"Picture This"

Hello, reader! This week has been action-packed, beginning with our final team meeting on Monday. I worked closely with my group of students on our upcoming presentations for the Internship Showcase, scheduled for August 1st- just one week from now! After reviewing the parameters for our slides and learning that we would be presenting back-to-back, we devised a plan to divide our time effectively and make sure that our narratives shine and apply what they have learned to their future goals. I plan to meet with my group on Monday to review progress on our slides and subsequently on Wednesday to rehearse our presentations!

On Thursday, I met with Ms. Boykin at the Museum of the Apopkans to discuss objects of hers that were digitally donated to RICHES at the Hungerford History Harvest. The first artifact, I learned, was a professional portrait of Thomas Barnes. Born in 1882, Barnes was a Georgia native who relocated to Apopka in hopes of finding work in the city’s robust agriculture or logging industries. However, Thomas Barnes became a local trailblazer instead, opening Apopka’s first moving picture hall for Black residents in 1926, succeeded by the Ace Theatre on Central Avenue. He was known to his loved ones as a skilled farmer, an expert beekeeper who owned an apiary, and a shoe cobbler in his spare time.

The next object appeared to be a photocopy of a newspaper article, commemorating the opening of Phyllis Wheatley Junior High School in 1950. As I searched through the two photo albums Ms. Boykin left at the museum, I was able to find the original photocopy labeled “PWS Dedication Ceremony 1950” in her neat handwriting. Former Mayor John H. Land, who governed the city of Apopka for 61 years, was pictured front and center. Also present at the ceremony was Ms. Boykin’s father, Mr. Albert Sampson Boykin, who is pictured second to last on the right-hand side.

I was very lucky to find a photocopy file at the museum that matched this photograph of seven Usher Board Members of the New Hope Baptist Church, providing identifications for at least six of the members. The Church was established in 1905, spearheaded by Rev. Morton, who purchased the Church from the city with the assistance of its members and Deacons. New Hope Baptist Church still stands today on S Central Avenue in Apopka, bustling with new life after its remodeling. 

Lastly, I showed Ms. Boykin a labeled photograph of Mildred Board, a renowned educator who touched the lives of students who attended the Apopka Colored School, and later, Phyllis Wheatley High School for 36 years. In 1949, Mildred Board established the first African American Girl Scout Troop in Apopka, pictured here with her group of seven young girls.

Next week is my very last blog post. While bittersweet, I am so proud of all I have accomplished with the generous support of my supervisors and the work of my fantastic team of students. See you next week, reader!