Black history is celebrated

Members of Zion Baptist Church are shown in the Black Heritage Museum church members have organized in celebration of "Black History Month." From left, are Deacon J.C. Douglas, June Powell, Sandra Powell, Laswan Spells and Brandon Cherry. See additional photos on page 2. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)

February is Black History Month and, today, it is infused everywhere from schools to churches to store promotions. The contributions of African Americans are illustrated all over the country.

Zion Baptist Church, 1068 Old Sylvania Road, is no exception. This year, the church members have created a Black Heritage Museum which displays items from the past to the present.

The museum begins with artifacts from Western Africa with original pieces such as clothing, sandals and musical instruments from Liberia to tools used over 75 years ago by farmers and housekeepers. More modern heritage pieces include whimsical pictures by Annie Lee of women and artwork of The Buffalo Soldiers which pays tribute to their contributions of combating Indians, building forts and roads, installing telegraph lines, locating water holes, escorting wagon trains and cattle drives, riding "shotgun" on stagecoach and mail runs and protecting settlers from renegade Indians, outlaws and Mexican revolutionaries.

These photos show portions of the Black Heritage Museum located in the basement of Zion Baptist Church in honor of "Black History Month." The museum is open for public viewing 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays by appointment and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sundays. (Staff photos by Deborah Bennett)

"The museum is a walk down history for me and the children who come and see the displays," said June Powell.

"The coming together of the pieces was indeed a labor of love as it makes me realize what strong shoulders we stand on and how much African Americans have contributed to the world the we know today," she added.

The museum is located in the basement of Zion Baptist Church and is free and open to the public 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays by appointment and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sundays.

Powell also noted that Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month."

"We owe the celebration of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and enrolled in high school at age 20. He graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ignored the black American population. And when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that reflected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time," Powell said.

Anyone interested in visiting the museum at Zion Baptist Church may call the church at 982-3562 or Powell at 982- 1486.