Black Scholarship Deserves to Be Read. The Griot Collection Is Open.
The Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab (WDPL) at Prairie View A&M University is pleased to announce the opening of The Griot Collection. We invite students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community researchers to explore this important record of Black intellectual life—and put it to work.
Founded in 1983 by the Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc. (SCAASI), The Griot publishes peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary scholarship. Its preservation offers an opportunity to bring generations of scholarly work into new classrooms, research projects, and public conversations.
Listening to Black History
A student archivist at the Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab reflects on how an unexpected research opportunity at Prairie View A&M University became a meaningful commitment to preserving history. Beginning with a 1978 recording of pioneering journalist Malvin R. Goode, the student discovers how historical voices can challenge assumptions, illuminate injustice, and inspire action across generations. Through completing dozens of audio transcriptions and beginning document digitization, the student develops a deeper connection to the university’s past and a growing sense of responsibility for making these stories accessible to others.
Stewardship & Legacy on “The Hill”
On October 16, 2026, the descendants of Abner Davis drove to Prairie View A&M University to meet with students, staff, and faculty working with the Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab to discuss how their ancestor’s memory can help shape the university’s future. The visit included cleaning the Davis memorial as well as a long conversation about a financial gift to the WDPL and the establishment of an annual Abner Davis Stewardship Day in late October. Each part of the day addressed a shared responsibility: helping students understand the history they inherit and giving them meaningful opportunities to care for it.
Help Us Find the Missing Pieces
If you are a PVAMU alumnus, former employee, Waller County resident, Bethlehem member or descendant, local church member, or keeper of a family collection, look again at the boxes in your closet, the photographs in your albums, the programs inside old Bibles, the VHS tapes, newsletters, letters, funeral programs, scrapbooks, and documents that someone once decided were worth saving.
They may contain the missing name.
The missing photograph.
The missing chapter.
In 1978, Bethlehem’s own Homecoming Committee asked people with records and documents to share them so the church could “fill in all the missing periods.”
Nearly fifty years later, the invitation remains open.
Help the Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab prevent the erasure of African American history. Help us preserve the evidence that says: we were here, we built this, we served, we remembered—and we left something for those who came next. The Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab and Bethlehem United Methodist Church are now carrying this work into a new generation.
But no laboratory can preserve what it never receives.
Finding Home at Bethlehem
Dr. T. DeWayne Moore explains what it feels like to find a home for his family at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hempstead, Texas.
From Brush Arbors to Digital Archives
The collaboration between Bethlehem United Methodist Church (BUMC) and the Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab seeks to safeguard and share the rich history of Black life in Waller County, Texas. Through decades of homecoming programs, BUMC chronicles pivotal moments in Black religious life, education, and community involvement, reflecting resilience and the fight against erasure. These documents serve not just as records of worship but as archives revealing the church’s significant role in social responsibility and community development over time.
Opening the Archives
WDPL graduate student Zha’Mauri Howard spent the day with longtime church member Geneva Moore and her daughter working inside Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Hempstead, Texas, organizing and assessing the church’s remarkable archival collection.
Honoring Emancipation: Juneteenth Celebrations in Waller County
Ten academic, cultural, religious, civic, and community organizations will come together June 16–20 to present one of the largest collaborative Juneteenth commemorations in Waller County history. Through exhibitions, public programs, community celebrations, historic preservation initiatives, and scholarly presentations, the partnership will honor the enduring legacy of emancipation while highlighting the people, institutions, and historic places that continue to shape African American life in Texas.
Enroll in Intro to Digital Storytelling at PVAMU
Prairie View A&M University’s History Program invites students from all majors to enroll in Introduction to Digital Storytelling, a hands-on course hosted in the Woolfolk Digital Preservation Lab. Students will learn digital archiving, multimedia production, and narrative design while transforming historical research into engaging digital formats. The course builds transferable skills and culminates in a professional portfolio. Grounded in a collaborative, student-centered lab environment, the class emphasizes ethical, creative scholarship. Enrollment is now open through Panthertracks, with limited seats available. WDPL also advances preservation efforts, including digitizing The Griot, expanding access to historically underrepresented scholarship.
The Texas Black Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection
From 2021-2024, PVAMU students processed over 100 linear feet of documents and created 63 finding aids for the Texas Black Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection, which constitutes one of the most significant bodies of documentation for understanding Black rural life in the American South during the twentieth century.
Counter-Archive of Survival: A Timeline of the Texas Black Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection (1923-1963)
RISE Graduate Research Assistant Evelyn Todd and PVAMU Assistant Professor History T. DeWayne Moore curated this timeline contextualizing Black land loss and the Texas Black Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection, a massive collection that spans the years 1923-1963.
All in a Summer’s Work: Part 3
In her final 3-part blog post, Evelyn shares how her journey to Ghana impacted her perspective of her Oral History internship on the Southeast Texas plantations this summer.
All in a Summer’s Work: Part Deux
Evelyn delves into the history of one special descendant’s family and the beauty and pain she learned about.
All in a Summer’s Work
Evelyn Todd details her experience working for the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission in Summer 2025.
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery – Geophysical Survey
In 2024, Dr. Chester P. Walker & Aundrea S. Thompson, of Archaeo-Geophysical Associates, conducted ground penetrating radar, magnetometer, and LIDAR studies of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery, which sits on the north side of Prairie View A&M University in Texas. This report details their findings, which include a possible 140 unmarked burials.
Frank Edd White’s 1936 History of Waller County
Frank Edd White’s 1936 thesis contains the only interview ever conducted with Elizabeth Burney, a formerly enslaved woman who lived at Alta Vista, the slave labor plantation of Jared Ellison Kirby. His homeplace later became Prairie View A&M University. The interview begins on page 78.
New research funding at PVAMU to support study of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
Thanks to a $20,000 award from The Summerlee Foundation, the History Department at Prairie View A&M University has begun a comprehensive historical and archaeological study of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery, located behind PVAMU.
African American Museum Repository
On October 2, graduate student Evelyn Todd attended the launch of Dr. Pegram’s labor of love and curiosity–the African American Museum Repository. The event was held in the A. I. Thomas Auditorium, and it featured a handful of respected historians, professors, and student researchers as speakers.
$50,000 Grant from the Texas State Library & Archives Commission
In June 2024, the Digital PV Panther Project won a $50,000 grant award from the Texas State Library & Archives Commission, and this blog post details the potential impact of the project over the next year.
Magnetometer Study of Wyatt Chapel
On March 31, 2024, archaeologists Dr. Chet Walker and Aundrea Thompson returned to PVAMU to conduct the magnetometer study of the historic burial ground of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.
Finding Unmarked Graves at PVAMU
On March 12 and 13, 2024, Legacy Cultural Resources, Inc. invited ground penetrating radar specialists Dr. Chet Walker and Aundrea Thompson to visit the campus of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and conduct several geophysical examinations of the historic burial ground of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.
Students now, Alumni forever!
We have lost so much in the absence of the PVAMU student newspaper, and we want to amplify the voices and creative spirit of students at the oldest public HBCU in Texas. To any student interested in giving back to the university, you can start by submitting an article, short story, or poem for consideration for publication on our website.
Pedestrian Survey of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
On October 21, 2023, the Digital PV Panther Project worked with archaeologists at Legacy Cultural Resources, the Wyatt Chapel Descendants Committee, and the Waller County Historical Society to conduct an Archaeological Pedestrian Survey of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.
Texas Made Hip Hop: A Sonic Journey through 50 Years of Lone Star Flavor
In November, the PVAMU Department of Languages and Communication hosted the Texas Made Hip Hop Seminar on campus, and Digital PV Panther Project team member Kendall Douglass immersed himself in the symposium. Delving into the extraordinary odyssey of hip-hop, he details his experience in this blog post…
Veteran’s Day Exhibit in Coleman Library
In early November 2023, PVAMU Acquisitions Librarian Sharon Barnes and Library Associate Sabrina Francis coordinated the efforts of a host of students, staff, and, scholars to curate an exhibition for Veteran’s Day in the John B. Coleman Library. The exhibition was truly a team effort and a big hit!
Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk, “Prairie View: A Success Story” – 1981 Homecoming Convocation
On October 29, 1981, the PVAMU History program chair Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk delivered an epic address at the Golden Anniversary Homecoming Convocation titled “Prairie View: A Success Story.” Listen to his address and read the full transcription…
Accomplishments – September 30, 2023
This post contains a list of our accomplishments on the Digital PV Panther Project on September 30, 2023.
Summer RISE with the Digital PV Panther Project
In this blog post, RISE grant recipient Evelyn Kay Todd details her experience over the summer working on the Digital PV Panther Project.
“UNDER-SERVED”: The Disproportionate Impact of Food Insecurity in the TAMU System
Malachi McMahon examines the disproportionate availability of healthy food options at Prairie View A&M University in contrast to Texas A&M University at College Station.
Promotional Article on PVAMU website
The Special Collections & Archives Department at Prairie View A&M University has received a $450,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The funds helped establish the Digital PV Panther Project, which aims to eliminate the silences and erasures surrounding the history of PVAMU.
HIST 3312 – Digital Storytelling
For the Fall 2023 semester, we created a course in Digital Storytelling for the History program at PVAMU. The course will introduce students to digital storytelling as well as the emerging field of Black Digital Humanities. In addition to assigned readings, students will attend lab sessions and learn digital technologies and skills, such as digital exhibition curation, ArcGIS mapping, and digital content management.
Caleb Brookins: A Rewarding Experience
Caleb Brookins has moved on to greater things, but he will always cherish his time working to preserve the rich history of Prairie View A&M University.
Say My Name!
One of our most startling discoveries in 2021 was the fact that we did not know the name of a single person who had been enslaved on the plantation that later became PVAMU. This blog post reveals the name of the first enslaved person we know lived at Alta Vista.
“Silence is a Very Good Weapon”
In February 1971, PVAMU students destroyed over $200,000 of property on campus, burning down the campus security building, the Dean of Men’s offices, and the Office of Freshman Studies. They overturned a security patrol car and set it on fire, and they set fire to the Army ROTC building. This blog post by Malachi McMahon and Dr. T. DeWayne Moore explains how silence can be a powerful weapon in the hands of higher administration.
Progress to Date
In this blog post, we curated a digital exhibition in Wordpress to update stakeholders on our progress at the end of the Fall 2022 semester. We look forward to accomplishing even greater things in 2023!
Grant Accomplishments – November 19, 2022
This blog posts lists our accomplishments on the NEH grant as of November 19, 2022.
Prairie View Memorial Park Cemetery
This map of Prairie View Memorial Park Cemetery was provided by Texas Cemetery Restoration, LLC. We appreciate Dr. Jessica Ward, Assistant Professor of the Practice in the School of Architecture at PVAMU for sharing her research with the Digital PV Panther Project.
Amistad II Bookplace (2002)
In this 2002 article from the student newspaper, Erika K. Myers interviews the owners of one of the only Black-owned businesses in the city of Prairie View–the Amistad II Bookstore–which should be honored with a historic marker in the city.
A Student’s Perspective inside the DPPP
D’Asia Johnson has taken on numerous roles during her first two months working on the Digital PV Panther Project. This blog post highlights her multi-faceted experience, and it offers readers a glimpse of the work environment inside the DPPP.
Digital Preservation at PVAMU
Archival Assistant Kasedi Eason has developed into the role of historic preservation on campus, and her first blog post details her experiences curating social media, processing archival collections, and collaborating with a range of scholars on the Digital PV Panther Project.
The Archival Experience
Archival Assistant Hannah Harden is one of the hardest working members of the team at the Digital PV Panther Project, and this blog post details her multi-faceted workload and experience for the first month!
Historical Consciousness and the PV19
By analyzing the digital resources available about an important, yet understudied, chapter of local voting rights history, The PV19, Caleb Brookins demonstrates that historical understanding is required to make good decisions and achieve a heightened state of consciousness.
That Old PV Spirit
This editorial by Clearance Lee Turner in a 1961 edition of student newspaper explains the need for “That Old PV Spirit” during homecoming.
We’re Hiring!
The Student Hourly Assistant, under general supervision, will process and digitize collections, curate social media content, transcribe oral histories, conduct archival research, create video and audio recordings, compose blog entries about their work, and serve as public ambassadors for the Digital PV Panther Project.
Hourly Rate of Pay: $13.00
Job Posting Close Date: 10/05/2022
A Tale of Two Professors at Prairie View
The Texas State Library & Archives Commission (TSLAC) awarded Ms. Earles and Dr. Moore almost $20,000, and it gave Lindsay Boknight the opportunity to learn more about the amazing careers of Myrtle E. Garrett and Oscar John Thomas. This blog post examines the lives and legacies of two former professors and encourages researchers to visit the archives to examine the collections for themselves!
Animal Husbandry, Assault Rifles, and Best Friends
Zynitra Durham examines a historic building on the campus of PVAMU as well as celebrates her birthday with horses and assault rifles in this very personal blog post.
Black Digital Humanities Projects & Resources
Black Digital Humanities projects help to unmask the racialized systems of power at work in how we understand Digital Humanities as a field and utilize its associated techniques. This blog post contains numerous links to Black Digital Humanities projects to highlight the intersection between Black studies and digital humanities, transform the concepts into corporeal reality, and provide support to the work of the black digerati in and outside of academe.
Paying Respect at the Abner A. Davis Memorial
Malachi McMahon details the history of memorialization of Abner A. Davis on “The Hill,” and he explains how he took part in the tradition of historic preservation and campus beautification at PVAMU.
PVAMU on the National Register of Historic Places?
Lindsay Boknight explains that PVAMU is the oldest publicly funded HBCU in the state of Texas, but the entire campus is currently NOT listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Several buildings on campus are listed in the NRHP, but not the entire campus, which contains more than 20 buildings on 1,502 acres of land. If the entire campus of PVAMU were to be added to the NRHP, it would allow us to catch up and preserve older structures, such as the E.B. Evans Animal Industries Building, which has been vacant since 2009. There is nothing like the mission of an HBCU, and we need to preserve the historical spaces where our students live, learn, and grow and where our faculty and staff do their phenomenal and purpose-driven work.
Alta Vista: “Monument of Sorrow”
George Ruble Woolfolk’s chapter in 101 Historic Homes in Waller County centers on Alta Vista, the slave mansion built by Jared Ellison Kirby in 1858.
Redesigning the Past
In this post, Kalayah Jammer discusses processing the manuscript collections of former PVAMU professors and administrators who made amazing strides to the betterment and exposure of the university. She also introduces us to the amazing career of Edison Anderson, who directed the Prairie View A Capella Choir in the 1960s.
New Beginnings
Here’s to New Beginnings! Come along with archival assistant Lindsay Boknight for a change of pace and a change of mindset in uncovering the deep rooted history of Prairie View A&M University for the Digital PV Panther Project! Read along to discover more about our “on campus” cemetery, lost tape files, and the unstoppable work of Wilhelmina R. Delco!
“They Can Tropical Fruits”
In my first weeks as an archival assistant for the Digital PV Panther Project, I helped process the manuscript collections of former professors and administrators involved in building the Prairie View community. On my first day, Dr. Moore gave me a tour of Room 109 in the library, the Archival Annex, which contains collections that […]
The First Few Collections
Over the course of my first few weeks of being an assistant in the archives and making my way through the various collections, I have learned a lot more about the history of my HBCU. My first job on campus in 2020 was in the Cooperative Agricultural Research Center (CARC), but it was not until last week while going through the manuscript collection of a female extension agent who worked at PVAMU and TAMU named Myrtle Garrett that I learned the history of the CARC.
Rehousing Manuscript Collections
In his first month as an archival assistant on the Digital PV Panther Project, Malachi McMahon examined the contents of numerous boxes of archival media on the fifth floor of John B. Coleman Library.
Uncovering the Roots of Alta Vista
My experience working on the Digital PV Panther Project started off on a high note. In my first week, I uncovered some long-lost elements of university history that stretch back almost two centuries on a field trip to the Austin County Courthouse archives in the town of Bellville, TX. I also tried the chicken tenders at Dairy Queen for the first time! Most importantly, however, I sparked an intense curiosity within myself about the rich history and campus geography at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU).
The 1989 Texas Historical Marker Proposal for Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
In the summer of 1989, Dr. Mildred W. Abshier and a research team consisting of Bessie Thomas, Frank Jackson, and Carrie B. Coss visited the cemetery with 82 year-old descendant Ida Lou Wells Owens Pierce, a longtime resident of the Wyatt Chapel community. Using the field research, local scholarship, and the information gleaned from several interviews, Dr. Abshier prepared the following report to accompany the historical marker application submitted to the Texas Historical Commission. Their efforts resulted in the dedication of a historical marker near the cemetery behind Prairie View A&M University in 1992. We located this report while preparing the grant proposal to the Summerlee Foundation in 2021, and we decided to publish it below in advance of the ground penetrating radar survey in September 2022.
Using Science to Uncover History: A Geophysical Investigation of Wyatt Chapel Cemetery
Alison T. Henning, Ginger Burns, Richard Hoffman, and Brian Jacoby published this article about Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery in a 2009 issue of the Journal of History and Culture.
Slave Ship Galveston – 1858
In December 2021, we searched Ancestry.com for information about Jared Ellison Kirby, and we located the name of another person who lived at Kirby’s enslaved labor camp, Alta Vista. According to the manifest of the ship Galveston, Kirby had a 15 year-old girl named Lucinda transported from New Orleans to Galveston in May 1858.
Frank Calidonna Photograph Exhibit
This digital exhibition contains the work of Frank Calidonna, which he donated to the Association for Gravestone Studies archives in 2009. It’s based upon his early 1990s exhibition, “Stranger Stop and Cast an Eye.”