HeyJaredSeeing Myself on the Shelf
A collector of African American books, ephemera, and historical documents, I write from the archive—sharing the stories, questions, and discoveries that emerge from the materials in my collection.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 11
- Latest publication
- Sep 24, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 6, 2026
Latest issues
Where Are All the Old Black Books? (opens the original)
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A couple of weekends back, I, along with thousands of Chicagoans, browsed along Printers Row for the annual Lit Fest. I like going to the Lit Fest because I often find books I’ve never seen before, along with university press books I have been eyeing and can buy at a reduced price. The old books are always intriguing, but their prices can sometimes exceed what my budget allows.While browsing, a sign caught my eye that said, “Antique Books—Priced at $10.00 and Under” My interest was piqued by the
The Man Who Never Stopped Learning (opens the original)
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As a child, I didn’t know my grandfather only had a sixth-grade education. In fact, I always saw him reading the Bible, along with newspapers, magazines, and children’s books. My grandfather was born in 1917 in a small Texas town. As a Black man of his era, he faced systemic barriers that cut short his formal schooling. Yet, I only ever knew him as an avid reader. He faithfully studied the Bible, mostly to prepare for teaching Sunday School at the United Methodist Church. He was deeply self-disc
The eBay Album I Almost Regretted Buying (opens the original)
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On one of my many eBay perusals, I spotted a large brown album filled with Black ephemera items from the 1930s–1950s and a few pieces from the early 1900s, and I was immediately captivated. The contents were magazine covers, sheet music, advertisements, birthday cards, Playbills, brochures, and comic art. I added it to my watchlist but could not stop thinking about the contents of the album. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me, and I took the plunge in buying the album.When the album arr
The Enduring Legacy of Professor Darlene Clark Hine (opens the original)
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Darlene Clark Hine launched her career in 1972 as African American history expanded in universities. She observed that Black women were left out or reduced to secondary roles. Hine’s scholarship proved that we actively built institutions, businesses, and movements, because we were never absent from history just overlooked in the historical gaze. Therefore, Hine pushed historians to reframe American history through the experiences of Black women. This shift transformed and challenged traditional
More Than a Cookout: Black Gathering as Cultural Memory (opens the original)
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I’ve found myself nostalgically gazing at AI-generated videos of Black cultural yesteryear from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Recently, I watched one that celebrated the Black cookout over the past few decades. This video evoked all the feelings of how deeply cookouts in the park preserve community. This preservation manifests through family reunions, birthday parties, church picnics, class reunions, Juneteenth celebrations, fraternity and sorority gatherings, or perhaps even a first date with someone
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