NAACP vs the Washington DC Police Department

Today's post is a reposting of an earlier article written by M Marie Maxwell, an Archives Specialist in the Archives Processing & Holdings Security Branch in Washington, DC. This was originally posted on November 28, 2014. Earlier this month millions of Americans voted. Voting is one of the hallmarks of our democracy, and one method … Continue reading NAACP vs the Washington DC Police Department

April is National Poetry Month! Let’s enjoy some USCG poems

Today's post was written by me, M. Marie Maxwell, an Archives Specialist at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Although normally I work in Textual Processing, I am engaged in a short detail with the Archives' Innovation Hub in the same Washington, DC location. It's April. Spring is springing. Birds are singing. Poetry is in … Continue reading April is National Poetry Month! Let’s enjoy some USCG poems

RG 132 Entry 3 folder 1920J Letter

The Rent is Too Darned High

Today’s post is written by M Marie Maxwell, an Archives Specialist in Textual Processing who works at Archives I, in Washington, DC.  Recently I rehoused a few series, moving documents from old boxes and folders into newer, archival quality folders and boxes. In doing so I encountered the letters from District of Columbia residents of … Continue reading The Rent is Too Darned High

1953 anti-desegration letter

A Record of Protest

Today’s post is written by M Marie Maxwell, an archives specialist who works at Archives I.   Recently, as a citizen, I attended a local community meeting regarding a contentious proposal, hosted by a city government department. Besides the subject being contentious, attendees against the proposal and the city representatives did not agree on how to voice … Continue reading A Record of Protest

The National Archives, the Fireman’s Insurance Building, and the Carter G. Woodson House

By M. Marie Maxwell RG 64, entry NA-273A. Center Market, looking southwest on 9th St., 1928 What do these three have in common? They all are properties within the District of Columbia, properties that appear in National Archives Textual series housed in Washington, DC. Initially, I had hoped to trace the property ownership of the … Continue reading The National Archives, the Fireman’s Insurance Building, and the Carter G. Woodson House

NAACP vs the Washington DC Police Department: A 1957 hearing before the DC Board of Commissioners

By M. Marie Maxwell Earlier this month millions of Americans voted. Voting is one of the hallmarks of our democracy, and one method to make their elected officials accountable to the people. Government accountability, for the elected and the unelected, is also found through peaceful protest, letters, petitions, journalistic exposes, court actions and other expressions … Continue reading NAACP vs the Washington DC Police Department: A 1957 hearing before the DC Board of Commissioners

Rosslyn Skyline

By Marie Maxwell Recently, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), a federal agency charged with planning for the Washington, DC area, released a draft study regarding the height of buildings inside the District of Columbia. The city of Washington, DC does not have skyscrapers like New York or Chicago, because of a law limiting tall buildings. … Continue reading Rosslyn Skyline

Finding Alice

By M. Marie Maxwell Several months ago, as part of a processing project relating to Record Group 516: Records of the Federal Judicial Center, 1967 - 1994, I did a little research on a woman named Alice L. O’Donnell. In the Archives Research Catalog, also known as ARC, a researcher can, according to the Archives.Gov … Continue reading Finding Alice

A Georgetown, DC Building in 1994 and 2012

By M. Marie Maxwell RG 66, entry A1-23 Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files, folder OG94-88 (ARC 559486) Last time I wrote here on the Text Message blog, I had written about the Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files (ARC 559486), found in Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts, and highlighted … Continue reading A Georgetown, DC Building in 1994 and 2012

The Editors Receiving Outstanding Achievement Awards

Thank You!

Yesterday, the editors of this blog had the honor of being among the recipients of the Archivist’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement.  We were thrilled to be recognized for our work on The Text Message and want to say thank you to our readers and contributors. The ceremony, held in the Adrienne C. Thomas Auditorium at … Continue reading Thank You!