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February 2021 General Member Meeting
Presentation on Get Schooled: Finding Family in Education Records
Originally recorded on February 9, 2021
Speaker: Kimberly Springle and Holly Smith
Bio: About Kimberly: Kimberly E. Springle is an Historian with a focus on community history. Her research interests include 20th Century African American History, the history of public education, and capturing the untold stories of lesser known contributors to society. For the past 12 years, Kimberly has served as the Executive Director of Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, the official museum and repository for the history of DC Public Education. She is the steward of the Historic Museum site and serves as the Historian and Archivist for the DC Public School System. Kimberly is also the Founder of Nile Kongo Cultural Consulting, serving communities and individuals nationwide in preserving their cultural assets and lecturing on topics related to history and cultural heritage. Over her 18 year career in the museum field, Kimberly has worked with various cultural institutions including the Smithsonian Institution Archives, National Museum of American History and Lord Cultural Resources. She currently serves on the Executive Board of National Council on Public History (NCPH), is a founding Board Member of Friends of Sumner 501c3 Organization and is a member of the Editorial Review Board and Diversity and Inclusion Committee for American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). In addition, she is Vice President of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, DC State Organization. Kimberly is a proud native of Greenville, South Carolina. About Holly: Holly A. Smith is the College Archivist at Spelman College. She received her B.A. in History and Black Studies from The College of William and Mary, an M.A. in History from Yale University, and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. She co-authored the article “This [Black] Woman’s Work: Exploring Archival Projects that Embrace the Identity of the Memory Worker” (KULA Journal), and authored the piece “Radical Love: Documenting Underrepresented Communities Using Principles of Radical Empathy” (Journal for the Society of North Carolina Archivists). She is passionate about community archives and archival advocacy related to collections for historically under documented communities.
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Presentation Description

You've gotten past the basics of vital records and census enumerations on your family history research path. Now what? How about school records! Yearbooks, report cards, registration forms, handwritten letters, alumni records, awards and certificates of distinction - you never know what you might find in school records, but whatever you do, it will surely put meat on the bones of your family story. In this meeting, we'll be joined by two experts in archival educational records to help us know how to get started and what to look for. Kimberly E. Springle, Director of the Sumner School Museum and Archives in Washington, DC, will provide an overview of the types of records kept by one urban school district and how they can be accessed. Holly A. Smith, College Archivist for Spelman College, will share what may be available at the collegiate level, with a special focus on HBCUs. You'll leave inspired to discover the educational stories of your ancestors and equipped to start your search!

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