Genealogy/family

Neva Daniel: never to old to go back to school

This excerpt from one of my ancient diaries caught my eye for a few reasons. I remembered how Neva was always getting into the next exciting thing, regardless of her age. Lately I have been wondering if I should go back to grad school, and feeling too old at 58. Neva was always into something new. Ira Progoff's intensive journaling. A Course in Miracles. Anything by Angeles Arrien. She insisted on getting aquainted with this "interesting young Indian fellow" who turned out to be Deepak Choprah, before he got famous. And when Neva was 80, according to my mother, she became enamored of Eugene Gendlin's Focusing technique .  My mom was impressed that Neva flew from Colorado to Chicago to learn from Gendlin himself. At age 80. Read more →

For Juneteenth: a student essay from the Mather School for Colored Girls

Here is my transcription of a handwritten student essay I found in my grandfather’s things. The year is likely 1938-1943. My grandparents worked for the Mather School for Colored Girls, a school which aspired to give young black Gullah islander girls an education that was equal to whites at the... Read more →

Beaufort SC, 1938: The Mather School for Colored Girls: folk songs and games

Searching for another Kumbaya: In the late 1930's, my grandfather Norvel Daniel was proud to be the superintendent of The Mather School for Colored Girls, which aspired to give young Black women the same quality education as whites. My grandmother Neva Daniel also taught at the school. Norvel, my grandfather, loved songs and singing. He became fascinated with the students' songs and tried to collect them. After all, this is where Kumbaya came from. Here are all the materials I could find from his scholarly notes on their songs. I've tried to share these with anyone who is interested. Read more →