{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/bz6154gs1r/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Oral History Interview with Robert Edison"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/212/original/LOHI_aviarybanner2.jpg?1741032082","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2025-07-17"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interviewer"]},"value":{"en":["Childress, DaNia, 1991-"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interviewee"]},"value":{"en":["Edison, Robert, 1948-"]}},{"label":{"en":["LCDL Collection"]},"value":{"en":["Director's Cut Oral History Project"]}},{"label":{"en":["Contributing Institution"]},"value":{"en":["Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eRobert Edison was born in 1948 in Louisville, Kentucky. In this interview, he discusses his tenure as director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture and his proudest accomplishments. He also shares about his work as an educator with the Dallas Incorporated School District before and after his time as director.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Media Type"]},"value":{"en":["Oral Histories"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject - Topical"]},"value":{"en":["Archives and education;African American leadership;Museums and community"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject - Geographic"]},"value":{"en":["Charleston (S.C.)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject - Geographic County"]},"value":{"en":["Charleston County (S.C)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date Digital"]},"value":{"en":["2025-07-17"]}},{"label":{"en":["Digitization Specifications"]},"value":{"en":["Mp4 deriviative audio and video created with Davinci Resolve. All archival preservation files are mp4s."]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type IMT"]},"value":{"en":["MovingImage"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCopyright © College of Charleston Libraries.\u003c/p\u003e"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eRobert Edison was born in 1948 in Louisville, Kentucky. In this interview, he discusses his tenure as director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture and his proudest accomplishments. He also shares about his work as an educator with the Dallas Incorporated School District before and after his time as director.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCopyright \u0026copy; College of Charleston Libraries.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Lowcountry Digital Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Lowcountry Digital Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/212/original/LOHI_aviarybanner2.jpg?1741032082","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/311/839/small/arc_1209_EdisonRobert.mp4_1780508551.jpg?1780508553","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - arc_1209_EdisonRobert.mp4"]},"duration":1415.04,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/311/839/small/arc_1209_EdisonRobert.mp4_1780508551.jpg?1780508553","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-cofc.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/311/839/original/arc_1209_EdisonRobert.mp4?1780508546","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1415.04,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Robert Edison Interview Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nGood evening.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=10.0,11.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nGood evening.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=11.0,12.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nCan you please state your full name, date, and place of birth?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=12.0,16.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nYes, Robert Earl Edison, and I was born in Louisville, Kentucky on August the 20th, 1948.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=16.0,26.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then, how familiar were you with Charleston before you arrived?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=26.0,30.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI had been to Charleston once for a conference, but I had not had an opportunity to really experience the entire city. So basically a conference was downtown and going to sessions, so just very little experience.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=30.0,45.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what was your first impression?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=45.0,48.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, as a historian, I love the fact that they valued history and that you had so many historical buildings, whereas in Dallas, you know, we didn't preserve buildings, so much of our history has been lost and Charleston really preserve their history.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=48.0,66.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what was your professional background before you came to the Avery Research Center?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=66.0,70.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI'm a educator. I started teaching in 1971 in Dallas, Texas, and I spent 44 years with the Dallas Independent School District, and we were the only school district that had museums that were part of a desegregation program. So part of my tenure in Dallas was to serve as director of the African American Cultural Heritage Center, which was a museum run by the school district.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=70.0,99.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then how did you hear about the Avery Research Center?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=99.0,103.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, Dr. Marvin Delaney and I have worked together since the Eighties on various projects in Dallas, and he made a decision to leave Dallas and come to Charleston. And we continued our friendship over the years. And so when he started working with the history department with the College of Charleston, he needed someone else to spend time here at Avery. And he thought about some of the work that I had done in Dallas and asked me to interview for the position.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=103.0,136.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what were some of the things that were transferable from working in the Dallas museums to coming to the Avery?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=136.0,143.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, similar in the sense that African American history, to some extent, is always threatened - I'd say is always a generation from being lost. And so as an educator, I focused on how we can keep African American history alive in our community. One of the statements I would often use: “If you don't live your culture, you kill your culture.” So the same thing was true there. So Dr. Dulaney, we consider ourselves community historians. In other words, we embed in the community, get trust from the community, and they get buy-in to learning more about African American history.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=143.0,186.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then how would you describe the political and social climate in Charleston?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=186.0,190.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, Charleston in 2000 was going through some transformations. One issue had to do with how do you honor Denmark Vesey? And it was a long discussion on whether to erect the statute for him, where to place that statute, and that was ongoing and how you define him. So the interpretation of that. And then you had the issue of gentrification on the islands, St. James and some of the other islands. I think a year before I got here, they had put the historical marker on Sullivan's Island. I think you had people in elected office - I mentioned the mayor at the time was open to having a museum that documented the role of slavery in Charleston. David Cohen was over at the library and he was kind of like my immediate College of Charleston connection.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=190.0,254.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd how did you manage your professional and personal obligations?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=254.0,260.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, I had a mission design. So, part of it was to manage the staff, and I was blessed. And when I came here, had an outstanding staff, both from the point of office staff and all those who were qualified as far as exhibits - Curtis and Oliver - just an excellent staff. So I believe in shared leadership - and so, all of them were qualified to do their jobs. But the one thing that I noticed that they tended to work in silos. As museums, because we have turnover, one of the things that I wanted them to do was to learn what one another was doing so if someone left, we wouldn't have that gap. So working with the staff in that sense, and then getting out to the community. I mentioned that there were different groups of stakeholders with the museum and with Avery, and one of the stakeholders was the College of Charleston.\n\nSo I’d make a point to take every opportunity to let the students and the History department, other departments, know that the Avery Research Center was here and that they should take advantage of it. So we had students who would come and attend some of the programs. Then I wanted to get the public schools involved, so we worked on having a quiz bowl and a cultural contest during the summer. So we tried to work on programs where the next generation would buy into it. And then you had those who really took ownership, and those were the former students of Avery. And so they were constantly in and out and you could tell they had ownership. And so one way that I got them involved was that I wrote a grant – and it was called “Off Your Rockers” – which allowed me to pay seniors, especially those who were former students of Avery, to come and spend time here and talk to people when they visited Avery and meet with students and they got paid for it. So I think that was one of my major accomplishments. And then interacting with the other museums, because we had so many museums in this area, not counting the plantations, but Avery has a unique role in, because we're kind of the gatekeeper for African American history. So when we would go on to plantations and the story - the interpretations taking place - is not exactly what it should be, or an accurate portrayal, then we felt an obligation to help those institutions to do a better job in explaining.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=260.0,427.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd did you face any barriers not being from Charleston?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=427.0,432.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nYeah, I think that's true. I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. Well, when I moved to Dallas, I worked on a history project and they said they wanted somebody from Dallas to be over the project. And I kind of felt that here, as well, because you had people who were very knowledgeable of South Carolina history: their roots were here. I had very little knowledge of Gullah Geechee culture, so I had to really do some homework in learning that. And then I remember, and I don't remember who said it, but someone said to me about being Director of Avery, he said, “Well, you're light enough, so you'll be accepted.” And that brought in that color consciousness that I hadn't experienced in other places that existed here in Charleston.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=432.0,481.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then how would you describe the impact of the Avery Normal Institute and the role of the alumni in your work?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=481.0,488.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, Avery - as an educator, I think Avery's major contribution has been that of turning out teachers. I think a study was done and they said 60% of the teachers in South Carolina - African American teachers - two thirds of them came out of the Avery Normal Institute. And so I just felt like their history and their contribution needed to be preserved. And what we did in Dallas, we started a hall of fame for African American educators, and we have an oral history project where we documented what their teaching techniques were because they taught at a time of segregation, hand me down books, but yet they turned out outstanding students.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=488.0,540.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then who was your professional support system while you were here?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=540.0,544.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI would say Dr. Dulaney was still here, going back and forth. I mentioned David going from the library, but just the staff here - Patty Becker was my administrative assistant, so she made sure I made all my obligations, but just working with Curtis and Oliver and the other staff members.... I mean, I was just blessed to inherit an outstanding staff.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=544.0,574.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then how were you able to network with other organizations and get their support for the Avery?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=574.0,580.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nOkay. They had a roundtable meeting. I don't know if it was once a month, but every so often, and all the various representatives of the museums would meet different facilities and we would support one another. So serving on the MOJA Festival, even going to Columbia to events, but basically being the face of Avery. So I felt that oftentimes even in the community when they have events, they look at institutions like Avery as being academic, not grassroots and not connected with them. So I made a point to attend a lot of the community events. If a church invited me to be a speaker, then I would do that, or youth group or whatever. So I made a point to really be the face of Avery in the community, both for the museum field, but also the community at large.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=580.0,638.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what role did the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture play in your administration?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=638.0,644.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nWell, it's the key part of it. I mean, you have a historic building; you have a legacy of turning out outstanding students; and then you had those students who recognized that even though the school may have closed in 1954, that the school was more than bricks and mortar - that it was that legacy, and passing on that tradition. And so just capitalizing on being in a historic building, a building that had legacy, a building that had outstanding students who made contributions to not just the State of South Carolina, but nationally, just to get that message out because there are other institutions in other cities as well. But I think Avery has a unique history in the longevity and the fact that it still exists.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=644.0,699.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what would you have done if you had access to an unlimited funding stream?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=699.0,704.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI think I would've worked more with getting more youth involved in Avery. What I encourage, we have African American museums in the opening all over the country, but we lack African American students who are able to fill those positions. So Avery was fortunate that most of our staff members were African American, so they're telling their own story, but when you visit many museums today, that's not the case. So I probably would've tried to work with the school district and encourage them to create a museum pathway where students would serve as interns, maybe during the summer or during the school year, serve as docents to try to get them interested in carrying on the legacy of Avery by working here.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=704.0,752.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nThen what were some of your greatest accomplishments and challenges?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=752.0,757.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nProbably my greatest accomplishment was working with the various groups. And what I mean by – the community groups that had no connection with Avery at all, and they looked at it as elitist. You had some who remember when they couldn't come on campus and that, but getting them to see that Avery was not just interested in the elite, that our collection was for the grassroots. So having workshops, preservation workshops to let people understand that their papers, their photographs, their family histories are important. So not that we wanted to take them and we would love to have had them, but we wanted them to be able to preserve their own histories. And maybe down the road some of them would end up here at Avery.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=757.0,813.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nIs there an exhibit and program that stands out to you?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=813.0,818.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nSeveral exhibits that stand out? One was one that Curtis had put together was a photographic exhibit. I think he referred to as “the bourgeoisie” from 1854 to 1954, the upper class African Americans in Charleston. And I thought that was important because we see a lot of images of African Americans during that time period, but it's usually the ones who are struggling, those just out of slavery and those who lacked in education, because 96% of them were uneducated when freedom came. And a lot of time the story of those who were educated - those who were, I guess what one would call that “Talented Tenth” - existed. And Charleston had a large community of that talented 10th. And again, that goes back again to that color consciousness thing that many of 'em were light-skinned and they got opportunities based on that. So I think that exhibit was very important. Then there was an exhibit on baseball, and it was the various community leagues that they had in South Carolina because as you know, we couldn't play Major League Baseball, but you had outstanding baseball players on the local level, and in time some of them did make it to the major leagues. And then there was a story of a team of students 5 21 that won the championship. And so we had that exhibit and that brought in people from the community who normally wouldn't come into Avery, and even some of the relatives of those who played in those leagues came to Avery. So just broadening the audience was one of the goals that I had when I came here as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=818.0,937.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what do you think is an under-told aspect of the history of the Avery Research Center?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=937.0,943.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI think the contribution that it made in the field of education. So when we consider, from my experience, Louisville was one of those cities that integrated after 1954. So I only had one African American teacher from 1st grade to 12th grade was students in South Carolina where they realized it or not were blessed that they had African-American teachers who not only taught them the ABCs, but taught them their history and their heritage. I hate to say it, but when I got to college and everyone was singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” I didn't understand how they knew the song, but they said we learned it, we sung it in elementary school and high school, I had never learned the song. So that contribution, I don't think you can really measure the contribution of those educators to the state of South Carolina and the nation at large.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=943.0,1006.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd then what do you want visitors to leave with after visiting the Avery Research Center?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1006.0,1011.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI think when someone comes to the Avery Research Center, they ought to leave with the spirit, what I call the “I an spirit and what I do at the museum in Dallas, I tell 'em to look at the word African, look at the word American. What's the last four letters? I-C-A-N. And I see that when I come in Avery, I see individuals who had to overcome roadblocks and obstacles, and they didn't allow it to stop them because they had that I can spirit. They looked back at their ancestors and said, “If they could do it, if they could come through the storms, if they could work in those cotton fields and save monies and mason jars to send their kids off to college, then what excuse do I have?” And I think that's the legacy of Avery: that when individuals come in here and they see individuals who really paved the way, for those of us today,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1011.0,1071.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nWhat have you done since leaving the Avery Research Center?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1071.0,1075.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI retired from the Dallas Independent School District as the director of the Social Studies Department. And at the time, we were the fifth-largest school district in the nation. So we had about 158,000 students, 216 schools. And so part of the things I did was made sure that African American Studies was part of our program, but not only that, we had a high concentration of Mexican American students. So we had Mexican American studies, Asian American, and gave those students an opportunity to learn their history as well. But once I left the district, then I transitioned into the museum field because I had always volunteered with the Dallas African American Museum. And once I retired, they asked me to come on board full-time and serve as the curator of education at the African American Museum. So I sponsored the African American Heritage Bowl that we had every year, summer camp that we host. We have about 40 students each summer, and we've been doing that for about 35 years. And just programming in general. We also started a chapter of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and it's called the WM Dulaney Branch because of the contribution of Dr. Dulaney made to African American history in Dallas. And so our office was located in the museum. And this is one thing that I encourage other branches to do, is to team up with an African American museum in your community and support one another.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1075.0,1178.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nHow does Avery help foster African American history beyond the stores in the work with community and cultural organizations?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1178.0,1186.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nI think you'd have to look at what some of the people who have gone through Avery have done. I know Curtis has done exhibits in other places. Damon Fordham, who was an intern here, helped write a book on South Carolinians. Oliver - I think he wrote a book as well. And they took their knowledge and they found vehicles where they could share that knowledge with the community at large - and really the nation at large, because both of those books that they worked on have gone all over the nation. And they always give credit to Avery, the resources that are here. And that just lets more people know that we have an excellent archive here and resources for people who want to do more research.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1186.0,1242.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nAnd before I ask my final question, is there anything you'd like to add to your time at Avery or in general that we didn't go over?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1242.0,1251.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nProbably only thing that I would add is that Avery gave me an opportunity to grow. And what I mean by that is that the project that we had to document whether African American history was being taught in the state of South Carolina, because they had set aside money for schools, they had written a textbook for the state. And so you had the oversight committee wanted to know. And so we got to travel all over South Carolina and went places I probably never would have gone, and interviewed teachers, principals to determine what the state of African American history was in the state of South Carolina. And that helped me throughout my career, knowing what roadblocks you're going to encounter when you're trying to preserve it. I found out that if it was a predominantly African American school, they usually had an African American history course. If it was predominantly white school, you needed one teacher who would take ownership of the course, recruit students, keep it going. But if that individual left and no one else picked up the mantle then it tended to die out.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1251.0,1329.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nThank you. And then my final question to you is: the Avery Research Center recently received funding from the Mellon Foundation in recognition of the 160th anniversary of the Avery Normal Institute in the 40th anniversary of the Avery Research Center, under the goal of recognizing the institution's liberatory legacy. In your opinion, how would you describe the liberatory legacy of Avery? And how can we continue to tell the history of Avery Normal Institute in the Lowcountry?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1329.0,1357.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nOkay, well, I think I would compare it to the Rosenwald schools - and those Rosenwald schools were built all over the South, but you can't compare any of those schools to Avery. I mean, Avery was a first-class institution, and offered courses that most of those Rosenwald schools only wish they could have been able to teach students. So I think the impact of Avery was way before we built institutions like this, Avery existed, and it showed the possibility in other places all they needed was an opportunity.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1357.0,1399.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"DaNia Childress\n\nThank you so much for your time, Mr. Edison,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1399.0,1401.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839/transcript/94361/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Robert Edison\n\nAnd thank you. It was my pleasure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3724/collection_resources/172908/file/311839#t=1401.0,1405.5"}]}]}]}