BPP

Two young black women selling cakes at the Alston railroad station, next to a train that has stopped.

 1900

Priscilla Taylor, an African American woman truck driver serving in the Women's Army Corps

1943

Black women who are probably domestic workers standing outside with brooms of bambusa

I've been having fun going through the life archives. You have to really look to find older photos of black women, and I love that the internet places it at your fingertips. I've been thinking about making my own broom for awhile, inspired by the children's book, The Witch's Broomstick, but these kinds of brooms would be good really only for the outdoors. Sadly, we just moved into a home with no outside space save the roof that is accessible only through my bedroom window. Or, I thought was only accessible through my window. It turns out the kids who live down the hall can get up there trough window, which worries me for when they invite their drunkies on Friday nights. I know what drunk people my age are like- if there is a window, and it's open, why not hop through it. maybe I'll keep one of these brooms next to my bed, like a bundle of switches. So I'll just beat the first hipster that creeps into my bedroom to the ground, like my foremothers would. Make great aunt Lee proud.