Historical wrongs were corrected in Righting the Past. Here's why we did it.
One year ago, the Pensacola New Journal published the first historical obituary in the Righting the Past series. Written by Teniadé Broughton and Scott Satterwhite, it corrected a historical wrong committed by the newspaper nearly a century ago.
What was that wrong? Well, when John Sunday died in 1925, the Journal published a dismissive, four-line notice about the death of a man who was one of the most successful and consequential Pensacolians in the city’s long history. But he was a Black man in Jim Crow Pensacola, and the Journal was not then in the business of championing the accomplishments of African Americans or other people of color.
As the “first draft of history,” newspapers shape the stories we tell about who we are, how we got here and where we’re going. For too long, Pensacola newspapers – like many Pensacola historians – overlooked a sizable part of our community. The historical obituary written by Broughton and Satterwhite corrected the record. Thoroughly researched, it traced the life and legacy of a singular Pensacolian. It also added a new story about who made Pensacola what it is today.
Since then, we have had the privilege of working with 15 additional authors on 25 historical obituaries. Published every two weeks, these rigorously researched historical obituaries have shared new stories about Pensacolians whose lives reveal a much richer, complicated past than what has been commonly told. As a group, they cover nearly 200 years of history and document the lives of 11 women and 15 men, educators and activists, businesspeople and entertainers, freedom seekers and politicians. Too few knew about the individuals featured in this series. But their stories are now part of Pensacola’s written history.
What is Righting the past? Their history wasn't just forgotten, it was buried. Today we tell their stories.
New stories matter. But so too do new storytellers. Yes, historians wrote some of these obituaries. But so too did descendants, community leaders, students and educators. Each brought a unique perspective to the story they researched and shared. And each made a strong case for the relevance of their obituary to our world today.
The relevance of the past to our present inspired this series. Nearly two years ago, Teniadé Broughton suggested we collaborate on a local iteration of the New York Times’s seminal Overlooked project. Lisa Nellessen Savage, the executive editor of the Pensacola News Journal, was an enthusiastic supporter from day one. Thank you both for your inspiration and continuing support. We also want to thank each contributor who made this series possible. And, of course, we want to thank you – the reader – for reading and sharing these historical obituaries.
There are so many more stories to tell – and so much research to do. We hope you will join us in confronting other historical wrongs. We’ll be back in a few months with a broader scope and more historical obituaries about overlooked people from across the Gulf Coast. Are you interested in writing for the series? Is there someone you think we should write about? Let us know – you can email us at rightingthepast@gmail.com.
Righting the Past series editors Robin Reshard, Joe Vinson and Jamin Wells led the project throughout 2023. You can find all of the historical obituaries in one place in this story at pnj.com.
Righting the Past historical obituaries:
Spencer Bibbs: Entrepreneur and church co-founder, dies
Abraham: Veteran of Negro Fort and Seminole Wars, is dead
Ella L. Jordan: Civic leader, dead at 75
George Parker: Noted lawyer, dead
Lillie Anna James: Revered educator and private school owner, dead
Euphrozine Hinard: Enslaver and emancipator, dead at 90
Mariah McQueen: Beloved mother, laid to rest in John the Baptist Cemetery
Genevieve Ham Seamstress and one of Pensacola’s oldest residents, dead
Rev. L. B. Croom, Civil rights activist, dies at 73
Ezra Gary: Professional mariner, dies in tragic shipwreck
Mercedes Vidal: Center of early territorial scandal, dead at 84
John Brown: World War I veteran, laid to rest in Old Muscogee Cemetery
Paulina Beard: Molino elder, dies at 86
Henry Stalburt: Veteran, champion of freedom, dead
J.T. Spann: United Order of Brotherhood founder and publisher, dead at 54
Jennie Huggins: Namesake of beloved swimming hole, dies at 84
John Sunday: War veteran and prominent citizen, is dead at 86
Winnie Ann Hart: Midwife and longtime resident of Old Warrington, dead
John A. Gibson: Education advocate and community leader, dead at 79
Walker W. Thomas: National newspaper correspondent and veteran, dead at 28
Viola Washington Edwards: Pioneering health care provider, dead at 70
Donald Reed Sr.: Leader in Pensacola business, life and community, died at age 86
James Goldstucker: Famed baseball manager and businessman, dead at 75
Mary Higgins: Pensacola teacher died unexpectedly in fire at her home
Adam: Blacksmith and champion of freedom, dies without honor of last name
Leander A. Shaw: Turpentine worker, murdered by mob
Salvador Pons: Pensacola’s only Black mayor, , is dead at 55
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Righting the past: Series corrected historical wrongs
