pvamu

Dr. Moore, descendants, and students
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New research funding at PVAMU to support study of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery

NEW RESEARCH FUNDING

To support study of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery at PVAMU

Visit the PVAMU website
DPPP logo
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Sept. 24, 2024) – 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. The study seeks to delineate the boundaries of the cemetery, as well as identify, as closely as possible, those interred in the mostly unmarked graves.

All photography © Nicholas Hunt, Office for Marketing and Communications, 2024

PVAMU graduate student Evelyn Todd, PVAMU Assistant Professor of History Dr. DeWayne Moore, descendant partner Bishop Pendleton, Descendant Committee Chairperson Pamela Morgan, PVAMU architecture major Zynitra Durham, and PVAMU undergraduate Kalayah Jammer
PVAMU graduate student Evelyn Todd, PVAMU Assistant Professor of History Dr. DeWayne Moore, descendant partner Bishop Pendleton, Descendant Committee Chairperson Pamela Morgan, PVAMU architecture major Zynitra Durham, and PVAMU undergraduate Kalayah Jammer

Through the process, the project hopes to tell more completely the story of the formerly enslaved, buried in the hallowed grounds, and the hardships they endured at the Alta Vista Plantation, where PVAMU stands today.

Historic

&

Abandoned

Unmarked graves in Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
Unmarked graves in Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery

“This study will explore the African American-lived experience through participatory and archival research, digital humanities, oral history, geospatial data collection and analysis, and the creation of interactive and immersive maps in preparation for the 150th anniversary of PVAMU in 2026,” said Dr. DeWayne Moore, a U.S. and public history professor at PVAMU.

 
The project was inspired by former PVAMU President Ruth Simmons, who encouraged such studies ‘to affirm to our students that we are awake, that we are concerned for their future, and that we are the Prairie View of our lineage.’”

 

Dr. Moore said the project is a true community effort, comprising faculty, staff, students, administrators, experts and community members to carry out the research and disseminate the resulting information.
Dr. Moore’s students have conducted interviews with several descendants of those buried in the cemetery. and he hopes that this article will encourage other descendants to reach out and contribute to the project. Due to her strong kinship ties to the University, graduate student Evelyn Todd ’21 is working on the project.

 

“As a student, you always hear the stories about the cemetery in the back of campus. So, it was sad to find out this was it and watch it go downhill over the years,” said Todd, who is working towards her MBA.
“I wanted to do my part to not just preserve the cemetery but honor it. I’m also really big on learning our history because if we don’t know what we’ve done or where we’ve been, then we won’t know where we’re going.”

‘To Honor Those Who Came Before Us’

The Texas state historical marker for Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
The Texas state historical marker for Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
The Alta Vista Plantation, owned by Colonel Jared E. Kirby, became property of the State of Texas in 1876. Kirby’s widow, Helen Marr Swearingen Kirby, deeded the land for the establishment of PVAMU.
Moore said history portrays Kirby as a “benevolent” slaveholder. But that all changed in the summer of 2021 when a June 24, 1936, interview with the only living person known to have been enslaved at Alta Vista surfaced.
According to Moore, Frank Edd White, a graduate student at the University of Texas, interviewed “several of the formerly enslaved in Waller County” near the Hempstead-Bellville highway. Among the interviewees was Elizabeth Burney, who had been enslaved at Alta Vista.

 

“She had ‘seen negro men beaten until blood ran down their legs,’” said Moore, recounting White’s record of the interview with Burney.

 

“’Marster Jack,’ as she referred to Kirby, ‘was sho’ mean to his slaves,’ and Burney went on to testify that ‘their food was bad…and sometimes the beef was spoiled and had worms in it, but they were glad to get it and did not complain,’” continued Moore, reading from the Burney interview. “’Their clothes were very scanty at times…Their living quarters were small and overcrowded…There was a great deal of sickness among the slaves, and when they died, a hole was dug, and they were rolled in it and covered up.’”

 

Moore said the Burney interview offers some of the only information recorded about the burial practices for the enslaved at Alta Vista.
The military headstone of Luther Felder is one of the only marked grave in the cemetery.
The military headstone of Luther Felder is one of the only marked grave in the cemetery.

Finding & Saying the Names

“The cemetery contains a few marked graves, but the names of the internments have proven as elusive as the names of the enslaved at Alta Vista,” he said.

Among those buried at Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery is Mattie Wyatt Wells, daughter of George W. Wyatt, one of several African American politicians who hailed from Waller County during the Reconstruction era.

“This cemetery contains not only the remains of enslaved men and women who once lived on the enslaved labor farm of Jared E. Kirby, but also the graves of military veterans, the formerly enslaved, and their descendants,” said Moore. “Moreover, this is an important historical site to the descendants of those interred in the cemetery as well as the larger community of Wyatt Chapel and Prairie View. We have an opportunity to invite a host of stakeholders to campus to take part in the research and memorialization process, which can help people reach a consensus about the past and feel more confident about the future.”

Check out our blog post on enslaved names!
Students and alumni work on the pedestrian survey in fall 2023
Students and alumni work on the pedestrian survey in fall 2023

Tradition with the Annual Slave Cemetery Trek

To connect students, faculty, and the community with the area’s history, an annual Slave Cemetery Trek was a traditional event at PVAMU that was started in the 1990s by Professor Howard Jones.

However, Moore says the Slave Cemetery Trek has been undertaken by visitors interested in the history of the institution and may become an annual tradition at PVAMU.

“In the past, professors in the Division of Social, Political, and Behavioral Sciences conducted the trek in the fall, including longtime history program director and chair of the Division of Social Sciences, Dr. Ronald Goodwin, whose blog at the Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture is a must-read for anyone interested in connecting the past to the present at PVAMU.”

PVAMU students, professors, staff, community members, and descendants gather to conduct the pedestrian survey in late 2023
PVAMU students, professors, staff, community members, and descendants gather to conduct the pedestrian survey in late 2023
 

 

According to a web page dedicated to the history of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery and the ongoing project, the annual Slave Cemetery Trek has garnered strong, emotional reactions from past students who have made the walk.

 

Some “complained about the distance while others backed away because of fear,” with one student later writing, “There needs to be an understanding that while we are here doing what we are doing, there were others who came before us that worked diligently to produce the opportunities that we have at the present time.”

How to Keep

Track of the Project

and How to Help

Pamela Morgan & Bishop Pendleton
Pamela Morgan & Bishop Pendleton

Believed to cover approximately three to five acres, the Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery may hold more than 2,000 graves, said Moore. In the fall of 2023, his team walked the burial ground to conduct a pedestrian survey and identified almost 200 potential grave markers, using remote sensing to determine the size of the burial ground. “Community stakeholders and PVAMU students worked with archaeologists Dr. Nesta Anderson and Melanie Nichols of Legacy Cultural Resources, LLC, to conduct the pedestrian survey of the cemetery,” said Moore.

 
This past spring, Chet Walker of Archeo-Geophysical Associates, LLC, conducted a ground-penetrating radar, magnetometer, and LIDAR survey of the cemetery. “His team is still waiting on the official report from the various studies,” Moore explained.

 

Donna D. Carter, FAIA, president of Austin, Texas-based architecture firm Carter Design Associates, is also involved in the project as a preservation architect. Her team has worked on multiple historical preservation projects, and they are excited to be part of this one.

 

In the meantime, Moore and his team built a project website, the Digital PV Panther Project. His students update the blog regularly so everyone on campus and within the community can stay abreast of the latest project news.

 

In addition to the website, people can also visit the Instagram, X, and Facebook accounts of the Digital PV Panther Project for up-to-date information.

Responsible Public History Practice

“One of the main goals of the project is to demonstrate the value of transparency and responsible practice to public history,” said Moore. “By regularly blogging about our work and posting updates on social media, we hope to inspire a more community-engaged, participatory approach to historic preservation in Texas.”

A review of historical evidence, Moore said, requires a critical eye and a breadth of knowledge sharpened by an investigative spirit willing to look beyond the painted prejudices of the past.

 

Ground Penetrating Radar Study
Dr. Moore, descendants, and students
“Primary source materials reflect the perspectives and biases of their authors, and they reflect the systems of power and racist ideologies of the periods in which they were written,” said Moore. “They commodify Black experiences and rarely acknowledge the humanity of enslaved people. The data-driven methods of historical inquiry have often rendered enslaved people nameless; thus, we intend to use qualitative and archival data collections to recover the names and life stories of enslaved people and their descendants.

 

“We seek to identify as many enslaved people by name as possible, and we intend to represent individual and collective experiences in a self-conscious, responsible frame,” Moore continued. “We plan to compile as much data as possible and employ textual analysis to read against the grain of dehumanizing archival perspectives, and we stand in solidarity with and support descendant communities in telling their own histories.”

 

Interested parties should email graduate student Evelyn Todd at [email protected].

African American Museum Repository
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African American Museum Repository

Website Launch of the

 

 

 

By Evelyn Todd

Af Am Museums

“Welcome to the African American Museum Repository, your comprehensive guide to exploring African American museums across the United States.” This greeting brought me so much joy when I clicked the link to view the brand-new website at Dr. Pegram’s Website Launch. 

On October 2nd, I was honored to attend the Launching Event of Dr. Pegram’s labor of love and curiosity. The event was held in the A. I. Thomas Auditorium, and it featured a handful of respected historians, professors, and student researchers as speakers. Once Dr. Goodwin began the event by welcoming us, Dr. Pegram took the stage to introduce her project, the African American Museum Repository.  

I reached out to Dr. Pegram to get her exact remarks on the origins of this project. She shared with me that “The website idea came out of my love for museums and wanting to be able to create summer road trips, finding different museums, and different states when I was unable to find a list of museums per state. I thought this was a great project to bring forth for students, for the public, and also for scholars.  My research goal is to be able to look at how the existence of museums impacts the perception of African Americans.” 

PVAMU Panther logo

With her research goal in mind, she had a couple of professors and historians take the stage to share their thoughts on this project. Leading the way was the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Melanye Price, the Director of the Ruth J. Simmons Race and Justice Center at the university. She emphasized the importance of all but especially young Black people knowing their history. After asking the audience, mainly filled with college students, if we knew who Rosa Parks was, she asked us to raise our hand if any of us ever heard her speak. None of the students raised their hands. Dr. Price went on to explain that not only was Rosa Parks a public speaker, but she was not the first black woman to get arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus. Sharing more details with us about the impactful life of Rosa Parks, she then segued into a story about how a young black man assaulted and robbed Rosa Parks in her later years of life. He just thought he was robbing some old lady. He had no idea who Rosa Parks was. Tying it into the museum repository, Dr. Price highlighted the importance of this achievement. It gives young people an accessible tool to be adventurous and educate themselves in parts of history they might not have known otherwise. 

African American Museum Repository
Dr. Bequita Pegram
Dr. Bequita Pegram
Schedule

Next, Dr. Pegram came back up and gave us the QR Code to access the website. I immediately went onto the website and scoured every page. It was fascinating to see that she had done more than expected. The project was more than a place to find new African American museums across the United States. Dr. Pegram and her research time created lesson plans from early childhood to graduate level. Again, this showcases that the project’s overall goal is to create opportunities for all people to expand their knowledge and perception of African American history, life, and culture. I appreciate that there is also a page for news posts to keep visitors up to date with “blog posts, informative events, and community connections.” 

PVAMU Panther logo
Dr. Bequita Pegram
Dr. Bequita Pegram
Once the website was accessible, Dr. Pegram had the other speakers share their thoughts. Dr. W. Danae Powell-Muhammad, African African-American studies professor at the University of Houston, spoke of the importance of the website, how this is a beautiful tool at the disposal of the students, and the irony of her first time visiting the repository. When Dr. Pegram first shared the website with her in preparation for the launch, Dr. Powell-Muhammad thought it was for her personal use and began looking up the different museums listed within the website for future visits. This is a perfect situation as it is exactly what the museum repository is for. 
African American Museum Repository
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Following Dr. Powell-Muhammad, three of Dr. Pegram’s student researchers, Kariden Isaac, Destiny Webb, and Gabriel London, shared about their roles as researchers and what they found interesting about participating in the project. They spoke of learning about the number of museums that actually exist in the country and seeing how valuable and necessary this research is for the public, not just those with a scholastic perspective. Ms. Kimberly Gay, Head of the References and Information Services in John B. Coleman Library, shared a thought that had occurred to me the moment I heard of this project. The African American Museum Repository is, in its own interpretation, a virtual Green Book. In the way that the Negro Motorist Green Book provided Black people driving routes, lodging options, food stops, and much more, the African American Museum Repository offers us a digital route to find places across the country where we have been remembered, honored, and upheld as a people and culture. She also led us to the Oxford African American Studies Center (accessible through the PVAMU Library website) and showed us how the repository will positively impact other research being done about African American museums. 

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African American Museum Repository
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Closing it out, Dr. Malachi Crawford, PVAMU History professor shared some ideas that stuck with me. He pointed out what it would be like to have a Black natural sciences museum and what that could look like. He talked about how this repository can impact the way we think of Black history, especially knowing that Black history did not begin when our people were out on those boats. Then, he asked a VERY important question. One that I and other students in the DPPP have asked multiple times: Where is Prairie View’s Museum? Whether it is for the city, the university, or both, why do we not have a museum? This would benefit us all. 
PVAMU Panther logo
Dr. Bequita Pegram
Dr. Bequita Pegram
At the end of the event, Dr. Pegram came back up for her closing remarks, thanking everyone again for attending, and supporting her labor of love and curiosity. I truly enjoyed attending the event and learning about the repository. All in all, it reminded and encouraged me how powerful it is when we decide to put our curiosity to work instead of leaving it up to others to figure it out. Research and knowledge are gifts that are accessible to everyone, and Dr. Pegram’s African American Museum Repository is brilliant proof of this. 
Visit the Website!
 

Our mission at the Digital PV Panther Project is to eliminate historical silences through digital storytelling and prevent the erasure of African American history through historic preservation at PVAMU.

Malachi McMahon GPR
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Finding Unmarked Graves at PVAMU

GPR_003

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.

 

 

This project is funded through the Summerlee Foundation.

GPR_003
GPR_003
LIDAR DRONE 001
LIDAR DRONE 003
Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker met with project director and PVAMU Assistant Professor of History DeWayne Moore to learn more about the grant from the Summerlee Foundation.

Aundrea Thompson, Dr. Chet Walker, and Dr. DeWayne Moore

Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker met with project director and PVAMU Assistant Professor of History DeWayne Moore to learn more about the grant from the Summerlee Foundation.
Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker

The archeologists

Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker
Dr. Moore's son, Noah, surveys the cemetery with students workers on the Digital PV Panther Project--Noah Jackson, Zynitra Durham, and Jaylynn Brantley

Student Engagement

Dr. Moore’s son, Noah, surveys the cemetery with students workers on the Digital PV Panther Project–Noah Jackson, Zynitra Durham, and Jaylynn Brantley
LIDAR DRONE 001

The archaeologists

In the spring of 2006, Dr. Walker founded Archaeo-Geophysical Associates, LLC, an archaeological consulting firm specializing in geophysical prospection. Since that time, he has collected geophysical data on over 150 archaeological sites, now totaling much more than 1,539 Acres of Gradiometer, 115 Acres of Ground-Penetrating Radar, and 484 Acres of Electromagnetic Induction Meter.

Aundrea Thompson studied at the University of Wyoming, and she has worked as a forensic archaeologist on numerous projects in the past ten years. For more on one project, in which she located the remains of a World War II soldier and brought his remains back to the US for burial, please click HERE

Aundrea Thompson's Graduate Work
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GPR_003
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LIDAR DRONE 001
LIDAR DRONE 003
GPR_003

 

Hauling their geophysical prospection equipment in a large pick-up truck from Palestine, Texas, where they had been working at another archaeological site, Aundrea and Chet planned to spend two days on campus before driving to Magnolia, Texas to collaborate with the Houston Archaeological Society on a dig site.

At PVAMU, Chet and Aundrea planned to run the ground-penetrating radar over the entire five acre field to determine the size of the burial ground. In addition, they intended to scan the field with an electromagnetic induction meter as well as LIDAR [or Light Detection and Ranging], which is attached to a large drone and scans an estimated 120 acre area.

Chet Walker Locates Remains in Alabama
In this image, you can see how running the GPR looks on the grass. Making an imprint similar to that of a lawn mower, Chet and Aundrea covered the entire field, hoping to determine the size of the burial ground.

Ground Penetrating Radar

In this image, you can see how running the GPR looks on the grass. Making an imprint similar to that of a lawn mower, Chet and Aundrea covered the entire field, hoping to determine the size of the burial ground.
By scanning the entire field, the teams intends to use the data from GPR to corroborate data obtained during the pedestrian survey in October 2023. We hope to determine the locations of graves and the size of the burial ground.

Scanning the Entire Field

By scanning the entire field, the teams intends to use the data from GPR to corroborate data obtained during the pedestrian survey in October 2023. We hope to determine the locations of graves and the size of the burial ground.
LIDAR DRONE 001

The cemetery

The burial ground is associated with and named after an African American church founded in the 1890s by Reverend George W. Wyatt, a one-time school teacher and politician who represented Waller and Fort Bend Counties in the state legislature in the 1880s. Based on slave schedules, Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery might contain hundreds of graves of enslaved people, formerly enslaved people, and their descendants. It sits on the former slave labor plantation of Jared E. Kirby, who, in 1860, owned more enslaved people (159) than any other planter in Austin County. No one made a formal record of these burials, however, and the historic burial ground, which is located behind University Village Phase III, was over time abandoned, especially after 1961, with the establishment of nearby Prairie View Memorial Gardens. Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery contains only a handful of marked graves, but it holds forever close the remains of three United States military veterans. 

THE WYATT CHAPEL CEMETERY PROJECT
GPR_003
GPR_003

Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)

LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
Chet and Aundrea have several drones that can carry up to 22 pounds of equipment.

Drone with LIDAR

Chet and Aundrea have several drones that can carry up to 22 pounds of equipment.

Pre-Set Navigation

With pre-set navigational controls, the drone flies back and forth in straight lines, capturing data about the contours of the earth over a 120 square mile area.
GPR_003

Chet and Aundrea completed the data collection using ground penetrating radar for the entire five acre field, and they obtained LIDAR data using the drone, but they plan to return later in March 2024 to complete data collection with the magnetometer. Once all the data is collected, they will analyze their findings independently and objectively, and they will submit their findings to Dr. Nesta Anderson, of Legacy Cultural Resources, Inc., who will meet with Dr. Moore and Pamela Morgan, of the Wyatt Chapel Descendants Committee, to compare the results to the findings from the pedestrian survey. 

DPPP logo

Digital PV Panther Project
John B. Coleman Library
Room 111
Prairie View, Texas 77446

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 936-261-3512

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CEMETERY PROJECT
We cleaned the headstone of veteran Milo Wilson with D2 biological solution in October 2023, and it looks amazing in 2024.

The Headstone of Milo Wilson

We cleaned the headstone of veteran Milo Wilson with D2 biological solution in October 2023, and it looks amazing in 2024.

Stay tuned for the next installment!

Summerlee-Promo-Pic-1
Wyatt Chapel after GPR
MIlo Wilson Headstone after D2
Noah & Aundrea Walking Wyatt
Noah at Wyatt
TX-Made-Hip-Hop-50-on-the-Hill
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Texas Made Hip Hop: A Sonic Journey through 50 Years of Lone Star Flavor

Texas Made Hip Hop

A Sonic Journey through 50 Years of Lone Star Flavor

By Kendall Douglass

Texas Made Hip Hop

A Sonic Journey through 50 Years of Lone Star Flavor

By Kendall Douglass

TX-Made-Hip-Hop-50-on-the-Hill

“Hip Hop 50 on the Hill”

Prairie View A&M University’s Department of Languages and Communication hosted a spectacular event – the Texas Made Hip Hop Seminar, aptly titled “Hip Hop 50 on the Hill.” Alongside fellow students and esteemed faculty members, I immersed myself in this symposium, delving into the extraordinary odyssey of hip-hop. 

DJ Screw shifting through records.
Deep Impact

The indelible mark that Texas has left on this dynamic genre cannot be ignored, with its distinct and influential contributions resonating throughout the last five decades. The Lone Star State has embraced hip-hop and cultivated its unique brand, weaving a rich tapestry of culture, diversity, and resilience. Join us on a sonic expedition spanning the past 50 years of Texas-made hip hop, exploring the genre’s evolution from the heart of the South.

Titans of Industry

Renowned speakers Lance Scott Walker and Maco Faniel took us on an immersive journey through their personal experiences as flourishing professionals in the hip-hop industry, unveiling the temporal layers of hip-hop’s emergence. Our voyage commences in the late ’80s, a pivotal era when pioneers like the Geto Boys emerged from Houston, laying the foundation for Texas hip hop.

Their raw and unapologetic lyrics mirrored the harsh realities of urban life, etching a distinctive Texan voice into the genre’s narrative. 

Lance Scott Walker and Maco Faniel 
Lance Scott Walker and Maco Faniel 
The Geto Boys circa 1980s
The Geto Boys circa 1980s
Dirty South

The 1990s introduced us to the legendary DJ Screw, whose groundbreaking “chopped and screwed” technique altered the tempo and texture of tracks, birthing a unique subgenre synonymous with Houston hip-hop and leaving his imprint on artists nationwide. As the ’90s unfolded, Texas assumed a central role in shaping the Dirty South sound. Artists like UGK (Underground Kingz) and Scarface infused their music with Southern pride, drawing attention to Texas’s distinct flavor to the hip-hop landscape.

Millennials Not Liminal

The 2000s ushered in a new wave of Texas artists, with figures like Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, and Paul Wall achieving national acclaim. Their success underscored the resilience and adaptability of Texas hip-hop, showcasing an ability to evolve alongside the industry’s ever-changing currents. Venturing into the 2010s, artists such as Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and Post Malone propelled Texas hip-hop onto the global stage. 

Chamillionaire & Paul Wall
Chamillionaire & Paul Wall
Certificate of Screwthenticity awarded to Earl Davis Jr (DJ Screw)
Certificate of Screwthenticity awarded to Earl Davis Jr (DJ Screw)
Polyvalent & Janus-faced

Their cross-genre collaborations and chart-topping hits served as a testament to the versatility of the Texan sound. Texas hip-hop continues to thrive today, boasting a vibrant scene that celebrates diversity, authenticity, and innovation. Artists hailing from every corner of the state contribute to a mosaic of styles, ensuring that the Lone Star legacy endures in every beat and rhyme.

The narrative of Texas hip-hop unfolds as a captivating tale, underscoring the profound impact music wields in mirroring, influencing, and surmounting cultural confines. It serves as a testament to the significance of maintaining authenticity to one’s origins while embracing adaptability and cooperation within the expansive tapestry of globalized musical expression. Through the lens of Texas hip-hop, we glean insights into the dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation, highlighting the enduring power of music to shape and be shaped by the ever-evolving cultural landscape.

Case 3
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Veteran’s Day Exhibit in Coleman Library

Veteran’s Day Exhibition

November 2023

In early November 2023, 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. It included contributions from Delorse Hawkins, Cesselly Churchill, Ruben Nchama, Karl Henson, Musa Olaka, Phyllis Earles, Evelyn Davis, Susan Streety, Neal Bostwick, James Williams, and Digital PV Panther Project team leader Noah Jackson, who created a slideshow of digital images pertaining to military history on campus.

On November 16, Sharon Barnes sent a congratulatory email to the team, which exclaimed:

I cannot express how honored I am to have worked with you all on this project. The Veterans Day display was a hit! None of this could have been possible without you.  😊

Thanks,

Sharon

Case 5
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023
Case 4
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023
Book Display 1
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023
Case 1
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023
Case 2
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023
Case 3
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023
Vet Slide Show
Photo © Sharon Barnes 2023

Thank You!

We want to thank Sharon Barnes and Sabrina Francis for coordinating this effort, and we look forward to working together in the future to put the history of PVAMU on display for the public!

George Ruble Woolfolk
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Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk, “Prairie View: A Success Story” – 1981 Homecoming Convocation

The Golden

Anniversary

Homecoming

Convocation

 

October 29th, 1981

Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk – “Prairie View: A Success Story”

George Ruble Woolfolk circa 1950s
George Ruble Woolfolk circa 1950s

 

Analog tape digitized by Michael Lee at Rare Records in Winchester, TN in Fall 2022

Digital audio transferred from the Google Drive to Microsoft Teams by Lindsay Boknight on February 10, 2023

Edited by Jaylynn Brantley on November 10, 2023  

Edited and Curated by T. DeWayne Moore on November 12, 2023

 

LINK to the 1981 Convocation Program

Alice Clemons, Miss Prairie View 1981-1982, delivers the introduction of Dr. Woolfolk.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to introduce our speaker for the occasion. I know the speaker was born, raised, and educated in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Louisville Municipal College and the University of Louisville, the Master of Arts in History from Ohio State University, and the Doctor of Philosophy in History from the University of Wisconsin.

This learned historian is a member of the Executive Council of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, a member of the Board of Editors of The Journal of Negro History, a member of the Executive Council of the Texas State Historical Association, the technical advisor to the Waller County Historical Commission and vice chairman of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Texas. I could go on and on with his many professional involvements, but [I] would like to mention a few of his publications.

Included among his numerous publications are “Cotton, Capitalism, and Slave Labor in Texas” in the Southwestern Social Science Quarterly, June 1956; “Taxes and Slavery in the Antebellum South,” in the Journal of Southern History, May 1960; “Social Literacy, the Social Studies, and Negro Youth,” in The Texas Standard, June 1962; “And The Word Became Flesh,” in The Journal of Negro History, Spring 1966; a book entitled The Free Negro in Texas 1836-1890, published in 1976, and perhaps his most special treatise, published in 1962. Prairie View: A Study in Public Conscience, 1878-1946.

Our illustrious speaker, who is married to the former Douglas G. Perry, has one son, George Jr. At this time, I take great pride in presenting to you the chairman of the History program at Prairie View and an outstanding member of the Prairie View family since 1943, our speaker Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk.

[Pause for applause]
At 3 minutes and 3 seconds, Dr. Woolfolk begins his address:

I’d like to speak briefly this morning on the general subject, “Prairie View: A Success Story,” in keeping with the theme of the golden anniversary for this year. At the homecoming convocation, it is fitting that we review the accomplishments of this institution.

It is [fitting that we] take pride in its development, in what it has done, and how our students have contributed to the great development of the state, nation, and their particular localities. I said in some writing a few years ago, in thinking about the institution:

One hundred years is a long span in the life of a man or an institution. What do the years mean? For a man or an institution; if they are filled with the honest sweat of service to humanity–with the patient following of that higher law of unflinching fidelity to the dictates of a calling–the years are a benediction.

Prairie View is an institution. A public institution. But an institution is an empty thing without the beating hearts and the yearning souls of mortal men. And down the 100 years of Prairie View’s existence, men have lived and dreamed here until every blade of grass and every rock, in that wise primordial way in which the primitive earth knows and cares, has joined the choir invisible to bless their memory. For every man whose foot has touched his hallowed soil has found his spirit and has broadened and deepened it until what started out as an ambitionless meandering stream has become a purposeful river upon whose tide, now turbulent, now tranquil, floats the destiny of countless hopes and dreams.

The spirit of an institution is a compound of many things—a strange and often quixotic amalgam of unrelated, sometimes contradictory, elements. Founded, symbolically, upon the ruins of the slave plantation, this university was authorized in the spirit of fair play of the Constitutional Convention of 1876, where wisdom would not allow vengeance to triumph over justice. The men of the parent school at College Station, growing ever wiser with the years, have translated the sense of justice into an ever-broadening channel. The humble student—from every nook and cranny in the land—has left the echo of his laughter upon the wind. His hopes within the lurking shadows of our halls and byways.

The giants [and] the world shakers have stood on our hill to mingle their search for truth with the fledging hopes for life. And men of dedication have worked here–worked to bring a new heaven and a new earth often with only faith and their hands–often without the spiritual and material compensation that their sacrifices merited–but always with a sense of mission–with a sense that somehow, someway, time would reward their efforts–would give to those to whom they had given their minds the victory of a new world–of an enlightened society.

And it is within the context of that quotation, which I wrote several years ago, that we would like to cast the evaluation of this Golden Anniversary Convocation. Because in it is to be seen the true thrust of the meaning of an institution, which is evaluated in spiritual terms, terms of the minds and the hearts of those who dream of it, who bring to it their vision and their awareness.

We have been very fortunate here in the dreams of the leadership of the men who have headed this institution. There have not been many. Some have been of long duration. But all of them had within their heart and their mind some concept of what our people might become, and we pay tribute to them today. Because those who will be returning over the next few days are a living memory of what they dreamed. They bear in their bodies the mark of those dreams.

Though L.W. Minor was not here long, he was the first of the dreamers. He opened the school in the plantation house. And here on Kirby’s acres, they planted the seed. And the two Anderson brothers. One [E.H. Anderson] died soon. L.C. [Anderson] dreamed of an institution that would lead…the leaders, the Black leaders of this state in a consortium of educational men, who would bring to bear their strength in the uplift of their people.  He created the state teachers, the Black State Teachers Association. And he gave a long arm to the institution. He would leave here and go on to Austin, where they named Anderson High School in Austin for him. And his name is Laurine. Our Anderson Hall is named for him.

And then came our Edward Lavoisier Blackshear. The immortal Blackshear. Dreaming the Tuskegee dream. Are the people capable, strong, able because they could come to grips with economic realities of poverty and lack of opportunity? Blackshear wrought well and was well-loved.

And then [came] John Granville Osborne, who created the four-year college here. His tenure was short. But for the first time, this institution operated under his management as a college institution. And I told his family that were here for the last convocation in the spring, how fortunate they were to join in the continuing recognition here on this path of their relatives. It made such a signal contribution to the ongoing of this institution. His was a great dream. He dreamed of medical schools here. He was a medical man. He brought the hospital here. He brought the nursing program here. He brought the four-year college here. His was a dream of excellence, and his was the dream of total service.

And then he was followed by that tall, gaunt, determined man, William Willett Rutherford Banks, who claimed that the entire state of Texas was his campus. And whose motto, “Prairie View serves Texas,” became the byword. Who served…who sought to serve every need. Was it medical? Was it educational Was it spiritual? Whatever. Come to Prairie View. We will be the focal point of your program. Was it research? The first fledging research program merging as a dimension of the black educational ethos began with the Banks administration.

And then, of course, he was followed by another dreamer, Edward Bertram Evans, who carried the institution into the international realm…who himself personified what it meant to serve on the world scene. Recognized by both the federal government and the United Nations as an authority competent to operate in the international arena and to advise both in Africa and the [Middle East], he became a symbol of excellence in a period when Prairie View became the symbol of world significance.

 

We have never retreated from that position.

His successor, Alvin I. Thomas, has not retreated from that position. He dreams larger dreams than have ever been dreamed before on this campus—a dream of first class…of joining the mainstream of American life. He dreams beyond all dreams, a dream that has no limits of race, of color, of creed. This president has dared the lightning by dreaming a dream that says Black men have no limit, have no boundary. Black men have no barrier. We shall turn this institution into a place and into a situation where the world…and the concerns of the world, and the occupations of the world will be its concerns and its infancy.

And so all of the men who have headed the school have been pioneers. They have been a step ahead of the awareness of their people. They have dreamed for their people. Dreamed great dreams. Great thoughts. And those who come back, they come back to dreamland, and that truly is the function of an institution of higher learning. It is the place of dreams. Because the scriptures have truly said, “Without a vision, the people perish.” And, of course, Prairie View is a success story because the university continues to expand its interest in research. I dare say, from these fledgling days of the Banks administration, the administration of Dr. Thomas has emphasized strongly experimentation, research…both sponsored research by government and by foundation as a part of the normal program and the normal dimension of the institution of higher learning. Where we used to receive pittance, now we receive millions of dollars for research.

Because without the money to stimulate the mind of researchers, without the inquiring mind, an institution is sterile. Without the inquiring mind, an institution has nothing to put back into the stream of knowledge to justify its existence. Without the inquiring mind that can produce both theoretical and functional knowledge, an institution does not live.

And then we continue to contribute to society. We now know that we must stay on the frontier of opportunity for our people. If we will, if we ought to escape that peculiar position of becoming the underclass, where there are no job opportunities for our people at all, we must continue to pioneer in the economic arena. Opening more doors, expanding minority opportunity into new areas of opportunity. And we go forward now in the areas of engineering and the other new technological fields that are opening for Black people, and we must continue to go forward in these areas if we ought to, ought to keep abreast all the time, and to keep young black men and women alive and alert. If we do not pledge ourselves to continue our contribution of graduates both to our traditional areas and to new areas, we will die. The question of what we will do—our functional significant—will be settled.

So there is something fitting, therefore, in the fact that after 100 years or more, we are the university is returning to the full realization of its founding as an agricultural and mechanical emphasis. We are now operating in instructional areas, which the system to which we attach [had] better understand, admissions of the two institutions now coincide more and more with the better concern for creativity and knowledge than we had before. We have come from a small fledgling institution to a modern university with concerns which are worldwide.

We enter our 2nd century in this Golden Anniversary with a deep concern for our nation. And we hope those who come back to us for this convocation do the same. And we are also aware that we have a debt to our people, but our success is imperative. We must be a success because we serve Black youth and Black youth will only understand the success of Black men. We must be a success here, because our success is necessary. In the concept of success—as all youth know what success is—we must furnish the role model, because Black youth can understand the success of Black men. And to that success, we commend you. We are proud of the heritage of the success at this institution.

On this golden convocation, on this golden convocation anniversary, we present to those who come back to us a pride, a continuing pride in achievement, a heritage which they can come back and bask in the glory of, confident that their institution has a continuity, a purpose, and a function that will never die.

Photo by Michael Lee, 2022
Photo by Michael Lee, 2022
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“UNDER-SERVED”: The Disproportionate Impact of Food Insecurity in the TAMU System

The students at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) have been concerned with the available healthy food options on campus for quite awhile. Despite their advocacy for better food options, no plans for the University to expand the number of options have been made public. Texas A&M University (TAMU) at College Station is under the same A&M university system as PVAMU, yet their students have many more food options than the students at PVAMU. Considering that the schools are approximately located within an hour of each other, one might question why Prairie View A&M doesn’t have the same food options that Texas A&M does. Both TAMU and PVAMU are land grant, state-funded schools, but outside factors such as racial segregation (or resource hoarding) has resulted in significant differences between the two universities. TAMU is a larger campus with an estimate of 70,000 students, while PVAMU only has an estimate of 10,000 students. Considering that better food accommodations have already been made for the 70,000 students that attend TAMU, surely those same accommodations can be made for the 10,000 students that attend PVAMU. Despite the need for better food options, PVAMU has recently witnessed the completion of a new engineering building as well as newer housing facilities in the past decade. Having quality educational facilities is indeed important to an overall positive experience for college students, but so is having a range of more healthy food options. Although the expansion of PVAMU is a great improvement, students do not really need a larger campus more than they need an upgrade in the food services offered on campus first. Implementing these changes are crucial to improving the quality of life for the students of PVAMU.

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French Food Services

The food service provider at PVAMU is Sodexo, a French food services and facilities management company headquartered in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux. However, the main place for students to eat on campus at PVAMU would be the Memorial Student Center (MSC). The food options that are offered in the MSC are very minimal, often repetitive and lack the new and refreshing variety that most students would desire. The only eating establishments in the MSC are: the dining Hall, Chick-fil-A, Tres Habaneros and the PV Mart, which only offer on-the-go snacks and drinks; no fresh food. 

PVAMU Dining

The dining Hall has cheeseburgers and grilled cheese at one station, a salad bar, the pizza or pasta station, and a final station which offers a food choice that changes from time to time with meals like roast beef or fajitas. Many of the meals served do not look appealing and appear to be made quickly instead of with quality ingredients. Throughout the campus there are a couple of other places to get food like the Bowling Alley, Slice of life, or the zone; all of which are also provided by the contracted company Sodexo and offer the same options like pizza, chicken, fries or fish. In total there are only 9 locations on campus that offer food for the students with only 3 places that offer menu options than vary from the others.

Chick-Fil-A

On the other hand, TAMU at College Station boasts over fifty dining locations and a broad range of healthy food options, allowing students to enjoy new menus three times a day! Three different dining halls employ teams of executive chefs who cook to meet student’s dietary needs, even working with student organizations to ensure each item on the menu is to their liking. Places like Shake Smart offer students protein shakes and acai bowls with granola to start the day. Other places, such as the Japanese kitchen Wild Blue Sushi, offer poke bowls with fresh white rice, avocado, and fresh fish. These are just a few examples of the offerings at Aggieland. TAMU takes pride in having numerous options for students; they even have an Instagram page solely for food @aggiedining, which updates students about the constant introduction of new menu items.

 

 

It has been found that the leading cause of food insecurity in communities is due to low-income and the citizens of the town living below the poverty line. This means that if the people of the community are unable to purchase higher nutritional value food due to pricing, there are not enough resources being provided that promote economic stability within the area. “Research has shown there is a relationship between food insecurity and delayed development in young adults along with high risk of chronic illness, anxiety and aggression.”- Feeding America. Fast food chains are always an option yet offer no dietary benefit to faculty members or students in or around campus. Foods high in sodium and high fructose corn syrup are commonly offered due to their affordability, but are very unhealthy. “People who are food insecure are disproportionately affected by diet-sensitive chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.”- Feeding America.

PVAMU students spend around 1,500 dollars for a meal plan that covers them for the semester, while students in college station pay the same name for a basic meal plan, yet have a surplus of healthy food options. Though the pricing for the meal plans are similar, the quality of dining experiences are not. Prairie View’s students receive the short end of the stick when it comes to what they receive in return for what they pay for meal plans. Meal Plans are required for students living on campus, yet not all students who have a meal plan even use their daily swipes due to lack a lack of appetizing meals on campus.

As an Agricultural school Prairie View A&M University sits on a plot of land that is around 1,500 acres. Once serving as a plantation the area would be quite sufficient enough to house an on campus fresh produce farm. To successfully raise crops and fresh produce you need at least 1-2 acres of free and fertile soil to plant on. Food insecurity is built on four components; food availability, food access, food utilization and stability. Having a designated place on campus that offers fresh produce would increase student involvement and would allow the university to self sustain it without the help of outside contractors. “In FY21, more than $3 billion of the total value of HBCU endowments came from just 10 schools that have the largest funds out of more than 100 of their peers. Ranking Prairie View as the 9th placed University. With a proper plan in place a system can be created that provides wholesome food options for the students, while uplifting the community.

Resident District Manager

Sodexo Resident District Manager Pat Clelland touches lives on and off-campus by pouring his life-long passion for farming into his work at Gonzaga University. He seeks to “provide more than food” and help Gonzaga reach its local, fairness and sustainability goals ahead of schedule. 

Who serves as the registered district manager for PVAMU? Are they aware of the historical impact of racial segregation on food insecurity in Black and Brown communities?

Pat Clelland
Sodexo Resident District Manager
Gonzaga University

Registered Dietitian

Sodexo Registered Dietitian Nicole Roach knows she’s improving cardiac patients’ lives when they leave South Nassau Communities Hospital and don’t return. By that metric alone, she’s been successful. The readmission rate of Nicole’s wellness program patients approaches zero.

Who serves as the registered dietician for PVAMU?

  • According to the USDA, in 2021, nearly 20% of Black individuals lived in a food insecure household. In addition, Black people are almost three times as likely to face hunger as white individuals.1
  • Black children are more likely to experience hunger than children of other races. According to the USDA, in 2021, 22% of Black children lived in food insecure households. Black children were almost three times as likely to face hunger than white children.2

 

A real concern is for those students off campus who live in nearby apartments in the community. Within a 5 mile radius of the campus there are extremely limited options for students to eat or go grocery shopping. The only places that are close to the campus would be Subway, Checkers, and a 24-hour taco truck, none of which accepts panther bucks or offer student discounts. In addition, there is only 1 grocery store that offers fresh produce, Brookshire Brothers, which is a bit of a drive located in Hempstead. In order for students to really have a chance to have a variety of options of food to choose from they must make a 20 minute drive into Cypress, which can become very taxing and not all students can do due to lack of transportation. The University in College station is surrounded by juice bars and grocery stores that are in close proximity of student housing making them very accessible to those in need.

 

With an improvement of food options and healthier choices, students will be properly nourished. Preparing students to value a balanced diet as they become adults is essential for their continued journey of life. Being that Prairie View A&M University is a prestigious HBCU, the campus can have a huge impact on the surrounding neighborhood by creating new jobs by bringing in new food places. Offering a “black owned” store or restaurant with a stable and set location on campus would be very inspirational to students. It would also be a great way for people to get involved in the community. Overall, PVAMU students deserve the same standard of dining and grocery shopping experience that has been set at the neighboring University, Texas A&M. Education, housing, and diet of the students are all essential parts of their college experiences. Each should have adequate enough funding to ensure they are handled with great care so that they can achieve at the highest possibilities while in school.

Cafeterias in the TAMU System

Compared to the cafeterias at College Station, we are way behind. We simply do not have the same amount of healthy food options in the cafeteria at PVAMU. 

Cafeterias in the TAMU System
Malachi McMahon
Digital Arts Major
Prairie View A&M University

Problematic Politics of Chick-Fil-A

I enjoy the cafeteria style food service in the MSC and the Zone, but I wish we had more options besides Chick-Fil-A, which has a highly problematic political stance on a range of issues. I’m not sure if they should even be allowed on HBCU campuses at all. 

Problematic Politics of Chick-Fil-A
Lindsay Boknight
Biology Major
Prairie View A&M University

TAMU vs. PVAMU

I visited the cafeteria at College Station once, and I was amazed at the amount of healthy food options. When I came back to PVAMU, I could really understand the impact of racial segregation (or resource hoarding) in Texas.

TAMU vs. PVAMU
Kalayah Jammer
Prairie View A&M University
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Promotional Article on PVAMU website

Substantial NEH grant helping to eliminate silences, erasures surrounding history of PVAMU
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. The project is taking deliberate and conscious steps towards what Princeton University digital archivist Jarrett Drake calls “a radically inclusive historical record.” By preserving, processing and promoting research in the archives, the project will begin to eliminate the silences and erasures surrounding the history of PVAMU.
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DPPP logo
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HIST 3312 – Digital Storytelling

Introduction to Digital Storytelling

Black Digital Humanities

HIST 3312

John B. Coleman Library – Room 111

 

“The black digital humanities help to unmask the racialized systems of power at work in how we understand the digital humanities as a field.” – Kim Gallon

 

Instructor Information:

Dr. DeWayne Moore

Assistant Professor of History

Division of Social Sciences

Office: Coleman Library Room 111

Office Hours: MTWThF – 9am-11:30am or by appointment

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @digpvpanther

 

Description: 

This course will introduce students to digital storytelling as well as the emerging field of Black Digital Humanities. It will also help students understand the relationship between digital humanities and African American History. In addition to assigned readings, students will attend lab sessions and learn digital technologies and skills, such as blogging, digital exhibition curation, social media management, ArcGIS mapping, and digital content management. The lab sessions will allow students to apply theory to praxis.

In lab sessions, students will learn to use digital exhibition software (such as PassItDown, Wordpress, and ArcGIS StoryMaps), mapping software (such as ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Survey 123, and ArcGIS Experience Builder), digital content management systems, and social media management tools. Students will also conceptualize a Black Digital Humanities project by the end of the semester and write a grant application for potential funding.

 

Course Website:

We will use the course website for blogging. The syllabus is also available there as well. The website is: https://pvpantherproject.com/hist-3312-digital-storytelling/

 

Expectations:

  • Students are NOT expected to have specific technical knowledge prior to this course.
  • Students are expected, however, to be independent learners who strive to solve technical and historical problems.
  • Students must engage substantively with readings on the history, theories, and methods of digital humanities as well as African American History. Thus, students must read the materials prior to class and be prepared to discuss them.
  • Students must respond to emails from myself and their cohort in a timely manner. Due to meeting only once per week, it will be necessary to communicate outside of I recommend strongly that you link your PVAMU email account (which is what is connected to Canvas) to your personal email so that you receive all correspondence.
  • Students are required to have access to either a laptop or tablet. If you do not have a laptop or tablet, you can borrow one from John B. Coleman Library. Talk to the librarians at the circulation desk to find out how.

Objectives:

Students who take this course will…

  • Achieve a higher historical consciousness and a better understanding of the major issues, theories and methods in Digital Humanities, Black Digital Humanities, and African American History.
  • Learn to navigate and critically analyze digital technologies as well as curate digital stories using them
  • Conceptualize and develop a Black Digital Humanities project
  • Write a grant proposal to fund their project

 

Assignments:

  • Blog Posts: Students will respond to readings and labs throughout the semester and publish their responses online. Rather than provide summaries of the readings, students will demonstrate their critical thought process and analysis of scholarship and digital tools. The blog posts are due at noon on the day of class. Students must also read the blog posts of their cohort and comment on at least one each week prior to our class meeting. See Blog Post Guidelines for more information!
  • Digital Humanities Historiography: Students will write a short paper analyzing two or more readings on the development of digital humanities.
  • Analysis of a Digital/Public Humanities Project: Students will critically analysis one of the Black Digital Humanities projects at this link – https://pvpantherproject.com/2022/09/black-digital-humanities-projects-resources/
  • Digital Projects for the Public Proposal: Students will also conceptualize and develop a prototype for a Black Digital Humanities project and write a grant proposal to fund

We will use the Digital Projects for the Public grant available from the National Endowment for the Humanities as our guide [LINK]

 

Attendance and Participation:

Students must have completed the readings and assignments prior to attending class. Students must also be prepared to actively participate. If you cannot attend class, please let me know at least 24 hours before class (except in the case of emergencies).

 

Academic Integrity:

I strictly follow the University’s rules regarding plagiarism and other academic irregularities. Please consult me if you have any questions about what is and is not appropriate regarding the use of sources or citation.

 

Blog Post Guidelines:

The syllabus contains several assignments marked “blog post.” These weeks will require that students write a blog post analyzing or responding to one or more of the readings for that week.

Requirements:

  • Summarize the argument of each author
  • Respond to one or more ideas in the articles and connect them to current events, other readings, or your research interests.
  • Provide a creative, exciting title
  • Curate the posts using images, gifs, or videos with captions to illuminate
  • Make sure the blog posts are between 250-500 words in length.
  • Comment on at least one other student’s blog post each

The writing does not need to be academic and formal. Indeed, blog posts are most engaging when they capture the voice of the author. So please have fun with these assignments. Remember, you will be publishing them on a publicly available website. So be generous in your critiques of the readings.

If there is any reason why you cannot publish these posts under your own name, please let me know. Due: blog posted by 12pm on Wednesday; comment posted by class time on Wednesday

 

Grading:

  • Participation and Attendance: 10%
  • Blog Post Reading Responses: 20%
  • Historiography of Digital Humanities Essay: 10%
  • Analysis of a Black Digital Humanities Project: 10%
  • Analysis of ArcGIS Map: 10%
  • Digital Projects for the Public Proposal: 30%
  • Peer Review: 10%

Late Assignments:

I expect assignments to be completed on the day they are due. Any late submissions without an approved excuse will lose a half-grade every day it is late.

 

Required Texts:

There are three books you may buy or borrow for this course. I will also provide digital copies of the introduction to each book on Canvas.

We will also discuss readings from the open access digital book:

If an article or chapter examines a specific digital humanities project, students need to examine the project as well. I have provided links to all the readings or made them available on Canvas.

 

Weekly Schedule:

August 21 – 25 / Introduction

How to publish a post on Wordpress: https://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_Posts

Google “Black Digital Humanities” and read through some of the results. For your first assignment, write a paragraph or two on what you think the term means.

 

August 28 – September 1 – Intersections

Due: Blog Post

 

September 4-8 – Historiography

  • “Interchange: The Promise of Digital History,” Journal of American History (2008). (Canvas)
  • Susan Hockey, “History of Humanities Computing,” A Companion to Digital Humanities (2004). [LINK]
  • Sharon Leon, “Complicating a ‘Great Man’ Narrative of Digital History in the United States,”

Bodies of Information. (Canvas)

Due: Blog Post

 

September 11-15 – Historiography

  • Risam, New Digital Worlds, chapters 1 & 4

Due: Digital Humanities Historiography essay

 

September 18-22 – The Digital Humanities Project

Due: Please submit in Canvas at most a one page abstract about your project, covering the topic, the ultimate goal, the project’s significance, and digital tools

 

September 25-29 – Critical Engagements with Technology and Culture

  • Noble, Algorithms of Oppression, chapters 1 & 3

Due: Blog Post

 

Practicing the Digital Humanities

October 2-6 – African American Spaces and Geography

  • Saidiya Hartman, “An Atlas of the Wayward,” Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments (Canvas)
  • Katherine McKittrick, “On Plantations, Prisons and a Black Sense of Place,” Social and Cultural Geography, v 12, no. 8, December 2011 (Canvas)
  • Stephen Robertson, “Putting Harlem on the Map,” in Writing History in the Digital Age. [LINK]

Due: Blog Post

 

October 9-13 – Mapping (Lab)

Guest presentation by Dr. Iyanda, Assistant Professor of History & GIS, PVAMU

Read the “About” section and navigate the site

Read the “Homepage” and “About” sections and navigate the site

Due: Analysis of a Black Digital Humanities Project

 

October 16-20 – Metadata

Guest Presentation by Henry Koshy, Digital Scholarship Librarian, John B. Coleman Library

  • Lauren Klein, “The Image of Absence: Archival Silence, Data Visualization, and James Hemings,” American Literature. V 85 (4) December 2013. (Canvas)
  • Sarah Whitcomb Laiola, “Markup as Behavior toward Risk,” American Quarterly, 70, no. 3, September 2018: 561-587.
  • Amy Earhart, “Can Information Be Unfettered?: Race and the Digital Humanities Canon,” Debates in the Digital Humanities. [LINK]

Due: Blog Post

 

October 23-27 – Metadata, Categorization, and Wordpress (LAB)

Due: Blog Post

 

October 30 – November 3 – TBD

Due: First Draft of Grant Proposals – Humanities Content, Creative Approach, and Audience, Distribution and Evaluation

 

November 6-10 – Peer Review

Peer Review of Grant Proposals

 

November 13-17 – Social Media and Social Movements

  • Tufekci, Twitter and Tear Gas, chapters 1&5

Due: Blog Post

 

November 20-24 – Peer Review of Complete Project Proposals

  • Miriam Posner, “What’s Next? The Radical, Unrealized Potential of the Digital Humanities,” [LINK]

 

Final Proposals DUE: TBD

Due: Post your project abstracts to the course blog

Hannah Harden
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The Archival Experience

The Archival

Experience 

By Hannah Harden

 

My historical awareness about the history of HBCUs has seriously expanded since I began to work on the Digital PV Panther Project. When I showed up the first day, I did not know what I had gotten myself into this semester. I was eager to work on campus, as well as learn more about the project, but I remained unclear on the scope of work. To start, I helped the University Archivist Ms. Phyllis Earles with administrative tasks, such as creating labels for time sheets and creating a document detailing kitchen etiquette to be displayed in the staff kitchen area.

Being a Kinesiology major, I have only taken a course in Texas history at PVMAU. Thus, I had little awareness of institutional history. I knew that the university was founded in 1876, but I never knew about the depth of historical collections in the PVAMU archives.

Much of my archival processing work has focused on creating inventories for the Cooperative Extension & Home Demonstration Collection, which contains images, maps, and documents dating back to the 1920s. The collection also consists of travel sheets and personal letters written by people on the campus of PVAMU and surrounding counties. Seeing the substantial size of the archives has given me a clearer picture of the scope of PVAMU history, and I now realize how much more important it is to preserve it and have it accessible to the public.

Dr. Moore also assigned me to work on the social media team with Kasedi Eason, Noah Jackson, and Malachi McMahon, and I curated content for Instagram and TikTok. One of the first videos I created and edited for our page focused on the Wilhelmina Delco Exhibit on the 4th floor of the John B. Coleman Library. Since most students have likely never visited the 4th floor of the library, this TikTok video allows them to experience a taste of the exhibition.
Dr. Moore also introduced us to a social media manager called Loomly, which  helps you curate content for multiple social media accounts at once as well as schedule to post them for weeks in advance. We use Loomly for all our social media posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
@digitalpvpantherproject Check out PVAMU's newest exhibit 'The Wilhelmina Delco Story' on the 4th floor of the library! 💜💛 #dppp #digitalpvpantherproject #hbcu #hbcuhistory #pvamu #pvamuhistory #archives #digitalexhibit #blogging #altavista #race #gender #class #research #digitalcommons ♬ Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller
Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk delivering a much deserved reward in the 1950s

Dr. George Ruble Woolfolk delivering a much deserved reward in the 1950s

For a couple of weeks, I went through the archive boxes and created new inventory sheets as well as edited some that were done years ago. Writing a key of which boxes had pictures/maps included makes it easier in the future for finding certain documents in each one. In these boxes, many pictures are starting to deteriorate. That is why it is so important for us to be going through these documents to be able to scan them and make them digital.

Recently, I have learned how to scan Prints and Slides on the new Epson 12000XL flatbed scanner. We can now scan the historic photographs in the Tom Godwin Collection, and we have partnered with Getty Images to license them to their clients. Not only will we preserve the photographs and prevent their deterioration, but we will upload them to the Getty Images digital content management system and allow the larger PVAMU family to have access to them as well.

 

Overall, working on the Digital PV Panther Project has taught me so much in such little time. I cannot wait to see what comes in the future for this project and how far we can bring this information to the campus and the public. This project is exceedingly important to the university as well as the surrounding communities, and I am dedicated to ensuring that these collections are preserved for future generations.

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