Kids Exploring Photography

Kids and Photography
Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

Children learn more than just how to take good photographs when they are taught photography Photography encourage kids to explore their creative talents. In the long run, it will help you develop valuable skills in critical thinking and visual perception. I'm always inspired to support children who have an interest in photography and filmmaking. A friend of mine told me how much her grandson E.J. enjoys taking photos. Since I had an extra camera that I wasn't using anymore, I decided to donate it to E.J. He was so thrilled when his grandmother brought him to my house so he could pick up his camera and accessories. Immediately, he began exploring the camera. 

I have a collection of antique cameras that I showed him. From instant polaroids to film cameras. E.J., is growing up in the digital age. A film-based camera is most likely something he hasn't seen before. One of the conversations we had was about how he could earn money and travel internationally with a camera in his hand.

I suggested he ask his teacher at school can he start a photograph club and document school.For students who share the same passion for photography, setting up a photography class can be a great opportunity. Displays of images can be arranged at the school. Club members can invite guest speakers to speak at their meetings.   Every child who had a phone has a camera. They enjoy having their pictures taken most of all. I would enjoy looking at some of E.J.'s creative work and images. 

As we talked about  photography, I mentioned to him that I had friends and associates who took pictures for National Geographic, Planet Magazine, and many other magazines. They have contributed images to documentaries and films. In the event that E.J. succeeds in starting a photography club, I will support him and the club members.

E.J exploring cameras
Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

Louisiana Florida Parishes African American Collections and Preservation

Amite Genealogy Library
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

The first time I began conducting genealogy research  more than 25 years ago. In my research, I did not find much on the history of African Americans in the Louisiana Florida Parishes. I asked myself, "What are you willing do to do change it?" After carefully considering my options, I decided to pursue the task I wanted to accomplished. I specifically wrote down my plan of action and started implementing it.  The Amite Genealogy Library in Amite, Louisiana was my first stop. As part of my strategic plan, my next steps were to organize folders on different families that have lived in the parish since 1870. Secondly, I contacted several key people who have live in the Florida Parishes all their lives. I informed them as to what I was doing and how much I needed their assistance to accomplish my goals. Some people started pulling out boxes of photographs and other documents. From Ponchatoula to Kentwood, I've seen and learned so much just from visiting peoples homes and looking at their private collections.

Several years later, I began blogging about the people and local history of the Florida Parishes. Currently the blog post has close to 400,000 readers globally. Periodically, I produced several short films about the some of the people and the local history. A number of highlighted articles have been published in the local newspapers, including the Daily Star, Tangi Digest, and the St. Helena Echo. My third objective was to establish African American collection at the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies.  Four African American Collection have been established; Bernice Bennett Collection, Dr. Kingsley B. Garrison, Antoinette Harrell, and Richardson Funeral Home, Inc, Amite.

The Daily Star Newspaper.

Additionally, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Special Collections was added as a repository for the African American funeral programs. The programs will be scanned and made available on their library's websites for researchers. The Amistad Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana received an extensive collection as well. The book entitled " Images of America" African Americans in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes was published approximately three years ago and now the book sit on the bookshelves in libraries, museums, and the Louisiana State Archives.  One of the other major accomplishments were documenting nine African American cemeteries in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes. My youngest son Bernard and my colleague Ilona Little helped me to document the cemeteries and made them available on the USGenWeb site for genealogy research for anyone researching their family history in the Florida. Parishes. There are others that needs to be recorded. Most of the churches do not have a record of who is buried in the cemetery. I would like to talk with the leaders and secretaries of the churches and ask them about keeping records of the deceased buried in their cemetery.

It has truly been a rewarding journey and I'm looking forward to the next chapter of this journey. In the near future, I would like to have interns who can train under me so that I can prepare myself to pass the torch to the next generation who are interested. Hopefully next summer, I will get interns and volunteers to help me to continue documenting the history of the Florida Parishes. In some cases I need to create databases of some of the finding.

The Florida Parishes had gained exposure as a result of my guest appearance on internet radio and zoom broadcasts about the history and people. Numerous of filmmakers, writers, magazine publishers and. other media outlets regarding my research. In the coming years, I intend to collect oral history from the elders in the community. As I ponder on the subjects, that will determine how I will find the people I want to interview. 

Peonage Research Documentary 
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr. 

Source:

The USGenweb Archives Part of the The USGenWeb Project (Tangipahoa Parish Index)

http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/tangipahoa/cemeterya.htm

Dr. Antoinette Harrell Collection

http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/programs/csls/historical_collections/archival_collections/h_k/harrell_collection.html

Richardson Funeral Home, Inc. Amite Collection

http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/programs/csls/historical_collections/archival_collections/r_s/richardson_funeral_home/index.html

Dr. Kingsley B. Garrison Collection

http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/programs/csls/historical_collections/archival_collections/e_g/garrisonkingsleyb.html

Bernice Alexander Bennett Collection

http://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/programs/csls/historical_collections/archival_collections/a_b/bernice_alexander_bennett.html

The Amistad Research Center

http://amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu/archon/index.php?p=accessions/accession&id=1248

John Finn, Sr. of Amite, Louisiana.

John Finn, Sr, was born in 1900 to Marcel Finn and Samuella Tate Finn. John died in 1998 in New Philadelphia, Ohio. John was married to Mable Johnson.  Mable was born in 1903 in Amite, Louisiana. Her parents were Robert Allen Johnson and Maggie Steptoe. 

John and Mable had five children; Lula, Eva, Dorothy Ruth, and John Finn, Jr. His U.S., World War 1 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 said that he was slender build, tall, black hair and black eyes. He was employed by the Light & Power Company. 

The Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Index, 18102-2013 recorded that he was ninety-eight years old when he died on November 14, 1998. 

John parents Marcel and Samuella (Tate) Finn had nine children. They were Lawrence Tude, John, Sr., Ruth Finn Johnson, Lucille Finn Bigelow, Morris M. Finn, Alphonso, Finn, Gertrude Finn, Nelson Finn, Sr., and Willie Huckberry Finn. 

When the Finn's family left the South during "The Great Migration" sometimes known as the Great Northward Migration or the Black Migration, six million African Americans out of the Rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1916-1970.  

Jonathan Finn emailed me searching for his Finn family history connected to Amite, Louisiana. Johnathan is presently living in Upstate New York. He said that his ancestor Charles L. Finn, was a chauffeur and that maybe how the Finn family left the south. The origin of the Finn name derived from Irish, meaning "white" or "fair" the Finn family have a lot of family members listed as mulattos on the United States Federal Census. 

John Finn, Sr., and his wife Mable Johnson
Source: Ancestry Public Finn Family Tree

The History of Vernon School in Mt. Hermon, Louisiana

Vernon School in Mt. Hermon
African American School

While driving down the road in  Washington Parish Louisiana, I saw a sign that said, "Vernon School Road," as usual I decided to take the drive down the road to see if the old school building was still standing. I saw an old abandoned school building to my left, right across the road there were two elderly men sitting on the front porch talking so I pulled in the driveway and asked them if that was Vernon School and they both answered yes. They both directed me to Elder Albert J. Brumfield to get more information about the school. 

The history of Vernon High School in deeply embodied into history of the the Black community which, like many other black communities, had its beginning during that period after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. During this period newly freed slaves moved away from plantations and away from slave masters to venture out on their own to experience this new found freedom. Many came to settle in this area of rich loam sandy soil, gentle rolling hills and a generous supply of loblolly pines. This area was inhabited by a few Flat Bush Indians and was unique among the other Florida Parishes is that it had no slave plantations. 

The history of blacks of this community also intertwines the history people of this nation and of the world. We are a proud people of a proud heritage. We were born along the Congo, the Nile and Euphrates rivers. Our forefathers, the Nubian Peoples, shaped the history of the Nile Valley. The Ishango people living in that area more than 8,000 years ago and used a primitive multiplication system long before the Europeans. The African woman was tall, slender and beautiful. She was a good faithful mother and homemaker. The African man was tall, strong and could run faster and jump higher than any other man on the hemisphere. He was a great hunter, trapper and farmer. The English colonies need for free labor caused these proud people to be torn from family and friends and familiar surroundings and carried off to another continent where they were subjected to the institution of slavery for two hundred and fifty years.

Vernon School for African American Students
Closed its doors in 1969

An ex-slave by the name of Jenny came into the area after being set free. Louis Vernon, a direct descendant of Jenny started a school in the building on his property in 1885. This was only twenty-years after the Emancipation Proclamation. During slavery it had been against the law to teach slave to read or write. The denial of the opportunity was apparently the motivation needed to inspire the Vernon's to start a school in Mt. Hermon, La.

As interest grew it became necessary to acquire additional land for the school. So on August 25, 1925, forty years later, three acres of land were purchased from the Vernon's to erect a school on the present site. According to the courthouse records, the deeds were signed by Ed Vernon, D.M. Brumfied and Dave Wrought, who was one of the earlier bus drivers. Fraser Vernon served as the school's first principal.

Later the Rosenwald Fund contributed money toward a building at the present site. The Rosenwald fund contributed to the building of more than 5,000 schools for Negroes in the rural south. In June 1949 the high school building was added. In November 1951 the elementary building was built, in March 1954 the gymnasium was added, In May 1958 a lunchroom was added and in 1960 a new classroom wing was built. In 1961 with funds from the P.T.A. a covered walkway was built, and the P.T.A.,  also built an agriculture/shop.

The School Board purchased and additional 4.7 acres for the school in 1960 from Isadore Vernon who was the first bus driver for Vernon School and another portion in 1961 from Marcel Dyson, Crimal Dyson Williamson and Arthur Williamson.

Vernon High School was a place were many careers were launched as many young black men and young black women came into this community as teacher to help develop the minds and lives of young black boys and girls. Many devoted their entire lives to this task. Students from Vernon now serve this community, this state and nation as engineers, teachers, farmers, housewives, dentists, medical doctors, veterinary medicine, counselors, doctors of education, postal workers, businessmen, insurance brokers, and in virtually all areas of work. Other have served in the military as officers and enlisted men, other have won the purple heart and still other gave the ultimate sacrifice--their lives. Others became attorneys, ministers, nurses, law enforcement personnel, interior designers and their numerous contributions are immeasurable. Students regularly competed at local, regional and state events in music, sports, public speaking and academics. Some romances started here and developed into life-long companionship.

In addition to the Fraser Vernon others have served the school as principal. Mr. R.J. Lawrence served

in the late 20s. He was followed by Mr. Almore B. Dyson who served as principal from 1930 until the 1954-55 school year. Mr. Ruben H. Cornist served as principal of the school from that time until the school closed in 1969.

Vernon School need the help of good samaritans and caring people to restored the school as a community resource center that will produce productive members in the societies that the East Florida Parishes, the state of Louisiana and the nation can be proud of. A community resource center that will offer after school programs, creative arts, computer classes, job readiness, life skills programs, seniors citizens programs and other enrichment programs that will offers a better quality of life for the residents of the Mt. Hermon community. 

A non-profit organization has been setup for the community resource center called Neighborhood Christian Center of Louisiana., under the leadership and direction of Elder Albert J. Brumfield, Pastor of Plainview Cochusa Church of Christ Holiness.

The organization will graciously accept in kind donations such as; paint, building materials, roofing materials, drywall materials, nails, lumber and flooring materials and financial donations. Also individuals, organizations, social organizations, churches, brotherhood or sisterhood organizations who would like to volunteer their time can contact the following people. All checks and donations can be mailed directly to NCC of LA:

C/O James Brumfield

NCC of LA

24392 Vernon School Rd

Mt. Hermon, LA 70450

For more please contact Elder Albert J. Brumfield at (985) 515-1231 or Barbara Brumfield at (985) 839-2190, you can also email Elder Albert at elderalbert@aol.com.

Source:  Vernon High School History Booklet, submitted by Barbara Brumfield