BRECKENRIDGE-HAYWOOD, Mae 1940-

PERSONAL: Born July 7, 1940, in Portsmouth, VA; daughter of Walter (a carpenter) and Pattie E. (Boyd) Griffin; married Leonard E. Breckenridge, Jr. (deceased); married Freddie Haywood, September 1, 1990; children: (first marriage) Leonard E. III, Lolita E. Ethnicity: "African American." Education: Virginia State College, B.S., 1962. Religion: Baptist. Hobbies and other interests: Business, photography.

ADDRESSES: Home—3704 Greenwood Dr., Portsmouth, VA 23701. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: John F. Kennedy High School, Suffolk, VA, librarian, 1963–71; Norfolk State College, Norfolk, VA, assistant librarian, 1971; Brighton Elementary and Churchland Academy, Portsmouth, VA, 1972–90; I. C. Norcom High School, Portsmouth, librarian, 1992–2001; retired.

MEMBER: African-American Historical Society of Portsmouth, I. C. Norcom High School Alumni Association (historian).

AWARDS, HONORS: ACT-SO Award, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 2002; Community Service Award, Zeta Phi Beta.

WRITINGS:

(With Dinah Walters) Inscriptions in Triumph, 1st-Books Library (Bloomington, IN), 2001.

Contributor to periodicals.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Black America: Portsmouth; research on local African-American history.

SIDELIGHTS: Mae Breckenridge-Haywood told CA: "My primary motivation for writing is the fact that local African-American history is scarce, hard to find, and not available in regional books. High school students influenced my decision to start researching local African Americans because in the town of Portsmouth, Virginia, several schools and housing areas are named for prominent African Americans and students did not know why. I felt that students needed to know about the sacrifices which many of the locals had made against the odds.

"My writing process is influenced by events, times, and activities that Blacks participated in—for instance, the parades in our city. A lot of press is given every year about the Memorial Day Parade being the oldest parade in the city. Well, there was a separate Memorial Day Parade for blacks, and it was a gala affair! I have discovered how grand the Memorial Day Parade was for blacks through my research and the many interviews I have conducted.

"My inspiration to write has been the wonderful 'hidden' history of blacks that I have found: the rich African-American culture of the city of Portsmouth. I want to share this information and put it in book form for others to enjoy and learn about."