It had seemed the identifies of the founders were lost to history. Until a student stepped in.
[View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP4QoAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZwcm9kdWN0Q29kZT1SUiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1cmk9bnl0JTNBJTJGJTJGbmV3c2xldHRlciUyRjFmYTA0YWRiLWQ5NjktNTZhZC1iNDllLTgyZmUzMzE3OTc3NyZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0SwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee)
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTgwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
[More Race/Related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3BvdGxpZ2h0L3JhY2U_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)
October 17, 2020
Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, N.Y., was founded by five Black women whose names, until recently, were not known.David Dee Delgado for The New York Times
The Search for the Five Women of Grace Baptist Church
By Rachel J. Pilgrim
My family moved to Mount Vernon, N.Y., when I was 6. Our new home was several blocks from one of the city’s most recognizable buildings, Grace Baptist Church. Its gargantuan edifice, made of white brick and looming stained glass windows, was where I was baptized only a few months before our move, and it is the only church home I have ever known.
While the cathedral choir sang during Sunday services, I usually busied myself with reading the church programs. For 132 years, Grace Baptist congregants had been telling their founding story the same way: “In 1888, five Negro Baptist women, with great faith and courage, founded Grace Baptist Mission in Mount Vernon, New York.” I read that line every Sunday, waiting week after week for someone to update it with the women’s names.
Their names never appeared.
And so last year, as I was beginning graduate school and in search of a subject for my thesis, I took it upon myself to discover their identities.
Grace Baptist is a powerful and influential church. Its congregation has supported the political careers of many of its pastors and has welcomed the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson to its pulpit. It hosted Hillary Clinton on her campaign trail in 2016. Ruby Dee, Earl Graves Sr., Heavy D, Ossie Davis and a long list of other African-American cultural icons have walked on the red carpeting of its sanctuary.
Rachel J. Pilgrim in the Mount Vernon Public Library archive room in New York.David Dee Delgado for The New York Times
Grace Baptist and its current pastor, the Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, lead by example in the predominantly Black city, building affordable housing, feeding the poor and working as advocates for Black lives.
[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0)
ADVERTISEMENT
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTQ5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTUxJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTUwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
And yet for more than a century, the church’s founders have been known only as “formerly enslaved Negro women.” I was deeply committed to changing that.
I spent 122 days looking for them, ready to uproot a lesson about Black womanhood that I had internalized — that Black women are often relegated to the subtext of history. The road to understanding and conquering my fears of erasure directly paralleled my journey to find these women’s names. I wanted to name them to prove to myself and future generations that these consequential Black women would not be forgotten.
Black women would guide me through months of research. Church mothers were among my first calls for information. A deacon, Mary Dolberry, helped me operate the microfilm machines in the periodical section of the Mount Vernon Public Library and introduced me to the history room.
A genealogist at the church, Debbie Daniels, helped me understand how these women’s names could disappear from their own story. Ms. Daniels taught me American history through census data and demographics, where Black history is at its most treacherous.
[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1)
ADVERTISEMENT
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc3JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc4JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
She told me stories of the erasure in her own family ancestry. For generations, her family would tell their children that they were descended from Sally Hemings, a woman who had been enslaved on former President Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation. After a genealogical search into her family, she discovered they were really descendants of Heming’s older sister, Mary, the first of the Hemings children to be free.
Black women have always had to traverse the tough terrain of racism and sexism. Few saw the value of recording the activities of Black people or women. And back in the 1880s, illiteracy could have also made it hard for the five women and their community to write down their stories.
I also had to leave room for the possibility of oral tradition. Maybe these women didn’t exist at all.
Ms. Pilgrim going through newspaper clippings and photos in the archive room at the Mount Vernon Public Library.David Dee Delgado for The New York Times
Fortunately, I was in the period of American history in which Black people were not just listed as numbers and property. There was a chance for me to find evidence of their lives in Mount Vernon through the 1880 census.
[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2)
ADVERTISEMENT
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4NzAwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4NzAyJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTAxN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~
It was in the beginning stages of my archival research that I discovered the first mention of these women. In the 1903 clerk book from First Baptist Church in Mount Vernon were the names of white congregation members who undertook the Grace Baptist Mission. “Five colored women” were responsible for asking for their help, and they were allowed to hold their Sunday school in the annex of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union’s meeting space, Willard Hall. The president of this temperance union was a member of First Baptist Church’s congregation.
First Baptist Church and Grace Baptist Church had a tumultuous relationship. The white congregants locked the doors of the chapel when the Mission was behind on the rent that First Baptist illegally charged. There were physical conflicts between their pastors and deacons and a few notices in the local newspapers that warned against directly donating to the members of Grace Baptist Mission during its early days.
Halfway through my search, I had working sociological and demographic portraits of who I was looking for: I knew the five women were established in the community, were married and probably in their 30s, give or take a few years. They also were likely to have been active in social organizations to have captured the attention of white community activists.
In an article from 1894, a journalist from the local newspaper, The Daily Argus, reported that the “colored mission” laid the cornerstone of its new chapel’s foundation. The early members of Grace Baptist placed copies of their city papers and church documents in the hollow center of this cornerstone. I was sure the names of the five women were among these artifacts.
Grace Baptist’s original building, built in 1894, still stands. It’s a small white portable chapel that survived a 1939 furnace fire, right before Grace Baptist moved into its current monumental location.
The original stone building that housed the Grace Baptist Church has been remodeled over the decades and now is home to the White Rock Baptist Church.David Dee Delgado for The New York Times
Since 1941, the chapel has been remodeled and occupied by two more churches, Unity Baptist Tabernacle and White Rock Baptist Church. It was disassembled and moved to a new location in the city in 1968 when the Mount Vernon Housing Authority wanted the land for an affordable housing project. White Rock still occupies the chapel sanctuary, only a 10-minute walk from Grace Baptist.
White Rock’s pastor and I briefly spoke about opening the cornerstone before the coronavirus crisis that began last spring forced us all into quarantine. But with the uncertainty of a new pandemic, we were wary of being at the church and bringing people in to help gain access to it.
In the end — after parsing through century-old newspaper articles, census reports, journals of handwritten meeting notes, maps and city directories — I finally had their names: Emily Waller, Matilda Brooks, Helen Claiborne, Sahar Bennett and Elizabeth Benson. They were between 25 and 40 years old when they founded the church. Ms. Waller and Ms. Benson were neighbors, and the only Black families on their block.
I haven’t found their descendants, but I’m certain they are out there. Locating them — and talking to them about their heritage — is my next goal. And while their names have not yet been added to the church bulletin because we haven’t returned to in-person services since the pandemic began, soon, their names will be printed for all congregants to see.
In a year that has brought us a pandemic and national conversations about race and racism, I am proud to have identified the five pivotal women, to shed some light on a legacy that won’t be lost to history.
[[Read about the search for the five women in Ms. Pilgrim’s thesis and website.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0S_aHR0cHM6Ly9maXZld29tZW5vZmdyYWNlLndvcmRwcmVzcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)]
Vote Aquí: The Decisive Power of the Latino Vote
There is no route to the White House without Latino support: This year, with about 32 million eligible voters, they make up the largest minority group ever to take part in an election. But in 2016, over half of eligible Latinos did not cast a ballot.
Join us as the Miami bureau chief Patricia Mazzei sits down with the iconic journalist Jorge Ramos, anchor of Noticiero Univisión and a contributing Opinion writer to The New York Times, and former Representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida, to talk about what drives this diverse population, which key states hinge on their vote, and what these communities are doing to transform their numbers into political power.
This event, on Tuesday at noon, will be in English (mostly). Live captioning and translation will be available. [R.S.V.P. here](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9ueXRpLm1zLzMzd1hXSE8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~).
EDITOR’S PICKS
We publish many articles that touch on race and ethnicity. Here are a few you shouldn’t miss.
[[Article Image]
Jessica Pettway for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNC9tYWdhemluZS9xdWFyYW50aW5lLW11c3RhY2hlLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [My Mustache, My Self
A quarantine facial-hair experiment led me to a deep consideration of my Blackness.
By Wesley Morris](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNC9tYWdhemluZS9xdWFyYW50aW5lLW11c3RhY2hlLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)
[[Article Image]
Temilade Adelaja/Reuters](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xMi93b3JsZC9hZnJpY2EvbmlnZXJpYS1wcm90ZXN0cy1wb2xpY2Utc2Fycy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Nigerians Demand End to Police Squad Known for Brutalizing the Young
The government said it would bow to the demands of Nigerians protesting police abuses, but skeptical protesters vowed to keep the pressure on.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xMi93b3JsZC9hZnJpY2EvbmlnZXJpYS1wcm90ZXN0cy1wb2xpY2Utc2Fycy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)
[[Article Image]
Jeenah Moon for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS90aGVhdGVyL2plcmVteS1oYXJyaXMtc2xhdmUtcGxheS10b255cy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Jeremy O. Harris, Author of ‘Slave Play,’ on the Show’s Record Haul
Twelve nominations, including one for Best Play, is an encouraging sign: “It feels very invigorating that the community wants to have this conversation right now.”
By Sarah Bahr](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS90aGVhdGVyL2plcmVteS1oYXJyaXMtc2xhdmUtcGxheS10b255cy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)
[[Article Image]
Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNi9hcnRzL2Rlc2lnbi9ob3dhcmRlbmEtcGluZGVsbC1zaGVkLXZpZGVvLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [At 77, Howardena Pindell Exorcises a Chilling Memory From Childhood
The artist’s first new video in 25 years, on view at the Shed, mines the history of violence against African-Americans in this country.
By Jillian Steinhauer](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNi9hcnRzL2Rlc2lnbi9ob3dhcmRlbmEtcGluZGVsbC1zaGVkLXZpZGVvLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)
[[Article Image]
Marcos Dimas and El Museo del Barrio](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS9hcnRzL2Rlc2lnbi9sYXRpbngtYXJ0LWVsLW11c2VvLWRlbC1iYXJyaW8uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [Critic’s Notebook
Honoring Latinx Art, Personal and Political
El Museo del Barrio celebrates its own electric history, and present, in a show about the Puerto Rican workshop Taller Boricua.
By Holland Cotter](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS9hcnRzL2Rlc2lnbi9sYXRpbngtYXJ0LWVsLW11c2VvLWRlbC1iYXJyaW8uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)
[[Article Image]
Danielle Scruggs for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS9idXNpbmVzcy9iZWF1dHktc3RvcmUtcmFjZS1wcm90ZXN0cy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Black Products. Black Shoppers. Black Workers. But Who Owns the Store?
At a Chicago beauty supply shop, one American dream has come true. Another is still waiting for its chance.
By Michael Corkery](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS9idXNpbmVzcy9iZWF1dHktc3RvcmUtcmFjZS1wcm90ZXN0cy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)
[[Article Image]
Sharon Chischilly for The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9uYXZham8tYXJpem9uYS1tYWlsLXZvdGluZy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [For the Navajo Nation, ‘Everything Takes Time,’ Including Voting
Post offices are few and far between on the reservation, and mail can take a week and a half to reach the county seat. In this year’s election, that has more profound implications than ever before.
By Maggie Astor](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMC8xNS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9uYXZham8tYXJpem9uYS1tYWlsLXZvdGluZy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)
Invite your friends.
Invite someone to subscribe to the [Race/Related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3c2xldHRlcnMvcmFjZS1yZWxhdGVkP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMTkwNjI4JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UtcmVsYXRlZCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) newsletter. Or email your thoughts and suggestions to racerelated@nytimes.com.
Want more Race/Related?
[Follow us on Instagram](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0S7aHR0cDovL2luc3RhZ3JhbS5jb20vcmFjZXJlbGF0ZWRueXQ_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), where we continue the conversation about race through visuals.
[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-3)
Need help? Review our [newsletter help page](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly9oZWxwLm55dGltZXMuY29tL2hjL2VuLXVzL2FydGljbGVzLzM2MDAwMTQ4ODI2Ni1OZXdzbGV0dGVycz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) or [contact us](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly9oZWxwLm55dGltZXMuY29tL2hjL2VuLXVzL2FydGljbGVzLzExNTAxNTM4NTg4Ny1Db250YWN0LXVzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMDE3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIzMjI5Jm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00MTM3NCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) for assistance.
You received this email because you signed up for Race/Related from The New York Times.
To stop receiving these emails, [unsubscribe](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TLaHR0cHM6Ly9teWFjY291bnQubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VnL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlL1JSLzlmMTE5YjRjMDY0N2YyNjU4YmQ5NmU5MWQ2YzQ1NGY5ZmM4NjhmZWNkZWRlYTUzY2NiNWJmOGZlZjkzNDJiODY0ZTNlOTljYmM0NjY1MmUwM2NhYjFkNWRiMTU2MzYzOT9lbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZzZW5kX2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTFXA255dEIKACvuzopf5L09OlIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) or [manage your email preferences](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0S1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vZW1haWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~).
[Subscribe to The Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uP2NhbXBhaWduSWQ9OVJYNzgmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Get The New York Times app](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VydmljZXMvbW9iaWxlL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)
Connect with us on:
[instagram](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0S9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9yYWNlcmVsYXRlZD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)
[Change Your Email](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TEaHR0cHM6Ly9teWFjY291bnQubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbWVtL2VtYWlsLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Privacy Policy](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TlaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9jb250ZW50L2hlbHAvcmlnaHRzL3ByaXZhY3kvcG9saWN5L3ByaXZhY3ktcG9saWN5Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDEwMTcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjMyMjkmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQxMzc0JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK-7Oil_kvT06Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Contact Us](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TMaHR0cHM6Ly9teWFjY291bnQubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbWVtYmVyY2VudGVyL2hlbHAuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)[California Notices](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhbVPuP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vcHJpdmFjeS9jYWxpZm9ybmlhLW5vdGljZT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTAxNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMzIyOSZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDEzNzQmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgAr7s6KX-S9PTpSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)
The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018