Museum readies for tours
The Jack Hadley Black History Museum is geared up and ready to receive more than 746 students, teachers and adults, scheduled to tour the museum during Black History Month 2017, according to museum officials.
The national theme is “Crisis In Black Education.” Each student touring the museum will be given two historical educational activities books — “The Power of a Dream,” by former President Barack Obama, and “Discovering the Underground Railroad,” published by the National Park Services.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church toured the museum with 82 members and friends who walked three blocks from their church to the museum in the Dewey City Historic District.
This is the second group to make this historic journey to the museum prior to the kickoff of the celebration. The first group was Delta Sigma Theta, The Delta Academy. The members mentor a group of fifth through eighth-grade girls. They toured the museum on Jan. 21 with their Delta advisors, Irene Howard, Katrina Holton and Felicia Ross.
The museum will celebrate its fourth annual Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Festival and Thomasville-Thomas County Public Safety Day on Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 214 Alexander St. The museum is located on the grounds of the Douglass High School Alumni Complex.
Three new exhibits in the museum will be unveiled to the public.
This year, officials are collaborating with the local public safety agencies — police and sheriff departments, city and county fire departments, Georgia state troopers, emergency services agencies and Gold Star Ambulance. Members of area Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle clubs from Tallahassee, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, Columbia, South Carolina, Albany and Thomasville Area Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th Calvary Regiments. An educational day is planned for youths and guests to hear stories from the Buffalo Soldiers and from professionals in public safety agencies about their careers.
The grand opening speaker is retired U.S. Army Col. Nathan Thomas Jr. from Melbourne, Florida He is a lecturer on racism, Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee Airmen. He is the president of Welcome Home Vets, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to returning Florida veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world.
Members of the police department will be serving up free hot dogs and the museum will be open offering free self-guided tours.
For information, call (229) 226-5029.