
Our inimitable Executive Director (and original BHQ host!) Zachary Stocks joined us once again to dive into a recent donation to our research files: a pink box full of letters, one addressed to a central Oregon Black Pioneer named Booker T. Pannell (for a quick overview of this figure, check out the Black History Snap Shot about him!). Intrigued by what story these letters might tell, Zachary dove in to find out.
Instead of revealing more about Booker T., the letters were actually connected to a woman named Johnnie Mae Brown. These letters represent rare firsthand documentation of the lives of Black women in Portland during the early 1960s. Though there are no letters from Johnnie Mae, the letters to her, namely from her daughter Zora, reveal a lot about their experiences at the time.
Zachary was unable to contact anyone connected to this family, and out of respect for their privacy wouldn’t want to dig any deeper into their story. However, it did open the door for further research: into any presence of a NAACP Youth Council at the Hillcrest school that Zora attended, or more details about the local protests following the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.
Igniting Interest
Looks like our previous investigations have intrigued more than just us! Our episode from July was recently referenced in a recent Oregon Artswatch article, ‘Ziller’s Quilt’ leads North Lincoln County Historical Museum director on treasure hunt into the past. The research from that episode was developed into an exhibit at NLCHM, as described in a recent Lincoln Chronicle article.
On top of that, Jackson County Library Services hosted a Windows in Time presentation based on research from our program. BHQ History Investigator Jeff LaLande presented What Happened to Them?: The Brief Experience of Black C.C.C. Enrollees in Southern Oregon virtually on 10/1.
On Deck
For our November Black History Quest episode, we’re partnering with Anna Sloan, Curator of Collections for the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS).
Stream Anna’s episode live on Tuesday, November 18th at 7:00 PM on Facebook or YouTube to learn more!
Join us!
Do you know more about Johnnie Mae Brown, or have insights about Zilla’s quilt? If you have anything to share about the stories featured on BHQ, we’d love to hear from you! Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Want to be a future history investigator? Send an email to hello@oregonblackpioneers.org!
Interested in doing this research and signing on as a future history investigator? Send an email to hello@oregonblackpioneers.org!
Looking for more? Check out our previous episodes of Black History Quest on YouTube.
Signing off,
