City of Jackson celebrates Black History Month through cultural exhibits, events

Sarah Best, Jackson Sun
·2 min read
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Jackson Mayor Scott Conger announced at City Hall on Thursday how the city of Jackson plans to celebrate Black History Month throughout February.

The first floor of city hall was decorated with photographs and paintings from local black artists, eager to share their culture through individualized mediums.

Angela Harvey, executive assistant to the mayor, and Wendy Trice Martin smile and clap as Mayor Scott Conger presents Martin with a proclamation declaring February Black History Month in Jackson during a press conference announcing the events the city of Jackson will put on to celebrate Black History Month at city hall in Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday, February 2, 2023.

Through the work of executive assistant to the mayor Angela Harvey, Jacksonians can come to city hall and experience music, poetry and dance celebrating black culture every Friday at 3:30 p.m. Conger invited local community leader Wendy Trice Martin to the podium where he read the “proclamation declaring the month of February as Black History Month in the city of Jackson.”

“There would be no Jackson without black culture, there would be no United States without black history,” Conger said. “It is American history, and it’s far time for us in Jackson and West Tennessee to recognize everyone who made contributions to where we are today.”

Nadia Beard, a dance teacher with Children’s Theatre Company of Jackson, speaks on the performances that will be held on February 17 with the company in city hall during a press conference announcing the events the city of Jackson will put on to celebrate Black History Month at city hall in Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Nadia Beard, a dance teacher with Children’s Theatre Company of Jackson, speaks on the performances that will be held on February 17 with the company in city hall during a press conference announcing the events the city of Jackson will put on to celebrate Black History Month at city hall in Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday, February 2, 2023.

Black artists, photographers, historians, activists and dance teachers like Nadia Beard will showcase their talents, culture, and personal forms of expression to the community. Beard works with the Children’s Theatre Company of Jackson and has taught dance to a range of sixth through 12th graders in the Jackson-Madison County School District for 12 years.

She emphasized the greater importance behind the city’s effort to celebrate black lives and allow the community to experience their culture throughout February.

Jameson Colbert looks at the photos by Jackson photographer Dan Battle during a press conference announcing the events the city of Jackson will put on to celebrate Black History Month at city hall in Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Jameson Colbert looks at the photos by Jackson photographer Dan Battle during a press conference announcing the events the city of Jackson will put on to celebrate Black History Month at city hall in Jackson, Tenn., on Thursday, February 2, 2023.

“It is wonderful because I know people, they need to be fed information so that they know where they come from,” Beard said. “If they know where they come from, they know where to go. And if then one day they are going to make history, they will be the history of Jackson-Madison County.”

City Hall will be lit up in red, yellow, and green colors for the month of February, symbolizing unity and pride in the African American community.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Black history exhibits, activities every Friday at Jackson City Hall

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