Descending into the Archives
What I'm working on and how you can help.
At the start of the year, I left Oakland and put all my belongings into storage in preparation for a research fellowship at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. I’ll be here for at least six more weeks, researching the role that enslaved Black Americans—like Monticello’s cook Ursula Granger and head gardener Wormley Hughes—played in one of American wine's most referenced origin stories. These names also shaped our wine culture as we know it.
Further below, I’ve listed a few ways you can support my work!
In 2022, I tuned in virtually to the 17th annual Wine Writers’ Symposium. Among the speakers were Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, co-authors of the wine column “Tastings,” which ran in The Wall Street Journal’s weekend edition for 12 years. To my understanding, this column made Gaiter the first Black journalist to write about wine for a major publication. During the pandemic, Gaiter and Brecher donated materials to the University of California’s Wine Writers Collection at Davis, which I learned was open to the public—here began my descent into the archives.
Anyone can do archival research, but there’s often a maze of obstacles between a researcher and the primary source. The secret is asking for help. Before visiting UC Davis, I set up a time to meet with their Food and Wine Archivist, introduce myself, and discuss my research goals. If you can befriend a librarian or archivist, you’ll have the keys to the castle. They’ll guide you through the registration process and how to request materials in their database.
By the time you’re inside the library, it’s clear whom this history has been preserved for. The reading room is occupied by graduate students, doctorates, and professors. On most occasions, I have been the only Black woman. I have no formal training as a researcher and am learning as I go. I like to think of myself as a detective on a mission to find our origin stories deliberately left in the margins.
What I have found has made it worthwhile—like the time I visited the University of Virginia and held the original daguerreotype of Isaac Granger, a blacksmith formerly enslaved at Monticello, or another time when I was at the Oakland Public Library, reading through old newspaper clippings of “Activities Among Negroes,” a column first penned by Black journalist Delilah L. Beasley. In 1934, there was a bulletin that Dr. Walter H. Brooks, formerly enslaved in Virginia, had made a $1,000 donation to his alma mater, Lincoln University, where my dad later studied Physics in the 1980s.
In recent times, when there has suddenly been a push to “diversify” the wine industry, the archives tell another story—we, BIPOC, have been present, even fundamental, since its inception. The depth of research is expansive—enough to make it a lifelong career and write a book (or several). Monticello is just the beginning. I’ve been clearing space to pursue this work wholeheartedly. I could attempt to do it alone, but ego aside, I need my community now more than ever.
Here are some ways to show your support:
Send a one-time donation via Venmo: This will be especially helpful early on as I transition to being a full-time freelancer and help alleviate living expenses during my time at Monticello. The International Center for Jefferson Studies will provide a stipend after completing the fellowship.
Become a paid subscriber to my newsletter: For those who want to stay in touch and support my work in the long term. Some posts will be free to read, with more detailed updates available for paid subscribers. Your support is much appreciated!
Donate a book to my library: Much of what I’m researching can’t be found online. It’s in books on wine, horticulture, American history, Black culture, etc. I’ve started a wishlist of relevant titles on Bookshop.org. Your purchase will also support Marcus Books, the oldest Black-owned bookstore in America.
Send a message: Maybe you have a lead on a relevant story about Black winemaking, know about a grant/fellowship opportunity, or would like to send a word of encouragement. Whatever it is, I want to hear from you.
Thanks for being a part of the journey ❤️
Suggested Reading/Listening:
Article: “George and Ursula Granger: The Erasure of Enslaved Black Cidermakers” by Darlene Hayes
Book: Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher
Podcast Ep: “The Woman Who Saved California’s Black History” by East Bay Yesterday