Vibrant colors are on display as a person enters Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. The colors evoke strong cultural ties while the various historical items elicit a strong sense of nostalgia for the older generation.
In honor of Black History Month, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church has been hosting Black History Month: African Americans and the Arts. As part of their celebration, they have been allowing those in the community to come view The Heritage Exposition of Ancestors’ Collectibles.
The Heritage Exposition is made up of 11 different display groupings that feature collectible items brought in by members of the church and different people in the community. Each of the items demonstrates a strong period in black history and has had a huge influence on everything today.
“We are trying to show the experiences, the accomplishments, and the influences that we have had on the USA,” expressed Dorothy K. Bartee.
One of the first display areas that guests are able to observe is the Historical Developments Collectibles.
“This visual grouping of displays consists of at least 60 items,” explained Bartee. “They feature displays that could be useful research tools for findings about black historical information from Africa to the United States, Mississippi, and in Clarke County.”
Some of the items included in this portion are books, posters, a globe, and other items placed on an African table covering. There are also some genuine African memorabilia that were provided by people who have been in an African country. Also, part of the display are books written by African American authors. Some of the authors displayed include Rev. Lorenzo Carter and former Shiloh church members Dr. Howard Bartee, Dr. RoSusan Bartee, and Dione Bryant Williams.
The next area of notice is Community Collectibles. This section contains at least 23 items and consists of various black published periodicals. While various well-known black household magazines are on display, there are also local periodicals that have been published. One of the most well-known local black publications is an edition of The Christian News, published by Mrs. Julie Holt.
Continuing on, displays for Musical Communication Collectibles appear. The display features a variety of items, such as records, instruments, record players, and other musical items. One item on display has a historical significance with one of the black schools in Clarke County.
“This was a band hat from the black school, Shirley Owens,” expressed Archie Scarbrough. “Back in the day, those were the school colors: maroon and gold.”
Next, visitors would find Technical Communication Collectibles, consisting of various gadgets used to spread information and gain information in black communities. Among those things displayed are different cameras, transistor radios, etc.
“This is a picture camera. I know it goes back to the early 50s,” described Scarbrough. “How it operated was you didn’t hold it up to look in it like most cameras. You would look down into it to look at your subject. It’s one of the early pieces of photography from back in the day.”
After that, guests are able to see Recreational Collectibles and learn about the different items their ancestors used in their leisure time.
Guests then move on to Household Collectibles, where they are able to see 30 items associated more with grandparents’ houses. While a lot of what is shown includes some of the infamous cast iron cooking utensils, there are also other household items on display.
“Most notable are the 144-year-old mid-wife kit bag and a 1903 MS State Fair glass as noted by an ancestor’s relative,” stated Bartee.
After that, there are two different fashion sections to see: one is the “Old Fashion” Collectibles where items from what grandparents wore and used to dress up can be found, and the second is Now Collectibles where the display shows current African dress wear purchased in an African country.
The next then in line would be Community of “Melting Pot” Collectibles, combining both African ancestry and American heritage features on a table covered with the African Rosenta tablecloth. This area features the Ijima Center, the first and only African American Cultural Center established in Clarke County and Juneteenth Celebrations. Also included on the table are picture albums showing trips to Uganda and Guatemala.
“I went there as missionary to minister to 300,000 widows,” explained Rev. Advial McKenzie. “There were 300,000 widows after a massacre of over 500,000 people under Idi Amin. I went there on a medical mission with a group of doctors. We also did missions in Guatemala. We went twice to Guatemala and built two churches in Guatemala. I’m a brick mason by trade. They had handmade masonry blocks that were made by the people there. I was there as a bricklayer building schools and churches.”
After that, guests will find the Outdoors Collectibles with 30 different displays. This section has a variety of displays with different uses. Some of the things that can be seen include an ironing board, wash pot, sewing machine, milk churn, wood cutting tools, field tools, and multiple other items. Some of the items are even still used.
“I brought the Singer sewing machine, 1933 Featherweight, and it still sews. It still has the original tools that came with it,” informed Beverly Jasper. “I’m a seamstress, so I use that at times when I need to make ruffles because it has a ruffling attachment that goes to it. It makes great straight stitches.”
Others can remember using some of the items with family members when growing up.
“This is a crosscut saw, or a two man saw, that we used to cut trees and stuff with,” stated Herbert Jasper. “They used to actually log with that. Me and my granddaddy used to cut cross ties. You would just cut the tree down, and he would actually use the axe to cut the cross ties.”
Guests can then see the School Days Collectibles and take a trip down memory lane as they look at memorabilia and classes from the African American schools that were in the community. Along with photos of graduating classes, there are other items on the table. One of the things included is a printout of the different black school sites in Clarke County, and they are hoping to place a marker at each location in the future.
After that, everyone can see Church Collectibles, featuring different items related to the church. Along with different pictures, an old windowpane from the former church, furniture, and other items, there is an old church Bible on display for all to see.
When guests make it to the Historical Records Collectibles, they can see a variety of records on display.
“The most notable is a deed from Center Ridge Baptist Church of a parcel of land establishing the Center Ridge School for blacks,” stated Bartee.
The final form of collectibles is the Wall Hangings. These are various quilts that show the skills of the quilters and relate to different celebrations and messages shown through the patches and patterns in the quilt. There are different quilt patterns on display: (1) The Double Wedding Rings, (2) The Family Treasures, (3) The Windmill, (4) the Red, White, and Blue Quilt, and (5) the most recognized historical quilt in the county “The Underground Railroad” that was quilted by former Quitman High School student Cynthia Brown. There are also various other hangings in the room displaying the Kente colors to enhance the historical atmosphere.
Everyone in the community is welcome to come out and see the Heritage Exposition and learn about the history of African American culture and the arts. They will open the displays to be viewed on Saturday, February 17, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and again after morning services on Sunday, February 18.
