American Life Histories

70 folks, mostly students, gathered to hear and learn about the American Life Histories on October 21st at the Armstrong Center. Michael Price read "I am reaping in Tears what I sowed in Fun" a depression victim story, collected in Augusta Ga. by Mrs. Leila H. Harris, told by Mrs. Ada Radford. He also read "Bea The Washerwoman" collected by Sadie Hornsby in Athens Ga., told by Sarah Hill. Ella Howard read "Mrs. Brown" collected by Mrs. Joe P. (Carrie) Strogh in Atlanta, Ga.
It was interesting to hear the voices from Georgia's past and fun to compare both the participants' stories and the perspectives of the FWP collectors/writers.
Photos from the program.

Nov 5th at 6pm at Jepson "Soul" documentary

Screening of "Soul of a People" a major documentary about the Federal Writers' Project produced by Spark Media. Dr. June Hopkins will lead a discussion following the film.

Thursday November 5th
Soul of a People: Writing America's Story
6:00pm at Neises Auditorium of Jepson Center, Telfair Museum of Art. 207 W. York St, Savannah GA, 31401.

During the Great Depression the Federal Writer's Project provided work for talented but destitute writers. This program, free and open to the public, examines the history and impact of this innovative relief project.

American Life Histories Wednesday

Symposium on the American Life Histories
Wednesday October 21st 9:30am-11am, Armstrong Center, Ballroom A.

Michael Price and Ella Howard, AASU History faculty will examine oral histories drawn from the American Life Histories Collection.

Transcripts of the American Life Histories, oral history interviews gathered by the Federal Writers’ Project, are available online from the Library of Congress’ digital collections.

Photo by Dorothea Lange from FSA Collection. Douglas, Georgia. Wife of sharecropper in town to sell their crop at the tobacco auction.

Richard Wright and 12 Million Black Voices

Dr. Eaton's presentation on Richard Wright drew 78 to the Armstrong Center last Wednesday night, some photos of the event.

Dr. Eaton fleshed out Wright's early years with the Federal Writers' Project, where his talents were first recognized and rewarded. 12 Million Black Voices, a work inspired and made possible by Wright's involvement with the FWP, also brought him scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Eaton explored the question of whether 12 Million Black Voices was an act of sedition as the investigation claimed, or perhaps, the story of the soul of a people.

To see photos from 12 Million Black Voices, drawn from the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, click here.

“An Act of Sedition?: Examining Richard Wright’s FWP Involvement through 12 Million Black Voices.”

Oct 14th, Wednesday, at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium of the Armstrong Center, Dr. Kalenda Eaton will present
“An Act of Sedition?: Examining Richard Wright’s FWP Involvement through 12 Million Black Voices"
The third in our series, this program focuses on a a writer who, having got his start with the Federal Writers’ Project went on to make a significant contribution to American literary history. Free and open to the public.

Drums and Shadows program

Link here to photos of Drums and Shadows program, held in the activity room at the Carnegie Branch of Live Oak Public Libraries, Saturday Oct 10th from 3pm to 5pm.

Drums and Shadows at Carnegie

Come to the Carnegie Branch of Live Oak Public Libraries for the Drums and Shadows program, 3-5pm, Saturday Oct 10th.

Photos from "12 Million Black Voices"

Link here to view the photographs from 12 Million Black Voices. Richard Wright's folk history of African Americans was first published in 1941 with photo direction by Edwin Rosskam. The photographs are integral to Wright's text and will be part of Dr. Kalinda Eaton's presentation on Richard Wright to be held at 6:30 on Wednesday Oct 14th at the Armstrong Center in the meeting suite.

Taken by the Farm Security Adminstration in the New Deal era, the photographs were gathered from the digital collections of the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. The book 12 Million Black Voices is on reserve at Lane Library.

Sponsors, Partners, Donors

Savannah is one of 30 cities selected to participate in the “Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story” program series. The series is sponsored by the American Library Association Public Programs Office, and has received major support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.





The Lane Library at Armstrong Atlantic State University partnered with Live Oak Public Libraries and Dr. June Hopkins, head of AASU’s History Department to plan Savannah’s grant project.

A big thanks to our community partners and donors:

• Telfair Museum of Art

• Georgia Historical Society

• Clayton Digital Reprographics

• The Savannah Morning News

• AASU’s Office of Marketing and Communications

• The Armstrong Center

• The Learning Center at Senior Citizens, Inc.

• Massie Heritage Center of Savannah-Chatham Co. Public Schools

• Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Savannah
  

• Live Oak Public Libraries’ library staff and volunteers
  

• Faculty and staff of AASU’s History Department, Languages Department & the Lane Library.

Kick-off

Follow this link to see photographs of Savannah's "Soul" Kick-off. Over 60 people attended the afternoon event.

All of the presenters and presentations were excellent, moving, informative and fun! One highlight was dramatic readings from the Slave Narratives, introduced by Dr. Elizabeth Desnoyers-Colas and read by Armstrong theater students Alfred Pierce and Ashton Carr. Another was Jamie Keena, who is often grateful that during his talks on American Popular music he can reach for his guitar, or banjo, and break into song. Dr. June Hopkins opened the afternoon with an overview of the context of the New Deal era, WPA and Federal Writers' Project. Drs. Price, Eaton and Fertig's preview programs whetted audience appetites for the rest of the series.

Thanks to Live Oak Public Libraries for the great location, displays and doughnuts! Especially Janet Langford, Barry Stokes, and Ms. McPippin, library volunteer.