Written by Darriel McBride With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s an opportunity for us to not only be thankful for the food we eat, but our families as we celebrate with one another. Growing up on a farm, in North Carolina, has taught the Starling family the importance of knowing exactly where their food […]
Archive | Participants
One Man’s Impact on Four Generations
Written by Darriel McBride Every year, International Men’s Day is commemorated on November 19th to celebrate the positive that value men bring to the world, their families, and their communities. One of our very own Family Pictures USA participants, Leonardo Gonzalez, is quite literally the embodiment of a man who has brought significant positivity and […]
NOTABLE VETERANS OF 2019
Written by Darriel McBride Today, according to the most recent statistics from the US Census, there are roughly 20.4 million veterans in the United States, yet among those who have served, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that 40,056 veterans are homeless on any given night. Gulf War veterans face unrelenting barriers […]
Rising Scholars of Immokalee
Zulaika Quintero, Jose Quintero and Elva Quintero We had the opportunity to meet Zulaika Quintero through our photo-share in Southwest Florida. As the principal of a local public charter school, she has tailored the school’s curriculum to meet the needs of the children in her community. “Everything is taught in both languages and that enables […]
From Farm to Table
The Life of a 107-year-old Detroit Home (r to l) Annette Baka, Maryanne Porzondek (mother), and Nancy Taylor (sister). I wanted to be involved in Family Pictures USA in order to show how a 107-year-old home survived, transformed, and brought two families together that will be bonded forever. The house at 5528 Moran Street has survived […]
The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
MATRIARCHAL CULTURE The Occaneechi Band is a small Indian community located in North Carolina. It is one of the only First Nation’s in the state to reclaim their ancestral home. It’s just a beautiful thing when you see all the colors and the people dancing and having a good time. You can just feel the […]
Estero Bay Heroes
‘Heroic’ Bill and Pat Mellor were titled the “world’s earliest environmentalist” by Cynthia Williams, the daughter of a developer who nearly destroyed Estero Bay’s fragile ecosystem. View at Estero Bay from the Mellor family lot on the Bay (c.a.1960) Fort Myers is home to Estero Bay, a beautiful piece of paradise on the west coast […]
Distinguished Detroiters
The Barthwell Family History Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans shared with us the many accomplishments of her family members despite the racial adversity they faced. Read her story below. Gladys and Sidney Barthwell with Akosua and Sid as children My family has always been a very important part of me. I was fortunate to grow up […]
A Look Back in Time
My Halifax Family Story We traveled to the historic Rocky Mount Mills in North Carolina to collect local family photographs and stories with our local partner UNC-TV for our new PBS television series, Family Pictures USA. Through our photo-shares, we uncovered fascinating stories about the people and places that make up their community. We met one family – the Ausby […]
Before You Came, We Were Here
An Ojibway Family & The Making of Detroit Chantel Henry (Ginew Kwe or “Golden Eagle Woman”) became aware of her and her family’s deep connection to the city of Detroit about four years ago. We are so honored that she decided to share with us the story of how her grandparents, Arnold and Freda Henry, came to Detroit and her […]
Small Talk with Mark S. Lee with Guest Don Perry
On Sunday January 14, my Executive Producer/writer of Family Pictures USA, Don Perry joined the weekly CBS Radio podcast, “Small Talk with Mark S. Lee” along with other guests: Kurt Rankin, Senior Economist, PNC Bank, Dana White, Founder and Owner, Paralee Boyd, and Karen Hudson Samuels, Executive Director, WGPR TV Historical Society. The podcast covered various topics concerning the state of Detroit’s economy, including […]
The Mighty Joe Von Battle – Requiem for a Record Shop Man
By Marsha Philpot (Marsha Music): Joe Von Battle My father, the late Joe Von Battle, was an important mid-century recorder and producer of blues and gospel music in Detroit, from 1945 until 1967. He has been called the “Chess of Detroit”, referring to the iconic Chicago Record company, and is regarded by many as a cornerstone in the building […]
