History mystery
February 3rd, 2008, 4:19 pm Hobbies Ideas
Gardner, 39, is a professor of English at Saginaw Valley
State University and champion of uncovering blacks lost to
American history.
So it was he finally, through endless research, found that
that this prolific writer of essays, articles and poems
published in the Elevator for seven years was a woman named
Jennie Carter (1830-1881).
In his book, Gardner serves mainly as an editor –
publishing Carter’s body of work that deals with
California and national politics, race and racism,
women’s rights and suffrage, temperance, morality,
education and a host of other issues that remain as vital
today as then, as well as everyday life, such as house
cleaning, gardening and two-faced eulogies.
”She wrote with insightful intelligence and a
fair amount of sass,” Gardner says.
”And she was deeply committed to the idea and
hope of progress, to the nation redefining itself as a place
of equality where African-Americans have a shot at
professions, education and owning land.”
Despite Gardner’s intense three years of travel to
research and then write, much about Carter remains hidden.
”We still do not have a picture of her, which
I’d love to uncover someday. Or a personal letter.
”There are still so many pieces we don’t
know — her exact year of birth, where she was born (New
York? New Orleans?), details about her first marriage, did
she have any children.
Related posts
