History Sidebar Blog
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Writings on history and the production of history by David. David is a consulting historian doing oral histories, historical research, and historic preservation work.
History Sidebar Blog
1w ago
No matter the outcome, today’s election is one for the history books. This year, my “I voted” sticker went straight into an archival sleeve instead of being affixed to my shirt ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
1w ago
In 2017, I organized events aimed at persuading Montgomery County, Maryland, leaders to tell a more accurate and inclusive story in a Silver Spring park. The events generated some media buzz and I wrote several articles and a book chapter ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
2w ago
They worked so hard.And to have this happen and nobody care. —Interview subject, August 2024 This quote works well in its original context (a historically Black neighborhood being destroyed by systemic racism) and beyond. The local government didn’t/doesn’t care. The ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
2M ago
Joseph “Joe” Tito was a bootlegger, numbers banker, and brewery executive. He was close friends with William A. “Gus” Greenlee. During Prohibition, the pair dominated illegal rackets throughout the city. They also made Negro Leagues baseball history as owners of ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
2M ago
One year ago I began receiving messages about yet another attempt by the City of Decatur to erase its Black history. The city had moved the annual Decatur Day celebration from one site where Black history has been erased, the ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
3M ago
Stanley Williams was a restaurateur and nightclub owner who left an indelible imprint in the Hill District and in Pittsburgh history. He and his two brothers, Alexander and Charles, had emigrated from Barbados. Stanley and Alexander Williams owned and operated ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
3M ago
Last month we signed up for a walking tour of Schenley Farms, a historic subdivision in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. A local historic preservation group organized the tour and charged participants $20 per ticket; a Schenley Farms resident led the tour ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
5M ago
Erasure is when a couple like Luther and Maudelena Johnson make history: he with a photo studio and she as a musician and music teacher. And, Erasure is when all that’s left of the Johnson studio is a parking lot ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
5M ago
Yesterday evening I took home two Pittsburgh Black Media Federation Robert L. Van awards of excellence in journalism. One was for my February 2023 feature on Pittsburgh’s Central Amusement Park, the first Black professional sports stadium in Pittsburgh (and maybe ..read more
History Sidebar Blog
6M ago
Fox Chapel is a sundown suburb and was the whitest place I think I've ever lived. Unlike Silver Spring and Decatur, there wasn't any collective effort to hide behind false white progressive liberal cloaks. We knew that our tax dollars wouldn't be going to any fake municipally-sponsored racial reconciliation projects. We didn't expect any Decatur Dinners or Community Conversations ..read more