By KARL HYPPOLITE

Special to The Sun

Lizzie Jenkins says she has always had a passion for history. It’s something that she’s always been drawn to - a love imparted to her by her mother. After several years of studying African-American history in Gainesville, Jenkins decided to take it one step further.

Jenkins, an Archer native, recently published “Alachua County Florida,” a collection of photographs that tell the personal stories of African Americans in Alachua County. The book is part of the Black America Series from Arcadia Publishing, which publishes books on local and regional U.S. history.

The compilation of photos with accompanying captions focuses primarily on family, education and civil rights.

Putting the book together was not easy, even for someone who had knowledge of Alachua County, said Jenkins. She began by asking relatives to donate photos and soon after began to broaden her search. She drove to Windsor, Hawthrone, Waldo and several other locations and her collection of photos continued to grow.

“I became the historian in my family,” Jenkins said. “Everywhere I went people were willing to help.

“People would send me to another town and another town (for photos). The elderly were extremely helpful and full of thoughtfullness. It makes me want to go back and re-do what I’ve done.”

Though her search was made easier by the contributions of several helpful Alachua County natives, choosing the photos that would be published in the book was not an easy task. Jenkins said she was very particular about the type of photos she wanted

“I was looking for black and white photos that tell a story,” she said. “If they gave me a photo of a large family, they had to have a story they could tell me about the pictures.”

The book provides readers with an entry point into the culture of African-American life in the county.

“I think it has interesting aspects about the lives of African Americans in Alachua County,” said Vivian Filer, who chairs the board of directors for The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center. Filer, who is working to preserve the historic building on SE 7th Avenue, says she has given the book an initial read.

“I think it’s really a testimony to the fact that we have a lot of black history to learn and write about,” she said.

The history of African Americans in the United States is the prevailing theme of Jenkins’ book. The first chapter is titled “Pioneers: Movers and Shakers” and features photos of successful individuals in Alachua County.

“Each photo shows where we came from,” Jenkins said. “How we got from point A to point B. And how the elderly got from point A to point B.”

Jenkins’ interest doesn’t lie just in the progression from the past to the present, she said. As a retired teacher of 33 years, she said she’s interested in teaching today’s Alachua County youth about their local history.

Jenkins would like to see the book and other quality books added to the Alachua county school curriculum. “Students appreciate learning real local history that they can relate to. Teachers work hard to keep students interested in Black history during black history month, however, black history is important enough to be taught daily.”

Jenkins said she feels the book will help close the gap if students knew that some of Alachua county’s real history makers are their ancestors.

“History is not something they own, it’s who they are,” Jenkins said. “And unless we appreciate our ancestors and respect their sacrifices, we aren’t worthy of their accomplishments.”