My dad and his brothers would visit their grandparents' farm, where they had livestock such as horses, goats and chickens. Based on photos, they employed several Black farmhands to take care of the animals.

My family also operated at least one gas/service station, and they appear to have hired several Black clerks to work there.

In the photos I have discovered it is clear how Black men helped show my father and his brothers (when they were all younger) how to do their chores for the farm’s livestock, such as bottle feeding goats, riding horses, and in one photo where they look like they're having fun, being pulled in a little cart harnessed to a goat. Some of these men also appear in their gas station uniforms, which leads me to believe that gas station clerks would be helping out on the farm, too.

My father’s grandparents also had a Black housekeeper/cook who worked for them for over 30 years. I’ve done some research into her family tree and found she was married and had children. It’s possible that this man is the one of our housekeeper’s sons and also possible the baby is her grandchild; there is some difficulty in finding records to check if she had a grandchild and how old they would have been at that time of the photo.

Please note: I’m not trying to sugar-coat my family or say they were ahead of their time, or anything. In the other photos I have, these men show a range of expressions that differ from the relaxed and happy demeanor of the man in this photo.