This month makes one year I’ve been the editor. I took on this role unexpectedly, with one day of training, so the last 12 months have been filled with trial and error…a lot of errors.
While in this role, I’ve been taking notes each month about what I can do to improve the paper. One thing I wanted to do is write a monthly column. I planned to write this in January, but I didn’t know what I wanted to say. Well technically I’m writing this in January, but it won’t be published until the Feb. 1 edition.
I’m going to use this column to tell you all a little bit about myself.
The first thing you should know is I hate writing columns, so this is a challenge for me.
I’m from Port St. Joe, although I like to tell people I’m from Gadsden. What area of Gadsden County just depends on what mood I’m in. Some days I’m from Coon Bottom; others days I might be from Sawdust or Hardaway.
I have three children. My oldest daughter attends Gadsden County High School, which we both love.
I have worked for the local paper(s) since 2016.
In 2020, I wasn’t sure what my future would hold–careerwise–when out of the blue I received a call from my previous editor to come work as an editor in Gadsden. I love Gadsden County, so of course I said yes. It was only supposed to be for a few weeks, but has now turned into four 3 years and counting.
I gave up being a housewife/stay-at-home-mom, which I hated, to come back to a job that I love.
My hobbies include gardening and couponing.
I love reading but hardly have the time these days.
Toni Morrison is my favorite author. Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker are close runners-up.
My favorite book is “Song of Solomon» written by Morrison. My all-time favorite written work is a short story by Walker titled “Everyday Use.”
With that being said, I’m a connoisseur of African American History. Now that I think about it, that’s probably why I love “Everyday Use» so much. You’ll have to read it to understand.
Of course, February is my favorite month.
It makes me feel nostalgic of my childhood…learning about black history in school, participating in Black History Month Programs at church.
The majority of us have heard the term “Black History 365,” and most of us know that’s not the case.
I grew up attending schools in a predominately white school district, and I attended a predominately white institute before transferring to Florida A&M University. FAMU is the only institution I’ve attended that actually taught Black History 365. In the history classes we studied black history. In the language arts classes we studied black writers.
One reason I love Gadsden County so much is because of its rich black history and how it has been preserved.
I love being able to help document history by sharing the black experience and by telling black stories.
I love and admire Alice DuPont, who worked at The Gadsden County Times for many years. This brings me to something she once said to me…”Who better to tell our stories than us.”
Erin Hill