Artifactual Journey

In this episode, we step back into the footlights of early 20th century Black theatre and film to rediscover Andrew Stevens Bishop, a gifted stage actor and Oscar Micheaux film performers whose legacy has slipped into the shadows. Guided by a rare crayon portraiture and an equally rare real photo postcard from the Nanny Jack & Co Archives, we trace Bishop's journey across touring circuits,...

Listen to this exciting episode where Philip talks with Todd Johnson, executive director of the Johnston County Heritage Center in Smithfield, North Carolina, as they discuss the upcoming September 30th event, Reclaiming the Black Past: An Artifactual Journey.

To pre order a copt of Kin: Rooted in Hope, visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Kin/Carole-Boston-Weatherford/9781665913621

Our Artifactual Journey podcast has introduced us to all types of fascinating people with interesting stories. Listen to Episode 51, where Philip talks to Cornelius Dunlap and his journey to find his purpose in life.

After years of advocacy and dedication, Juneteenth is now recognized as a federal holiday. Listen as Philip talks with Nathan Johnson, National Park Service Ranger at Rose Hill Plantation in Union, South Carolina, and Timika M. Wilson, co-founder of the Union County Community Remembrance Project (UCCRP), which seeks to shed light on the racial violence that took place in Union County, South Caroli...

The Henry Ossawa Tanner house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was recently listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023. For over 50 years, it was home to renowned Black artist Henry Ossawa Tanner, his father Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner, and the other successful members of the Tanner family. Listen as Philip interviews Lawana Holland-Moore, t...

During his lifetime and even decades after his assassination, Malcolm X is an iconic figure. His role within the Nation of Islam and dedication to civil rights often made him a target of the media and the FBI. Although he was often depicted as a serious man, Malcolm X respected and cared deeply for all those who crossed his path, including a young boy named Dave Johnson. In this episode, Dave disc...

In February 1946, the white citizens attacked the Black community of Columbia, Tennessee after an altercation between a Black World War II veteran and a white shop keeper. Columbia Race Riot: https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/columbia-race-riot-1946/

Emma Azalia Smith Hackley was a prominent African American singer, activist, newspaper publisher, educator, and member of Denver's Black elite. However, her name is not widely known and her contributions to race relations have been obscured. In Episode 46, listen as Philip and Veronica delve into Hackley's life, marriage, and lasting impact on Black musicians. To learn more about Emma Azal...

Although the Negro Leagues haven't been in existence for over 60 years, their impact on Major League Baseball is still felt. Although a number of Negro League players have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, there are many more still waiting for a place. One of those is Herbert Dixon, known to thousands of Negro League fans as Rap Dixon.  Watch this exciting episode of Arti...

In November 1929, a historic first occurred at the New York Polo Grounds: two Black college football teams played each other. The event drew thousands of fans and dominated Black and white news coverage. In this latest episode, Philip and Veronica discuss this historic sports events, a brief history of the CIAA (known today as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, formerly the Colored...

Hazel Scott's musical talent captivated American audiences in the 1940s and 1950s. However, she was also actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement and spearheaded several integration efforts. Unfortunately, the 1950s communist hearings known as McCarthyism would put a halt to her career.

In this episode, Philip and Veronica discuss a racist 1900 letter from Canton, Baltimore, Maryland and its connections to today.

In this episode of Artifactual Journey, Philip talks with James Howard, the executive director of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame Museum. They discuss 400 years of Black inventors and their impact on American innovation.

In this episode, Philip and Veronica discuss the reverse underground railroad- the practice of kidnapping free African Americans and selling them into slavery. 

Philip talks with Donald Brooks Jones and Philip Mallory Jones of Alchemy Media Publishing about their newest venture, Time Machine: Bronzeville Between the World Wars. They discuss the thriving Black community and its influence on arts, culture, music, film, photography, and much more.  To support the development of their immersive desktop app, visit Kickstarter.com, type in Time Machine, an...

Sharing the history of one of Talbot County's heroes, Nathaniel "Uncle Nace" Hopkins, the progenitor of the Eastern Shore of Maryland's longest Emancipation Day parade.

In this episode, Philip & Veronica discuss a racist 1908 letter from Assumption, Illinois and its connection to 2022.

In Episode 36, Philip & Veronica discuss Villard Paddio, a prominent New Orleans photographer who was known for his portraits of musician Louis Armstrong. However, Paddio's life came to a mysterious end when he leaped from a boat in 1947 and his body was never recovered. Thanks to Ancestry, Newspapers.com, NewspaperArchive.com and HomePlateDontMove. Wordpress.com for the research on Paddio.

When the general public thinks of pioneering Black doctors, they often think of Daniel Hale Williams, the founder of Chicago's Provident Hospital. However, in major U.S. cities, there were a bevy of Black doctors, including Dr. John F. Brown in Baltimore (no relation to John Brown of the Harper's Ferry Raid). Listen to learn more about this Black medical pioneer. 

Also view the video on the Nanny Jack TV YouTube Channel

The video can be viewed on the Nanny Jack TV YouTube Channel 

In this episode, Philip and Wesley Chandler Wood, a 20 year member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc, an African American fraternity started in 1911, discuss the history and legacy of the fraternity's Baltimore Alumni Chapter.  For more information on the Baltimore Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, visit: https://benchmarkkappas.org/

To read the post on oldwestbaltimore.com that initiated this conversation, visit https://www.oldwestbaltimore.com/post/2019/09/20/all-smiles-school-no-161-fannie-l-barbour-elementary-school. 

Episode 30: Culturally Significant Black Businesses in Baltimore & Washington, D.C.