Magness Library will be celebrating Black History Month this Saturday, Feb. 28. The event is open to the public.
“We are going to celebrate black history in McMinnville and Warren County,” said Magness Library director Brad Walker. “Wayne Wolford is going to offer a brief history of Bernard School. We have pictures of Bernard School that have not been seen before.”
School-related pictures, as well as others, will be on display from the Beasley-Brady-Hughes Photographic Museum and Archives currently being housed at the library after being donated in 2013.
Walker says some people in the pictures need to be identified and he is hoping the public can assist in this effort.
“We know who some of the people are, but not others,” Walker said. “We will be asking visitors to the program if they know who any of these people are to please write the names down, even if it’s just one person in the picture. We are trying to get the pictures labeled.”
The pictures will not be the same ones on display last year.
“We displayed pictures during last year’s event,” said Walker. “This is an entirely new set of pictures, except for maybe two pictures. They are very unique. There are some really cool pictures. I like the ones that show the old Grace Church, the original church.”
Other activities:
• Willie Cameron will offer a prayer.
• Author Dorcas Graham to speak about her book “In Three Days.”
• Willie Cameron, Maxine Weeden and Bobby Cox will perform black spiritual songs.
“The program will be very interesting,” said Walker. “Anyone interested in the black history of Warren County should enjoy this program. We have more black history in Warren County than most people realize. Come join us Saturday.”
For the first time, reprints of some of the pictures will be available to purchase. The cost is $10 for a single print. Three or more prints are $8 each. Funds raised in the effort will go toward preservation of the Beasley-Brady-Hughes Photographic Museum and Archives.
The library’s Black History Month program will be held on the second floor and begin at 10:30 a.m. An exhibit of photos will remain up.