 Exhibits
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1997: Blacks in Education
This chronicle of aspects of black education in Akron over the past fifty years, though far from complete, reflects the efforts of many to make real the words of Mary McLeod Bethune in the lives of black children. Each of those pioneers in education committed their careers and in some instances, their lives to see to it that black children in Akron were given “a chance to prove their worth.” |
If there is a theme to emerge from the research and experience of educators during the past half century, it is the theme, the duty of advocacy. Each of these educators was an advocate seeking to improve the educational opportunities and experiences of African-American children.
| There have always been three types of advocacy: One is the boisterous marching and protesting that marked the 1960s; Another is the quiet deliberate work of lawyers and politicians to turn the system to more equitably serve African American children; The third is the teacher who works tirelessly to create learning opportunities and demanding excellence to ensure success. All three are necessary & continue to be important complements to each other. |
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1998: "The Playing Fields: The Arts, Sports, and Entertainment" Three Families of Achievement
Success in the arts, sports, and entertainment sometimes runs in families, whose dedication to excellence, talent, education, and hard work create a legacy of achievement for each succeeding generation. Inherited talent is only part of a family’s legacy. Consistently providing a climate for achievement and the belief that great things can be accomplished nurtures talent into success. Several of Akron’s African-American families have set exceptional standards for career achievement, and three examples in this portion of the exhibit provide examples of such generational success.
In the arts, the musically gifted Moore family, including world-class cellist, composer, and conductor Kermit Moore, pianist and music educator Mary Moore Nelson, composer and vocalist Dorothy Rudd Moore (who is married to Kermit Moore), and bass-baritone Spurgeon Moore, has inspired listeners all over the world as well as in Akron.
The arts have also been well represented by the achievement in music and drama by members of the Howard family, including vocal music teacher and soprano Frances Larue Howard, actress and singer Cathy Howard (daughter Frances Larue Howard), and young actresses and musicians Carrianne Mance and Taylor LeNae Howard-Parkman (daughters of Cathy Howard).
The Fitzhugh-Hewett family has spanned three generations in entertainment. Charles L. Fitzhugh, who began his performing career as a dancer and comedian in vaudeville, was a partner of J.C. Wade in the J.C. Wade Dance Studio (which is featured in the Entertainment portion of this exhibit), and sang with a gospel quartet and choir in Birmingham, Alabama. Fitzhugh'’ daughter and son, Charlena Brown and Joseph Fitzhugh both danced professionally. Nevertheless, the third generation, represented by Charlena Brown’s children, who performed as the Hewett Singers, has perhaps achieved the most visible success. Son Howard Hewett, who performed with the group Shalamar and as a solo act, has garnered a Grammy award for his song writing.
1999: Everybody Here Is From Someplace Else The African American population of Akron, Ohio reached more than 25,000 by 1950, more than 9 percent of the city’s total population. Much is known about who and how other definable population groups such as German-Americans and Irish-Americans came to reside in this city, but until now, the place of origin of African American residents was not researched and interpreted.
The exhibit, “Everybody Here Is From Someplace Else,” examines the chronology of migration that brought thousands of black families to this area between 1825 and 1950. Artifacts, photographs, and narrative labels relate the story of expectations and realities experienced by thousands of African Americans who migrated to Akron over the years.
The exhibit was organized chronologically, roughly divided into four periods: (1) the 19th century, from Akron’s founding in 1825 to 1900; (2) the Great Migration, from 1900 to 1928; (3) the Great Depression, from 1929 to 1940; and (4) World War II and the postwar, from 1941 to 1950.
2000: "Promoting the Common Good" The year 2000 exhibit in the Shirla R. McClain Gallery of Akron’s Black History and Culture has been designed to explore several extraordinary examples of how Black Akronites provided the initiative, the advocacy, and the ongoing leadership for improving the quality of life of Black families, and ultimately families in the community-at-large.
Through examination of the role of predominantly Black churches, institutions, and organizations, we are able to trace the manner in which race specific objectives frequently evolved into collaborative efforts. Citizens with common needs were given the chance to improve the quality of their lives, through the Promoting of the Common Good in the Greater Akron community.
What were the unmet needs during the period 1940-2000? What strategies were designed to meet them? What evidence exists attesting to the fact that collaboration and diversity became the factors, which resulted in long-term solutions to the social issues of the day, requiring steadfast advocacy?
Why examine perspectives on the impact of community advocacy? The Gallery provides the only contemporary resource for affirming that Black Akronites consistently contribute to the quality of life for all Akronites. It is hoped that our children will be inspired by the courage, initiative, and steadfastness of those who have taught us to rise above our circumstances. The adult population will be reminded of the advantage associated with acquiring the ability to “make a way out of no way.”
The hundreds of volunteers, who labor year round to make the Gallery of Akron’s Black History and Culture a reality, would welcome as the highest compliment to our efforts, the inspiring of a generation of “Let It Begin With Me” advocates; in the “Promoting of the Common Good.”
2001: "The Sojourn of Black Women Throughout the History of Akron: 1950-2000"
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The collective experiences, lives, and contributions of individual Black women in America have been written in small print on the back page of our historical consciousness. At its greatest moments and in its cruelest times, Black women have been a crucial part of America’s history. An historical collection of Black women in Akron, Ohio attests to the before mentioned statements. |
The absence of biographies, studies, histories, thesis, and dissertations on the lives and experiences of Black women in Akron leaves a gap in the historical knowledge of Africana in Northeastern Ohio.Much of what we know about Black women in Akron can be gathered from our historical consciousness, pulled from articles in local newspapers, sections and chapters in published resource books, in the few thesis and dissertations on the topic, from small collections in local archives and from the individual stories and personal memorabilia of women and men of this city.
The seminal historic note of Black femininity in Akron is the presence of abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and Christian reformer, Sojourner Truth, who graced Stone Church, May 28 and 29, 1851. Accounts of her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech has traveled through history and became a part of the Black women’s lexicon. Using Truth as the point of departure, The Sojourn of Black Women Throughout the History of Akron: 1950-2000 will present over one hundred years of “her story.” Truth’s words will be the guiding light and the intellectual frame to define, describe, and compile Black womanhood in Akron. Profiled will be those individuals, groups, institutions, organizations, and enterprises that impacted the Black community and greater Akron. Each profile will fit into the framework where meaning, accomplishment, contribution, and role are clearly defined and understood as significant to the collective experiences of Black women. The intent is to educate and share this rich collective experience of Black women. The intent is to educate and share this rich collective experience via a multi-faceted, visually attractive exhibition in the Dr. Shirla R. McClain Gallery of Akron’s Black History of The University of Akron. The Sojourn of Black Women Throughout the History of Akron: 1950-2000 will highlight the individual contributions and accomplishments, and reference the collective activism, and evolution of Black womanhood. The exhibit will flow in a non-chronological order, presenting topical dynamics of the African experience, placing women in their proper historic place. The main categories presented here are: Black Women in Slavery and Freedom; Black Women in the Community; Black Women in Work and Enterprise; Black Women in Social and Cultural Reform; Black Women in Health and Medicine; Black Women in the Media; Black Women in Law and Politics; Black Women in Government; and Emerging Black Women. These eight categories will offer the opportunity to display the diversity of Black womanhood and its impact on the growth and prosperity of Akron, locally and nationally.
The category Black Women in Slavery and Freedom will offer the opportunity to introduce those early settlers of Akron’s Black community and highlight the Sojourner Truth factor. This will be part of the introductory panel and will include an excerpt of Truth’s speech super-imposed over an image of a group of Black Women. Also included will be portraits of Truth including a biography that will highlight the historic moment in Akron. The category Black Women in the Community will profile those individuals and groups that helped to develop and cultivate distinct communal living. Profiled will be community organizations such as the Association for Colored Community Work and the Council of Negro Women and individuals like Marion Dixon of the Future Outlook League and children’s advocate Eula Belle Minson. Also profiled will be those community activists that contributed to the changing and development of functional and safe communities. The category Black Women in Work and Enterprise will profile the varied contributions and accomplishments of Black women in business, occupations, professions, and corporations. Individuals such as Yvonne Oliver of Marrow of Tradition Books and Fine Art Gallery and corporations such as the Universal Nursing Services Incorporated will be profiled.
The category Black Women in Social and Cultural Reform will highlight significant roles in the church and other religious systems, Black cultural practitioners, and social and cultural organizations. Clergy such as Pastor Loretta Sanders and other women who played significant roles in founding some of Akron’s Black houses of worship will be profiled. This will offer the opportunity to explore the historic role of women as founders of Wesley Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church as well as churches and houses of worship that followed. Social groups and cultural organizations will be represented as well as active individuals that represent this category. The category for Black Women in Health and Medicine will profile individuals such as Dr.’s Margo Prade and Karen Kea, as well as Eleanora Bozeman. Also profiled will be nurses like Muriel Walker, and Gloria Shuler Rookard. This category will also present the dynamic level to which Black women have and are providing health and medical care to the greater community and their impact in changing the face and direction of health and medicine for Akronites. Those independent Black medical establishments and corporations will be profiled as well.
The category of Black Women in the Media will explore the careers of Pat Kennard and Gailmarie Fort among others. It will explore the media profession and media consultants. It will also look at print, broadcast, and electronic media areas. The category will explore the role of women in the development of independent Black media such as local newspapers. The category of Black Women in Law and Politics will explore the career of attorneys and elected or appointed officials and activists and their impact on the community and contributions to Black womanhood. Profiled here will be Deputy mayor Dorothy Jackson, attorney’s Saundra J. Robinson, Angela Tucker Cooper, and Glynis Redwine. In addition, individuals such as political activist such as Bertha Moore will be highlighted. The category Black Women in Government will explore a wide range of government professionals, officials, and administrators. Profiled will be women such as Judge Carla Moore, and administrator Janet B. Purnell. Also profiled will be women who worked as part of government agencies and institutions such as Nannette Victoria Johnson, the first Black female crossing guard for the Akron Public Schools.
The category of Emerging Women will profile young women who have impacted their generation through communal, group, or personal contributions. Like the other categories this section will explore Truth’s phrase, “Ain’t I a Women” and display the impact that these emerging young women may have on the collective. Among the individuals profiled will be Maya Payne, and Nouvelle Stubbs. Visually, the viewer will be able to learn and understand the historic role that women played in contributing to the development of Black life, and to the civic life of Akron. In addition, a greater understanding and knowledge of the struggle of women to pursue and succeed against racial, gender, social and class discrimination can be gleaned from the exhibit. Physically, the exhibit will be textual, with photographic images, artifacts, memorabilia, furniture, and structures designed to enhance and present a specific item and/or object.
The Sojourn of Black Women Throughout the History of Akron: 1950-2000 will be an attractive walk through the lives, experiences, histories, and cultures of Black women.
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