Calendar of Events

In commemoration of Black History Month, please join us for part two of our two-panel series on historic Black communities throughout Tennessee. In each panel we will discuss three communities from East, Middle and West Tennessee. Moderated by our curator of social history, Brigette Jones, these panels will explore the history, culture, and issues faced by these communities. 

Access Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/JMdoXehewOk

The second panel on February 25 will feature:

• Edgehill in Nashville, TN - Robert Smith is a longtime resident of Edgehill and an assistant professor of Criminal Justice at Tennessee State University. A graduate of Howard University School of Law, Mr. Smith was awarded the Z. Alexander Looby Lifetime Achievement Award from the Napier-Looby Bar Foundation in 2014 for his efforts in helping young Black law students. 
   

• Henning, TN - Richard Griffin lives in Ripley, TN and has worked as an educator and school administrator for over 30 years. He is currently the site manager of the Alex Haley House Museum. The Alex Haley House Museum is devoted to the representation of the life and achievements of the renowned author Alex Haley.

• Chattanooga, TN - Irvin Overton is a Chattanooga native who has been highly involved in advocating for Chattanooga’s Black community throughout his life. He was a former Executive Vice President at the Erlanger Hospital System and a former chairman of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center Board. The Bessie Smith Cultural Center is dedicated to sharing the culture, history, and contributions of Chattanooga’s African American community.

The link to the online discussion, presented through WebEx, will be promoted on our Facebook page and website event calendar on prior to the discussion. Guests will be able to ask questions during the discussion that will be answered towards the end of the talk, should time allow.

🔹At the time of the event, join at this link.
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Photo caption: Chattanooga Sit-Ins. Courtesy of the Chattanooga Public Library and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections.