It is easy to think of Black History Month only as a time of remembering the past. Have you ever considered this time as an opportunity to do the work of history? This week we want to introduce you to Gwendolyn Elease Anderson who spent years documenting the lives of African Americans in Anderson County as far back as the 1800s. The culmination of Miss Anderson’s work was her book, Profiles of Black Folks in Anderson County South Carolina (1993). Without her persistent and far-reaching labor, this key source for African American community members would not exist.

Gwendolyn Anderson took it upon herself to document the history around her, perform interviews, take photos, and share her knowledge with others. What could you do in your own community to participate in history or preservation?