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Joyce Dorsey Harrod

Dates: 1953–

Family: Hughes (Hemings)

Residence (at time of interview): Washington, DC

Joyce Harrod grew up in the Washington, DC area, where she still lives. Ms. Harrod is an artist and teaches art to middle school students. Her father, George Harrod, was the first African American to hold various positions in the federal government. In her interview, she expressed herself as very proud of her father and said her grandmother had led “a model life” as a person of strong faith and “an independent woman”: “She continues to be an inspiration to me.”

Interview Information

25 Jan. 1998, Washington, DC
Interviewees: Bessie Baskerville Dorsey, Calvin Jefferson, Joyce Harrod

Excerpts

(video)
"The first black figure in the things that he did"

Joyce Harrod describes the achievements of her father, George Harrod, who held various positions in the federal government.

Theme: Achievement

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(video)
"I felt a connection with the land"

Joyce Harrod describes visiting Monticello and her connection to her forebears.

Theme: Monticello

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(video)
"Embrace your past"

Joyce Harrod discusses the importance of learning about ancestors and understanding her family's past.

Themes: Family, Oral History Transmission

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Ancestry

  • Elizabeth Hemings 1735 – 1807
  •  
  • Betty Brown 1759 – post 1831
  •  
  • Wormley Hughes 1782 – 1858
  •  
  • Robert Hughes 1824 – 1895
  •  
  • Joyce Dorsey Harrod 1953

Related People

  • Bessie Baskerville Dorsey  grandmother
  • J. Calvin Jefferson  cousin
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