WADESBORO- The Hampton B. Allen Library has held a number of events throughout Feb. to highlight Black History Month. Blacks in Wax. presented by the Anson Youth Leaders Academy, as well as Ghana and the Gospel presented by Winnie Bennett of Morven were among the programs featured. These Black History events have been planned by the Anson County MLK, Jr./Black History Month Committee.
Ghana and the Gospel was held at the Library on Feb. 15 and Bennett gave a riveting presentation about the horrors of the pre-slavery days of Africans before they were brought to the Americas on the slave ships.
The presentation focused on Bennett’s 2018 trip to the African country of Ghana and the history she learned while there. Bennett traveled to Ghana along with a group of students from Berea College of Berea, Kentucky.
While in Ghana, Bennett learned of the horrific experiences of Africans who were captured by Europeans coming from Portugal, the Netherlands, and other nations engaged in the slave trade. Africans were captured in their home villages and held for months in the slave castles on the Western coast of Africa.
After these lengthy stays in the castles, the slaves spent months on what is called the Middle Passage, the trip on boats bringing them to the Americas. Through a fictional depiction as the slave, Grandma Lizzie, Bennet used historical records learned from the Ghana trip to depict life for Africans prior to the Middle Passage.
As part of the event, several local church choirs sang selections reminding the audience of the rich gospel history of the African-American community. Musical selections were rendered by the Men’s Choir of Saron Baptist Church of Polkton and Flat Rock Baptist Church of Wadesboro, N. C. Betty Huntley provided information about the importance of each of the songs to the Black experience. Dannie Montgomery served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.
Bobby Tillman of Wadesboro was on hand to share information about a book he has written, titled We Are All Different Colors, But We Are All the Same. He hopes this book will impact both young people and older individuals alike.
Anson Middle School students presented the program Blacks in Wax Museum on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Hampton B. Allen Library. The event was coordinated by the Anson Youth Leaders Academy, which is a program of the Caraway Foundation that focuses on instilling leadership skills in its young members.
The program featured students who dramatized key figures from Black History including Raymond Harris, Muhammad Ali, Claudette Colvin, Madame C. J. Walker, Bessie Coleman, Sojourner Truth, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, John Carlos, and Joan Higgenbotham. These historical figures were portrayed by the students A’Mya Teal, Ishan Simms, Ta’Myzia Simons, Taylor Bennett, Charity Harris, Devona Little, Za’Kiyah Hixson, Katie Little, Jasmine Polk, Courtney Sturdivant, and Lidia-Cano Luna.
The next event scheduled as part of the Hampton B. Allen Library’s Black History Month is the showing of the film Hidden Figures on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020 at 5 p. m. On Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at 5 p. m. the Black Arts Extravaganza is scheduled at the Library. It will feature performances in drama, music, and literature from local talent.
Black Arts Extravaganza will also spotlight and celebrate the Grammy-award winning Anson County native, Richard Spencer, who composed the song Color Him Father while he was a member of the singing group, The Winstons. The Winstons won a Best R & B Song Grammy for the song in 1970.
