My grandparents moved into our family home in 1939. For more than 80 years, that house held generations of memories, photographs, family papers, church programs, newspaper clippings, and pieces of community history. Over the past couple of years, I have been slowly sorting through those collections, one box at a time.
Now the question has become, what do I do with it all? What do I keep? At first, I wanted to keep everything. Every photograph, handwritten note, faded document, and scrap of paper felt important. Some items carried deeply personal family memories, while others reflected the history of an entire community. The more I sorted through boxes, the more I realized I wasn’t simply organizing old belongings. I was handling pieces of history that had survived generations.
But reality slowly began setting in. My garage was filling up with boxes of photographs, documents, and family treasures that need to be protected and properly stored. As much as I would love to save every single item, space, both physical and emotional, becomes part of the conversation too. For the first time, I began thinking seriously about the responsibility that comes with becoming the family historian. Preserving history sounds beautiful until you are the one trying to decide what survives and what does not.
Some things were easy to recognize as historically valuable. Old family photographs, documents connected to our Black school, WF Brach High, during segregation, church materials, and community programs. Newspaper clippings that captured moments long forgotten by most people. As I sorted through box after box, I realized I was holding more than my family’s history. I was holding pieces of community history, especially the story of W.F. Branch High School and the generations of students, teachers, and families connected to it.
I knew these items deserved to be preserved and shared, but I wasn’t sure how. My long-term goal has always been to see some of these materials placed in a library, archive, or museum where they can be protected and made available to future researchers. But I also realized that preserving history doesn’t have to wait for a formal donation.
In 2020 I reached out to the Jackson County Historical Society and asked if I could create a display honoring W. F. Branch High School for Black History Month. They graciously welcomed the idea, and together we shared photographs, class pictures, and yearbooks from a school that played such an important role in our community.
While I still hope that some of these materials will eventually find a permanent home in a library or archive, I have learned there are many ways to make history accessible in the meantime. Consider creating a display at a local historical society, library, church, or community center, offer to give a presentation at a local organization, or create digital copies that can be shared with community members.
One of the most important lessons I learned was that I could not wait for someone to find me. No library, historical society, museum, or community organization knew what was sitting inside my family home. They didn’t know I had class photographs, school memorabilia, funeral programs, and other pieces of local history. If I wanted these stories to be shared, I had to take the first step. I didn’t wait for an invitation. I simply asked the question.
Sometimes preserving history requires us to become advocates for the collections we have inherited. We have to tell people what exists, explain why it matters, and look for opportunities to share it. The worst answer we can receive is ‘No’. But if we never ask, the stories remain hidden and opportunities may never come.
Click HERE to read Part 1
Click HERE to read Part 2
Journey Through the Generations 
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