Episode 78: Voda Curtis Revisited (African American Heritage in the Ozarks, Part 3)

Season 5 (2022-2023)

Episode Description

This episode focuses on the life of Voda "Bea" Hardy Curtis, and documents the path of her family from slavery to suffrage. The episode also features audio clips from Voda Curtis' 1977 oral history (S0829) housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri's St. Louis Research Center, as well as final thoughts from past oral history interns–Cydney Smith, Cassie Draudt, and Keely Doll–who conducted research on Voda Curtis' life.

Featured Events

May 25 May 26

For the People Pow Wow

You're invited to the 14th annual For the People Pow Wow on Memorial Day weekend, May 25 and 26, in Jefferson City. Enjoy food, dance, art, crafts and singing at this FREE event open to the public. Native American dancing begins at noon on Saturday, May 25 through the evening. On Sunday, the dancing will happen noon to 5 p.m. Meet dancers from Oklahoma and Missouri, including Master of Ceremonies William Branson of Columbia.

May 30 May 30

Basic Genealogy: Crossing the Pond—Tracing Ancestors in Immigration and Naturalization Records

Join Cape Girardeau Research Center Coordinator Bill Eddleman for the next installment in his genealogy series: “Crossing the Pond: Tracing Ancestors in Immigration and Naturalization Records.” Most family historians in the U. S. have ancestors who migrated from other continents. Depending on the time period of immigration and port of arrival, it can be difficult to find these ancestors and tell their immigration story. This session will summarize surviving immigration records from different time periods and where to find them.