Generational Archives

In this episode, we talk about what you can learn from a Social Security application, and it's a LOT! This one was completed in 1938, just one year after the first taxes were collected to support the program. How to get the information and what you can learn and why it's worth it to pay that $27 fee, that's all in here.

Oh, this 2026 beginning has been a doozy, but still, at the edge of a snow-pacalypse in the Northeast, we have much to dream, be thankful for, and anticipate!

When was the last time you looked at your hands and considered them as an archive? In this episode, we talk about the idea of being a breathing ancestor as inspired by Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs. We talk about our hands, where our travels have taken us, and the legacies that we are creating. There's even a palm reading in there. Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This is a special short series focused on generational healing through reflecting on what we loved to do or would have loved to do with our ancestors ... and doing now with our beloveds. In this episode, we talk about going to the movies and traveling! Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, we joined by guest, Dr. Yalonda JD Green, an interdisciplinary artist and academic librarian from Detroit. She talks with us around preparing our own archives and when to partner with external institutions. Dr. Green has had her poetic work appear in TORCH, Reverie, Mythium, various anthologies, bus shelters, on stages, and other creative spaces. She has been awarded fellowships f...

Post-election, we share some strategies to survive what's coming. Podcast Episode recorded in November 2024 Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme song, Funky Percussions, from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AudioCoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this beginning of Season 3, we share an interview with beloved community leader Mrs. Nancy Lee-Reed as she tells her story of coming to Uniontown, PA from Mississippi. Podcast Episode recorded in October 2024 Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme song, Funky Percussions, from...

When babies are expected, a community may gather to offer gifts of care to the parents in the form of quilted, crocheted, or knitted items. In this episode, in expectation of Raina's third child, Aliseo, we talk about the pieces that Dr. Thomas received as a new mother and handed down to Dr. León and then what was created for Raina's children specifically. Do you know where the quilts in your hous...

Walter Satterwhite was the grandfather who never was for Dr. Norma D. Thomas. She grew up never knowing him, which meant that she also didn't know that she had an aunt and uncle in New York. What do you do when your ancestors insist on being known? In this case, you follow the story and ask more questions. Learning more took her, her sisters, and eventually her daughter to New York. Interview...

In this episode, we share the discover of a relative, executed in the electric chair, whose case went all the way to the Supreme Court. It's been nearly a hundred years since John Logan was killed ... but why was his story never told until now? Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme song, Fun...

In this episode, we have guest, Je-Shawna Wholley, founder of Earthseed, who shares her own journey with generational research and the work of creating a space for other Black creatives and researchers to learn more about our people. Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme song, Funky Percussions, fro...

She said, "Don't dream around Raina," but what happens if you do? Those dreams come true! In this episode, we talk about the building that will become the African American Museum of Fayette County, developing from the traveling museum. We talk programs, inspirations (Paul Robeson Museum, The Colored Girls Museum, and Libromobile among others), and the work to come. Cover photo from ⁠...

So what do you do when you get stuck in your archival research? You research alongside, talk to your people, and when an opening occurs, you never wait! This episode talks about some strategies to get unstuck, Facebook groups that can be good resources, and also trusting in the ancestors' revelations that will be right on time. Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover...

In this episode, we talk about handling your business: wills, insurance/policies, communication, organization, etc. and what that will open to you in assuring smooth transfers after we transition, preservation of our legacies, and even opportunities to connect to our ancestors through dreams. Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠...

In this episode, we talk about some of the core documents to help you on your genealogical journey: documents like the census ... and artifacts such as tombstones and stained glass. What can you find on those documents? And how can these documents give context to learning about your family? Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, we talk about some of the core documents to help you on your genealogical journey: birth certificates, death certificates, and social security applications. What can you find on those documents? What are some of the regional differences? And how can these documents give context to learning about your family? We even talk about use of these documents in researching aunts and uncles...

In this episode, we share some of the stories of Daddy Ning, Miguel Angel Léon, who was a Merchant Marine, sailed the world, and taught his children to fight and that no one could take away their self worth. We also use childhood photographs to get to more stories. What can you learn from the story of someone's grandfather? What do you know about yours? Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCost...

In this episode, we talk about what we have learned from the last season, important discoveries, and what's coming (a permanent space for the museum, introductions to archival research, curriculum development, and more travel and connecting!) Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme song, Funky Percussions, from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aud...

In this special episode, one of two, we interview Eddie León on his beginnings. The narrative extends from his beginnings in New York to Philadelphia, the struggle of coming up with his father traveling as a Merchant Marine most of the year (and common struggles of Puerto Ricans finding their way in New York City in the 1950s), and more. There's even a story of evil spirits, the landlord who s...

This episode finds our podcast hosts in far-flung locations: Viareggio, Italy and Las Vegas, NV. The interview was done with James Thomas by Dr. Norma D. Thomas and is introduced by Dr. Raina J. León. Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cover art from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Raina J. León⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme song, Funky Percussions, from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AudioCoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Transcript f...

What is one magical moment from your childhood that you have never shared with others? Sharing those kinds of stories are important, because they will never be preserved in the documents or archives ... unless they are inscribed in a journal or something like that. This episode focuses on the importance of keeping a family reunion tradition and sharing documents, memories, stories, artifacts, and...

The documents can tell you a lot, but what won't they tell you? Left-handed or not? Are your people mostly early birds or night owls? Do they like the taste of cilantro or think it tastes like soap? In this episode, we give updates of our trip to South Carolina, discoveries with the census and how my (Raina's) grandmother lived in a place we never knew (which may ultimately lead to a disco...

What must it feel like to lose your children? And how do your children reconcile the loss? In this podcast, we talk about Nana Sarah, the mother of Queen Ester, what we have learned about her from the records and how she appears and disappears within them (as well as in the memories of even her own family. Tell us how this inspires you to learn more about your family, even the secrets, how you get...

Who taught you to pray and what was your first prayer? That's our check-in question today before we consider what we have learned about Mami Juanita, Raina's paternal grandmother. In this episode, we share information from the birth certificates, interviews done in 2003 and 2014, her obituary, and personal recollections, hoping that our journey will inspire you on yours. Cover photo from ⁠...

We have shared a great deal about our people and the methods we used to find out more information about them. In this episode, we focus on the methods we used: from birth certificates to deeds, stories to showing up at the family reunion, we share many of the ways that we have found out about our people in the hopes that it will help you find yours. Cover photo from ⁠⁠⁠Rohan DaCosta⁠⁠⁠ Cover art f...