Patricia Black with Nephew Benjamin Hawkins, Jr.

Patricia Black with Nephew Benjamin Hawkins, Jr.

Patricia Black with Nephew

Sanford (Fla.)

Six year old Patricia Ann Black (1956- ) with her two year old nephew, Benjamin Hawkins, Jr. (1960-), in 1962. The two children are pictured in the front yard of the Black family home located at the corner of East Tenth Street and South Bay Avenue in Georgetown in Sanford, Florida. Hawkins is the son of Patricia's oldest sister, Vivian Louise Black (1940- ). As an adult, Hawkins moved to Rochester, New York.

Patricia Ann Black was the daughter of Pilgrim Black (1905-2002) and Lula Mae Haynes Black (1917-2007), who got married in 1937. Patricia was born August 31, 1956, and grew up at the end of East Tenth Street in Sanford, Florida. She attended Hopper Elementary through sixth grade, Lakeview Middle School for seventh grade, Sanford Junior High School for eighth grade, Crooms High School for ninth grade, and Seminole High School through twelfth grade. She also attended school in the North Rose-Wolcott district each year while in Upsstate New York. During fourth grade, integration began and parents were given the choice to have their children to attend other schools, but Patricia chose to continue attending an all-black school until she entered seventh grade in 1968 and began attending integrated schools.

In June 1973, Patricia married her first husband, Clint Holt (1955-); however, the couple quickly separated due to domestic violence and divorced around 1977. Patricia gave birth to her first child, Charmion Le'Antwinetta Holt (1974- ). She also had three other children with William Bigham Jr. (1952- ), who she was married to for 33 years: William Arthur Bigham III (1982- ), Brandon Oliver Black (1990- ), and Tempestt Teonte' Black (1992- ).

Patricia currently lives in the family home built by her grandmother, Maggie Benjamin Black (ca.1870-ca.1934) on East Tenth Street in Sanford. Patricia endured weekly molestation for 11 years from age six to age seventeen and was raped at age seventeen while pregnant with Charmion. At age 29, Patricia became severely addicted to smoking cocaine. After seven years, Patricia was able to overcome her addiction and has maintained her sobriety for 21 years. She has suffered severe mental and physical damage and is still recovering today.

Despite her traumatic experiences and sibling rejections, Patricia has developed a devout relationship with God. While in recovery, Patricia refocused her attention on spreading her ministry of love by becoming a foster parent, serving as the Parent Representative of the Committee for Special Education (CSE), and serving on her local school board in the North Rose-Wolcott school district. Patricia also has owned her own business making incense and importing shea butter from Africa. She also became a licensed nail technician specializing in stress-relieving pedicures. As of 2009, Patricia is retired but still maintains some involvement in her business/ministry named GIFTED.

Original black and white photograph, 1962: Private Collection of Patricia Ann Black.

1962

Black, Patricia Ann

Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph, 1962.

The Magazine of Wayne County History, Vol. II, Iss. I, page 2.

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1 black and white photograph

Still Image

Georgetown, Sanford, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

Originally owned by Pilgrim Black.

Inherited by Patricia Ann Black in 2002.

Copyright to the resource is held by Patricia Ann Black and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Cepero, Laura

Coles, Robert. Uprooted Children: The Early Life of Migrant Farm Workers. [Pittsburgh]: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1970.

Piore, Michael J. Birds of Passage: Migrant Labor and Industrial Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979.

Flewellyn, Valada S. African Americans of Sanford. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2009.

1 black and white photograph