My Family's History In "Old Whitehaven"

 Recently, I turned some of the research I've collected on my family's history into an article.  The article, "Tracing My Black Roots In Old Whitehaven" appears in the August 11, 2023 issue of StoryBoard Memphis.

The following are a few key points of "Tracing My Black Roots in Old Whitehaven."

--In 1989, I recorded my conversations with my 76-year old-grandmother about our family's history.  Among other things she shared with me--her family once lived and worked on "The McCorkle Place" which was then located in Whitehaven.

--Whitehaven is a community/residential aread located in the south-west section of Memphis, TN.  The McCorkles were one of Whitehaven's founding families.  The community's history wad documented in --TALES OF OLD WHITEHAVEN--a book written by Anna L. McCorkle in 1967.

Tales of Old Whitehaven
by Anna L. McCorkle

--One of the churches that served the Whitehaven community during the early days of its existence wad Edmondson Presbyterian Church.  In 1847, the congregation moved into a new building.  According to Anna L. McCorkle, "This building consisted of one room with a slave gallery in back.  There were twenty-five members, five of whom were colored."  

--Turns out, my grandmother's great grandmother (my 3rd great grandmother), an enslaved woman named Celia Plunkett (later Celia Plunkett Morgan) was one of the original five "colored" members of Edmondson Presbyterian Church.

--According to records compliled by David Ragland Davis in his publication EDMONDSON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1844-1931, Celia, described as a servant of Dr. Plunkett (John Desire Plunkett), was baptized in the church in 1854.

Edmondson Presbyterian Church 1844-1931
by David Ragland Davis

--So many odd coincidences and baffling events occured during the course of my "discovery" of Celia, I'm almost convinced SHE WANTED ME TO FIND HER . . .

--For additional details, checkout the article--"Tracing My Black Roots In Old Whitehaven"

My MaDear's Scrapbook

In an essay that appears in Chapter 16, I wrote about the scrapbook I inherited from my grandmother.  Some of her interests

truly surprised me. Yes, that's the actual cover in the pic below.
You can read more here:

https://chapter16.org/madears-scrapbook/

Give It Up For The Fellas!

If you listen to people they will attempt to convince you that men (African American men, in particular) don't read, buy books or attend book signings. I know better, if only because I've seen and experienced otherwise. The pictures below don't even capture all of the men who attended or stopped by my Memphis booksignings in December.

Johnnie Blue

Memphis, TN / December 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

The gentleman dressed in red (Johnnie Blue) is someone I met last year at one of my signings for After The Dance. Even though he already had a copy of A Natural Woman, he made it his business to show up at my Waldenbooks signing just to chat. He's also a member of an all African American male book club, which is based in Memphis and meets regularly at the public library.

A young man buying a book for his girl.

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria)

Memphis, TN /December 2009

The gentleman dressed in yellow in the second picture was among the first that evening to stop and purchase a copy of A Natural Woman. He told me he was buying it for "his girl." I laughed and told him he must really be into this girl if he's still buying her gifts after Christmas. He smiled and told me he routinely bought her books as gifts and he got a lot of pleasure from doing so.

The earnestness I heard in his voice truly warmed my heart.

Lori & Mike

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria) / December 2009/ Memphis, TN

From Lori's Picture Collection

Lori & Eric's Crew

Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria)

Memphis, TN / December 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

Now, I will say, I do seem to be able to get more men to buy books in Memphis, TN than anywhere else. At this particular signing, I even had a gentleman of Asian descent stop and look at the cover of my book for a couple of seconds before disappearing. When he reappeared, he had his wife and their two adorable little girls with him. The gentleman not only wanted to buy a book, he also wanted me to take pictures with his girls. I think I know why. Interestingly enough, the Asian gentleman and his African American wife had produced two beautiful daughters who bore an uncanny resemble to the woman depicted on A Natural Woman's cover, thick, black head of hair and all.

Being Prepared For The Unexpected . . .

A Few Members of the Jackson, TN Branch

of the Page Turners Book Club

Memphis, Dec. 2009

From Lori's Picture Collection

As a new author, you soon learn that book signings and author events seldom go as planned or expected. My best advice to the uninitiated is to shore up on your flexibility, patience and resilience because you will no doubt be needing all of those things and then some.

The pictures in this post are from a reading and discussion of my debut novel, After The Dance, which took place while I was in Memphis over the 2009 Christmas holiday. The event was arranged by my friend Damika and held in conjunction with a meeting of the Jackson, TN branch of the Page Turners Book Club (led by Lakia Newsom).

THE original plan had been for us to meet-up at a local downtown eatery, but for some unknown reason, the owner of the eatery decided not to open his doors at the pre-arranged, appointed time. From what I understand, dude wouldn't even answer his phone . . . However, a few folks swore they spotted ole boy cruising by and gawking at the crowd gathered outside the closed doors of his establishment . . . LOL.

Hey, sometimes, it's like that and the best you can do is say, "Lord have mercy! My people! My people!"

Anyway, my good friend, Stanford Lewis, who'd so graciously agreed to assist me with the reading that day (even though he was entertaining an out-of-town guest of his own) went over and beyond the call of duty, and out of the blue, offered up his HOUSE as an alternative spot for the event.

Interestingly enough, MY original plan hadn't even been for Stan to assist me with that particular event. But my dear old friend not only showed up, he came through for me in a BIG WAY and for that, I will be forever grateful.

In the end, I had a wonderful time meeting with the ladies and the gentleman of the Page Turners Book Club (Jackson, TN Branch) and discussing my work with them. In spite of the unexpected turn of events, each and everyone of them keep their cool and sense of humor about the situation. Now, that's what I call "CLASS" . . . somthing ole boy from the eatery could probably stand to learn a thing or two about.

A Few Members of the Jackson, TN Branch of the Page Turners Book Club Memphis, TN /Dec. 2009 From Lori's Picture Collection The Page Turners (Jackson, TN branch) Holding copies of After The Dance & A Natural Woman Memphis, TN / Dec. 2009 From Lori's Picture Collection

Just An Overview . . . From My 2009 Mid-South December Book Signings

Yes, I'm back in Charlotte. Brought a cold back with me. But I wanted to post a few pics from my Memphis & Southaven events. I'll have to fill you in on the details later . . .

Damika is one of my favorite fans from the Mid-South Area.

From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis / Dec. 2009

Me & my homegirl, Charlotte. We attended LeMoyne-Owen College together back in the day and we've been the best of friends ever since! From Lori's Picture Collection Books-A-Million / Southaven, MS / Dec. 2009 Stan is another one of my LeMoyne-Owen buds. He helped me read an excerpt from my debut novel, AFTER THE DANCE. He read Carl & I read Faye. Um, I'm not sure why I'm holding my mouth that way . . . Perhaps I'm still in "Faye" mode . . . From Lori's Picture Collection Books-A-Million /Southaven, MS / Dec. 2009

One of the readings Stan and I did together took place at his house.

We had a great time with the Page Turner's Book Club! From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis, TN / Dec. 2009

Just in case you're wondering, my hair in these pic is unstraightened and chemical free. Thanks to Angela at Jazz It Up hair salon in Memphis, my hair is pulled back into flat-twists. So you see, I am still very much A Natural Woman . . .

Still On Holiday . . .

Yeah, I'm still off enjoying old friends and family members. Just so you know, the A Natural Woman signings in the Memphis area went EXCEPTIONALLY WELL! I sold out at the Books-A-Million (in Southaven, MS) and at the Waldenbooks (Wolf-Chase Galleria) in Memphis. Also, I had a ball with the Page Turner Book Club members who turned out to discuss my debut novel, After The Dance. Upon my return, look for me to post a few pictures . . .

Men Don't Read? Says Who?!

All Caps, Glasses & Teeth!

From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis, TN 2008

Lori & A Memphis Fan

From Lori's Picture Collection

Memphis, TN 2008

At my last book signing in Memphis, I'd dare say, just as many men as women purchased a copy of After The Dance. The fellas you see above are members of the Men's Renaissance Book Club, a group which meets on a regular basis at the North Branch Library in Memphis, TN. They kept me laughing!

Snow Days . . . Yay or Nay?

Baby Boy's First Snow

Memphis, TN 199?

From Lori's Picture Collection

Over the weekend, it snowed, here in Charlotte and in my hometown of Memphis, TN. As the picture above clearly indicates, my young'n loves the snow. The snow we get in Charlotte is not unlike the snow we used to get in Memphis--rare, typically nothing more than one or two inches or a light dusting and generally gone in a day's time. And I must say, that suits me just fine.

The Hubby Giving Baby Boy

A Lesson In Snow Removal

Memphis, TN 199?

From Lori's Picture Collection

Most good Southerners know that as soon as the warning goes out (The weather man said it's gonna snow!), the first thing that happens is a run on the grocery stores. Yes, some of us do shop like we're gonna be trapped indoors for weeks. But the truth is, a lot of time when it snows in these parts, things will shut down. Not necessarily because of the snow, but due to the ice. You see, a lot of times, when the snow melts, it tends to refreeze over night. The resulting ice downs power lines, knocks out electricity and makes driving something you don't want to do unless you're a thrill seeker, have a death wish or you absolutely must.

My Brother & His Buddy

Enjoying a North Dakota Snow Day

Grand Forks, North Dakota 197?

From Lori's Picture Collection

I'm no stranger to the snow as the picture above will attest. I snapped this picture of my little brother, standing outside of our home, when we lived on the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. You see how high the snow is relative to the door? Yeah, we had to dig our way out of that bad boy. As a child, I also had the experience of living in Mountain Home, Idaho and Rome, New York, two other places where the snow is plentiful in the winter time.

The Beachwood Bunnies

Nana & Baby Boy

Beachwood, OH 2005

From Lori's Picture Collection

Of course, I've written a number of posts about my days as an adult in the Cleveland area. The picture above is a snapshot of my mom and my son rolling and frolicking, like nuts (smile), in the snowing covering the front yard of our Cleveland area (Beachwood) home.

But have you noticed the one thing missing from the pictures I've post? Yeah, me. That's 'cause, unless I'm taking pictures, or running (slipping, sliding, trudging) to the car or the house, I typically Don't Do Snow.

Yeah, when I lived in the Cleveland area, that first snow was pretty and all. But after that, it was OLD. As far as I'm concerned, snow from mid-November thru late April and early May, just ain't normal. Little girls are not supposed to be dressed up in their cute little Easter dresses, looking for Easter eggs in the doggone snow! No, that mess is SO NOT normal. (LOL).

So when it comes to snow, my vote is a resounding NAY! Really, I prefer to enjoy mine from a distance. Yup, memory, pictures, greeting cards and TV footage of snow (preferably falling elsewhere) is fine by me. What about you?

What? It's 2009?! Well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hey, I know I'm late (smile). I just wanted to let you all know I'm still around. I had a great time in Memphis. There's never enough time to see everyone or do everything. My apologies to those I didn't find time to call or visit. I'll catch you on my next run through town. Some of y'all I'm kicking to the curb in 2009 for not even making a half-a$$ attempt to say, "Hey," to a sister. You know who you are (LOL).

ANYWAY, as always, I enjoyed plenty of Memphis style barbecue and blues. I experienced a number of sad, funny and profound moments, some of which I hope to share in the coming days. Also, I've been assessing what worked well for me and what didn't work so well over the last year . . . not only as it pertains to writing and publishing, but relationships too.

I'm a big believer in the line of thought which suggests that if you keep doing the same dang thing and getting the same dang results, perhaps it's time to try a whole new approach (smile). So look for me to do a bit of stretching and house-cleaning in 2009. That's my only resolution for the new year. What about you?

MEMPHIS LOVE . . .

This morning I made an impromptu appearance on live radio! While signing books at Brentano's last night, I made a reconnection with an old classmate from my LeMoyne-Owen College days. Come to find out, my old classmate is the host of his own radio show on KWAM 990 (The New Voice of Memphis). "Tony Todde" is my friend's radio name and it was my pleasure to appear on his hour-long show this morning at 11:00.

A big shout-out to Tony and all of the other Memphians who came out and showed me some love at Brentano's this past Tuesday evening. My Memphis signings have been my favorite and most successful ones, thus far. The homefolks really know how to make a homegirl feel special (smile).

I'll be at Brentano's (Oak Court Mall) again this Saturday (December 27) from 2pm-4pm. If you'd like a signed copy of After The Dance or you'd just like to stop by and say, "Hello," come out out.

Until later . . .

Happy Holidays!

Signed Copies Of . . . After The Dance . . .

Believe it or not, while I was surfing the net one night, I stumbled upon a site where someone with a signed copy of my novel, After The Dance, was asking $60.00 for it. Huh? LOL! I'm saying, you can buy the durn thing at any bookstore for $15.00 (or less if you go through Amazon) and if you send it to me, I'll sign it and send it back to you for free.

Yes, the offer is, indeed, still open. If you mail me your copy of After The Dance, I'll sign it and pay the postage required to have it mailed back to you. The offer has been extended and will remain open until Friday, December 12, 2008. If you're interested, email me (go to my blog's "view my complete profile" page for the contact info/email address) and I'll tell you where to mail your copies.

Hey, Michelle F. from Memphis, if you're reading this, your copies arrived in my mail today! (smile) Thanks for supporting my efforts. I'll sign the books and get them back to you ASAP. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing you and all of my other Memphis friends, family members and associates in the coming weeks.

Some Information & A Couple of Special Offers . . .

THE INFO

My website (lorijohnsonbooks.com) is undergoing a few tweaks and adjustments, so if you visit and discover it down, please check back again later.

THE OFFERS

If you own a copy of my book and you'd like it signed, feel free to send it to me. I'll sign (or personalize) your copy (or copies) of After The Dance and pay the costs involved in having it (or them) mailed back to you. You'll find my email address on my blog's profile page. Email me and I'll let you know where to send your copy or copies. Books, signed or unsigned, do make great holiday gifts (smile). I'll keep this offer open until the first week of December and I'll post periodic reminders.

For my Memphis Peeps or anyone who plans to be in the Bluff City over the Christmas holiday, I have a special offer for you. I'm having two signings at the Brentano's Book Store in Memphis (Oak Court Mall), one before Christmas (Tuesday, December 23, 5pm-7pm) and one after Christmas (Saturday, December 27, 2pm-4pm). The first person to show up at either signing and who purchases TWO OR MORE COPIES of After The Dance (a single copy is only $15.00 plus tax) will receive a FREE AUDIO version of the book. The audio book is regularly priced at $82.75 and the actors do a wonderful job of giving voice to Carl and Faye. So, come on out and do some holiday shopping or else just snag a really nice gift for yourself (smile).

Slavery & The Civil War . . . A Personal Connection . . .

This past Saturday afternoon, instead of turning on The Best of Soul Train and spending an hour reliving the '70s, I tuned into a segment of CSPAN'S BOOKTV and allowed myself to be taken even further back in history. How far? Well, the US Civil War period, to be exact.

The program I made a point of watching this past Saturday on CSPAN's BookTV featured a segment on Andrew Ward and the material in his new book. Mr. Ward is an author & scholar who has researched the US Civil War recollections of former slaves and compiled some of his findings in a book entitled The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves (Houghton Mifflin).

Mr. Ward's research is right down my alley. I love read, studying and listening to oral histories and only wish I had more time in which to immerse myself in such pursuits. One of the best things I ever did (years ago, before I got so darned busy and my story-telling grandmother got seriously ill) was sit down with my M'Deah and record her recollections of our family's history in an area of South Memphis (Whitehaven) known as Johnson Subdivision (Johnson Sub, for short). Without those cassette tape recordings, which I later transcribed, I may have never known about my own family's involvement in the Civil War.

As luck or fate would have it, my grandmother had lived in close proximity to her grandparents, interacted with them on a regular basis and knew a number of details about Margaret and Charlie Cannon, whom she affectionally referred to as "Grandma and Grandpa."

Charles Cannon (or Charlie Cannon as my grandmother called him), was a name I'd stumbled aross years later, long after my grandmother had passed and while I was in the public library one day, trying to find information on another one of my ancestors, the man and former slave said to have founded Johnson Sub, Prince Johnson. One of my great aunts had told me that Prince, who was her grandfather (and my great-great grandfather) had served in the Civil War. So, I'd been researching pension records trying to document Prince's service in the Union Army when I came across the pension record of a one Charles Cannon.

All of the details in the Colored Man's Application for Pension, which had been filed on April 11, 1927 (approximately sixty-two years after the Civil War) made me think he just might be the "Grandpa" or "Charlie Cannon" of whom my M'Deah had spoken so fondly, but I KNEW he was "my" Charlie when I saw his wife's name "Margaret."

But most shocking to me was that the five page document--witnessed, notarized and signed with his "X" contains extensive details of Charlie's service alongside his owner James (Jim) Cannon in the 154th Tennessee Infantry Regiment Company B of the Confederate Army.

Yes, y'all, my great-great grandfather, a former slave by the name of Charles Cannon served in the Confederate Army and two years before his death in 1929, drew a pension for his service. Truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction sometimes, ain't it?! (LOL).

What do I make of Charlie Cannon's service in the Confederate Army? Well, he was a SLAVE owned by a one James Cannon. To be honest, I don't really think poor Charlie had a choice in the matter, one way or the other. In any case, I do know his application for a pension in 1927 was based on absolute need. The application records his and Margaret's combined yearly gross income as one hundred dollars and their two room box house, which was situtated on a half acre of land had an assessed value of two hundred dollars.

So, are there any other weekend genealogist out there? If so, how far back can you trace your ancestors? Have you collected any oral histories? If not, what are you waiting for? (smile)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #19 . . . 13 MUSICAL ACTS WITH MEMPHIS TIES . . .

My debut novel, After The Dance, is set in Memphis, TN and contains a number of musical references. Even though most of the acts I reference in the book aren't Memphis-based ones, I thought it might be fun to compile a list groups, singers and musicians with ties to the Memphis area. Let me know which ones you already knew and which ones you didn't.

1) Al Green (Has long made Memphis his home and also pastors a church there.)

2) Aretha Franklin (Was born in Memphis. Her father, the late Reverand C.L. Franklin, earned his degree from an institution I once attended and where I met my hubby, LeMoyne-Owen College.)

3) The Bar-Kays (Started at Memphis' Porter Jr. High School and rose to fame on the old Stax recording label.)

4) B.B. King (Got his start performing on Beale Street and was once a DJ at Memphis' own WDIA.)

5) Bobby Blue Bland (Last I heard, he lived in Germantown, a suburb of Memphis.)

6) Earth, Wind and Fire (Group leader, Maurice White once called Memphis home and if I'm not mistaken, honed his musical chops at Memphis' Booker T. Washington High School.)

7) Elvis Presley (Lived and Recorded in Memphis. His South Memphis "Graceland" home is one of the city's biggest tourist attractions.)

8) Isaac Hayes (Long made Memphis his home and once performed on the old Stax label.)

9) Kirk Whalum (Grew up in Memphis and recently moved back to the city.)

10) Otis Redding (Performed on the old Stax label, a Memphis-based record company.)

11) Rufus Thomas (Long called Memphis home, recorded for Stax and was a DJ for Memphis' WDIA.)

12) Three 6 Mafia (As much as I hate to say it, this group is a Memphis product)

13) The Sylvers (All of the big afro-wearing members of this group were born in Memphis and got their start there before they moved to Cali.)

Did you find any surprises on this list? Can you name any other musical artists with ties to Memphis, TN?

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