Sunday Crowns Program

My "Sunday Crowns" Program began as an idea for Black History and Women's History months for 2012. The response to the program exceeded my expectations and now it is becoming an annual event.

Table Displays at Crowns Program

I did two table displays at my Crowns program held on Saturday, June 30, 2012 with various hat related photos and other items.  The hats on the first table belong to a colleague.  The hat, pocketbook, tablecloth, and Bible cover on the second table belonged to my maternal grandmother.

The Perfect Hat

This hat which I received as a gift from a friend on Sunday, June 24th was a perfect match for this outfit. Minutes before she gave me the hat, I was sitting in my car and pulled out the jacket to this outfit from a bag which was in the passenger's seat. This bag of clothing was to be taken to the cleaners the next day.
"I'll wear this outfit on Saturday," I said to myself as I looked at the jacket. Minutes later I went into the restaurant to meet with three high school friends. One friend had moved away and she arrived to the restaurant a few minutes later with three bags containing individual gifts for the rest for us. As I peered into my bag, I stared in disbelief and told my fiends that prior to coming into the restaurant, I had just decided to wear an outfit with the same colors as the hat. After we finished our meals, we took pictures of me wearing the hat. Afterwards we went to my car and compared the hat with the outfit to be sure that that the colors matched. My friends all agreed that it was a perfect match.
"A hat sets off an outfit," my grandmother would say if she were alive. This hat indeed set off this outfit and I look forward to wearing the assemble again.

Professor Dru on Pier at Crabshack Restaurant overlooking James River Bridge, Newport News, VA

Professor Dru at Crowns Program, Isle of Wight County, Museum, Smithfield, VA

Sunday Crowns Program Speech

Video of the speech I made at the Sunday Crowns program on February 18, 2012.

Sunday Crowns Program Speech - Part 1 of 3



Sunday Crowns Program Speech - Part 2 of 3


Hat Program Speech - Part 3 of 3 Hat Program Speech - Part 3 of 3

Another Hat Program

I am pleased to announce that I’m taking my hat program on the road and a program will be held on Saturday, June 30, 2012 in the town of Smithfield located in Isle of Wight County, VA Museum, . Smithfield, VA is “Home of the Virginia Ham” and I am looking forward to this opportunity.

Continuing our Family's Hat Legacy and Why I Wear Hats

This is my sister Deborah sharing her thoughts about continuing our family's hat legacy and why she wears hats.

Hat With An Attitude

During my Sunday Crowns program, audience members modeled their hats. This lady wore a hat which she called "A Hat With An Attitude."

Grandma's Hat Display

In the parlor of the Newsome House where my Sunday Crowns program was held, I did a display of some of my grandmother's hats along with a photo of myself and women in my maternal line wearing hats. Other items used in the display included a patent leather pocketbook, bible cover with a woman weaing a hat, and a tablecloth owned by my grandmother. The white gloves were purchased were purchased recently to add to this display.

The Church Fan

When the Curator of the Newsome House and Cultural Center suggested that the programs for “The Sunday Crowns” event be printed on church fans, I agreed enthusiastically. She had attended an event where the program was printed on a hand fan. I had no idea as to the beauty of the final product, but I thought the fan idea was appropriate for such an event.

Hand church fans typically used in African American churches are on thick cardstock paper and a stick like the type a doctor uses as a tongue depressor. On the cardstock, there is typically a photo on the front and advertisement of a funeral home on the back.

Use of these hand fans conjures up a whole host of memories. During my childhood in the 1970s, many of the fans might have a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or of an African American family dressed in church attire which included at least the mother in the family photo wearing a hat. The family on the photo was usually a mother, father, with two children (a boy and girl). My church had air conditioning, but hand fans might be used during those in between seasons where it was not warm enough to turn on the air conditioning. Some of the rural churches within our church organization did not have air conditioning and during hot and humid summer Sundays, a sea of rapidly moving hand fans filled the sanctuary as the congregation struggled to be attentive to the service amidst the heat. Over time, the cardstock on these hand fans would become bent. During these times, parishioners would motion for the usher to give them a better fan. However, at times there were not enough hand fans to go around so you would either use the bent hand fan as best you could, the church program to fan yourself, or just use your hand. This was especially uncomfortable during those hot and humid non-air conditioned churches.

Church fans are also used by ushers to calm down its parishioners who “fall out” or “get happy” during services. In charismatic type churches, people are extremely lively and might express their joy in praising God by hand clapping and dancing. Some parishioners get so overcome in their expressions of praise to God that they “fall down on the floor in a trance-like state. Others might express their praise by crying, dancing, hollering, and/or speaking in tongues. It is common for ushers and other members of charismatic type churches to be seen surrounding a “God-Praiser” with someone waving a ‘church fan’ in the direction of the person who has fallen out on the floor or the one who might be seated or standing while praising God.


Thanks to B. J. Smothers and Art Thomas for use of your hat photos.

Church Hats Program

Family History of Hats

Revella Ephraim McDaniel born about 1878 in Union Church, Mississippi.
Courtesy of LindaRe of Between the Gate Posts Blog

LindaRe of Between the Gate Posts Blog has s long history of hat wearing women in her family and through her assortment of photos, you can see the changes in hat styles over time. Click here to view photos.

What types of hat wearing photos do you have in your family photo collection?

The Custom of Hat Wearing

This question was posed by one of my blog readers and I've been also wondering the same thing---The wearing of hats was a custom for many generations---what made them go out of style/custom?

Sunday Crowns Program

I am working on a program (Sunday Crowns) about church hats for next month which will be held at a local historic house. Part of the presentation will be to talk about the hat wearing women in my family and other families. I also plan to display some of my maternal grandmother's hats. As part of my research, I would like to interview hat wearing women or their descendants. Although my research focus is hat wearing by African American women, I would also like to know about hat wearing habits of women of other races and cultures.

If you are a hat wearing woman or the descendant of one, and are interested in sharing a photo or story to be used in my presentation, please email me at professordru@yahoo.com. The program will be held Saturday, February 18, 2012, 3 PM – 5 PM.

The Russell Family's Bling

Smile for the Camera

The word prompt for the 16th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Bling, ancestor Bling." I am always drawn to the beautiful jewelry worn by our ancestors in old photographs. The locket that was your Great Grandmother's treasure, the pocket watch proudly displayed by a male ancestor, the beautiful crosses of old, and the children with their tiny bracelets. While not many of our ancestors were wealthy enough to own multiple pieces of jewelry, there was the one good piece that held sentimental value. Some of us have been fortunate enough to inherit those treasures. Show us a photograph of your ancestor wearing their "Bling," or photographs of the pieces you have inherited. Admission is free with every photograph!

This is my Aunt Lucy Bullock Russell (1882-1967) and her husband Norvell Russell (1872-abt. 1952.) Aunt Lucy was a sister of my great-great grandfather Andrew Bullock (1862-1915). The chain in this photo may have been part of a pocket watch.


Aunt Lucy and Uncle Norvell's daughter Queen (1907-2003) is dressed beautifully in her pearl earrings, necklace, and bracelet, along with other chain bracelets and possibly a watch. Like many women of her generation, Cousin Queen is wearing a hat to church.

Aunt Lucy and Uncle Norvell's daughter Julia (1912-aft. 2001) is dressed beautifully in her long pearl necklace, a ring, and what looks to be either a watch or bracelet. Like many women of her generation, Cousin Julia is wearing a hat to church.

Here are four of the daughters of Norvel and Lucy attending a Bullock Family Reunion around 2001. Queen (wheelchair), Julia (white hat), Minnie (blue dress) and Buelah (all black). The jeweled adorned head wrap is Cousin Buelah's trademark which she wears on both casual or formal occassions. Her dangling earrings and matching necklace spruce up the all black outfit she wore to the Bullock Family Reunion Banquet.

Aunt Della Wearing Hat

This is my Aunt Della, the youngest sister of my paternal grandmother, Hattie Moore Pair. I love the hat and outfit she is wearing. This photo was taken in August 2008.

Aunt Della will turn 100 on December 26, 2009. We look forward to celebrating with her in a BIG birthday bash with family and friends.

Aretha Franklin – Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, did an outstanding job (as usual) in singing at the inauguration of our new president, Barack Obama. I loved Aretha’s grey outfit, especially the hat with the large bow. Although I don’t wear “church hats” on a regular basis, I admire women who wear attractive hats. I have a maternal family history of hat wearing and this probably contributes to my admiration for “church hats.” It’s just something about a woman in a hat that completes an outfit.


Video - Singing “My County ‘Tis of Thee” at Inauguration of Barack Obama

Sista of the Church

In this photo, I was modeling in a church fashion show. The dress, scarf, and purse are mine, but the hat was on loan for modeling from a local store. The fashion show was held around the mid 1990s. I call this my “Sista of the Church” outfit because in many African American churches, no outfit is complete without a hat. I do not wear hats to church on a regular basis like my grandmother and my sister Deborah do. However, I do enjoy wearing hats to church occasionally. I own one church hat which I purchased in February 2007 to wear to the 100th anniversary of one of my family churches in North Carolina.

Aunt Dorothy Wearing a Hat

This is my Aunt Dorothy Thornton Andrews (1921-1982) who was a sister of my maternal grandfather Minor Elwood Thornton (1913-1979). Aunt Dorothy was born in the Enfield area of Halifax County, NC. She moved to East Orange, NJ during her early adult years and remained there until her death.

I believe this photo may have been taken during one of her visits to NC. I have seen a photo of my grandfather sitting in this chair and was told that it was taken during a visit to NC.

Traditional Funeral Attire

For older generations such as my great grandmother Bell Bullock Johnson (1890-1982), it was customary to wear all black to a funeral. The black apparel also included a black hat. This custom has not been necessarily continued as a whole with younger generations. Below are photos from a family funeral in Richmond, VA that occurred possibly in the 1970s.

(Front) Aunt Bessie Bullock Carroll (1901-1991), a sister of my great grandmother Bell. Grandma Bell is the lady in the back.

(Left to right) Aunt Bessie; Emma, a daughter of Bell and Bessie’s sister Channie; and Grandma Bell. Here we see more of the outfits of the older ladies wearing black dresses, hats, and purses, and their niece wearing a flora print dress. Even though we can’t tell from the photos, I assume that the older ladies were also wearing black shoes.

Verlena, daughter of Bessie and Bell’s sister Mima; Aunt Bessie; and Emma, daughter of Bessie and Bell’s sister Channie. I do not know the name of the little girl, but she is a granddaughter of Emma. In this photo, we see more of a contrast between the clothing of the older lady and the younger ones.

Grandma Emma's Family Hat Traditon

Maternal Grandmother Emma

My grandmother’s generation and that of her ancestors, wore hats to church because of religious beliefs that a woman must have her head covered in church. This belief is based on the scripture by Paul the Apostle in the Bible.

But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 1 Corinthians 11:5

My maternal grandmother, who is 86 years old now, still honors the hat tradition learned from her ancestors.

Grandma Emma's mother Bell

Grandma Bell (left) and her sisters Mollie and Channie

Grandma Luvenia, mother of Bell, and maternal grandmother of Emma