HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Many Black people depend on historical documents to learn about their family history. We take a look at the role Black-owned newspapers played in preserving that history. Plus, how one local library is trying to make it easier to access that history.
Remembering and honoring her father
“This is my dad and my mom. I would say this picture is right before my father went to the war,” said Carolyn Collins showing me an old photo as she shares her fond memories of her father. Her father was a West Tampa native, World World II veteran, and longshoreman. He was also a source of inspiration and a helping hand for many in his community. “Carrying a lot of young men in the West Tampa area down to the dock to get them on and get them started and encouraging them,” said Collins.
Though Collins is able to tell her father’s story, many other Black people depend on historical documents to learn about their family history. “Our obituaries was always in the African American papers. The Florida Sentinel, The Weekly Challenger, etc.,” said Collins.
Local, Black papers were instrumental in recording much of African American history, including reporting about those in the community who had passed away. “Everybody really waited to get the Friday Sentinel so that they would get all of the listings of those individuals who had passed,” said Collins.
Collins said to this day, many African Americans from Tampa who now live in other parts of the country depend on local, Black-owned papers to know about friends and community members who have died. “And guess what, they’re not only getting it now where it’s mailed, they’re getting digital,” said Collins.
The legacy of obituaries and funeral programs
“I like to make a distinction between the obituary and the funeral programs,” said Tammy Ozier, president of the Atlanta chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. She said another document used to paint a historical picture of Black life are funeral programs. They’re essentially pamphlets with a description of the deceased. “That usually gives you the story of the person. Where were they born, who were their parents, who were some their siblings,” said Ozier.
She said there’s a movement to make these documents more accessible. “You can find all across the United States some efforts where different libraries, or archives or even individuals are actually going about digitizing funeral programs of African Americans,” said Ozier.
She said many of those programs can be accessed through Google. She also recommends searching for deceased Black Americans by expanding your geographical search outside of where the person died. “Maybe this was someone who was a hometown person in Tampa, but they lived in New York. Try to go to different places where a person may have gone,” explained Ozier.
Making local, Black history more accessible
The C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library in Tampa is trying to keep local, Black history alive. They have an entire room dedicated to a collection by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Newspaper, and the collection dates back to the 1940s. “It just highlights African American history that you wouldn’t see in other media outlets,” said Raishara Bailey with the C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library.
With the help of an archivist, people can view old articles and photos of what was happening in the Black community in the Bay Area. “We had a family come in and was looking for a grandfather who played football at Middleton High School and they were able to find a picture because they didn’t have a name,” said Bailey.
In addition to viewing old media, people can also read obituaries. They’re currently in the process of digitizing their collection. “That way, everybody can have access. Not just in Tampa, but people who have lived here and moved in other places,” said Bailey.
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