Black History program examine “Where do we go from here”

Cynthia Bond Hopson

 “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?” This question from Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1967 book of the same title will be the theme for the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center’s Black History Month program, Saturday, February 7, at 2 p.m.  Noted author, Haywood County native and cultural historian, Cynthia Bond Hopson, will speak and facilitate a panel of local leaders.

Panelists will include Haywood County’s first elected African American Sheriff, Melvin Bond; Brownsville’s first African American Mayor W. D. Rawls Jr.; Fred Silverstein Jr., Chair of the Human Rights Commission; Douglass Community organizer and educator Johnetta Walker Neal; Brownsville Alderman and former housing administrator Carolyn B. Flagg; County Mayor Franklin Smith; and activist and business owner, Cynthia Rawls Bond. 

“This chaos or community topic was Dr. King’s examination of American race relations and the movement after a decade of U.S. civil rights struggles. It offers a perfect opportunity to reflect, renew and recommit to building bridges of love and hope,” says Bond Hopson, whose books on Haywood County include The Women of Haywood: Their Lives, Our Legacy, Wiggle Tales and Times of Challenge and Controversy.

According to Bond Hopson, “When Dr. King wrote ‘somewhere somebody must have some sense. People must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a descending spiral, ultimately ending in destruction for all and everybody. Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love,’ he wanted us to understand we have the power to change the world through lives of service and deliberate action. Our distinguished panelists have done just that.”

Following the program, Bond Hopson will sign copies of her books.  This is a free event. 

Skills clinic; symposium added to annual Country Blues Jam

West Tennessee Bluesmen Linzie Butler and Elam McKnight perform during last year's Country Blues Jam. 

 The second annual Sleepy John’s Country Blues Jam will be held Saturday, January 24, 11 a.m., at the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn. In addition to an acoustic jam session, skill clinics for the harmonica and slide guitar have been added, as well as a symposium. The free event recognizes the birthday and legacy of Blues pioneer Sleepy John Estes and is presented in partnership with the West Tennessee Blues Society

Musicians Elam McKnight and Jimmy D. Taylor share their knowledge and skills during 11 a.m. clinics in their respective fields. Slide guitar enthusiast, McKnight, is well known in the blues, rock and country genres, and has recently released his fifth studio album. Taylor, a Brownsville native, has been playing harmonica since 1991, and now builds and sells them worldwide. Participants are asked to pre-register by calling the Center and are asked to bring their own instruments.

Following the clinics, BBQ Express concessions will be on site offering lunch selections. A birthday cake recognizing what would have been Sleepy John's 116th birthday will be served at 12:30 p.m. Throughout the day, attendees are invited to tour the Delta Heritage Center and grounds including the last home of Estes and Flagg Grove School, the childhood school of Tina Turner.

A symposium will begin at 1 p.m., discussing “The Influence of West Tennessee’s Country Blues.” The panel will consist of musicologist David Evans and music historian Michael Baker. They will discuss the impact of the music and compare and contrast West Tennessee’s unique sound.

Evans, a Grammy Award winner, author and Professor at the University of Memphis School of Music, has produced over 30 albums and numerous books on Blues history. He travels the world performing as a solo act and with the Last Chance Jug Band.

Baker’s lifelong interest in music and music history has made him an expert on the life and music of “Sonny Boy” Williamson and, after finding his grave, was instrumental in marking it with a headstone and establishing a historical marker at the site. He served as talent coordinator for the Shannon Street Blues Festival for 21 years.

An open acoustic jam session will follow at 2:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring their own instruments, voice or just your love for the music.  This jam session is non-competitive and open to everyone.

For more information about the event or to pre-register for the harmonica or slide guitar clinic, call the Center at 731-779-9000 or email info@westtnheritage.com.

A timeless tale of teaching

Special to the Delta Heritage Center by Emily Pugh

East Side Elementary Teacher Joni Taylor describes to her 5th grade class what school would have been like at Flagg Grove School in the early 1900s. The students participated in the first lesson to be taught in the one-room schoolhouse since the mid-1960s.

“Your dream cannot work without education.” These words, spoken by Nutbush native Tina Turner, are what visitors hear while touring the newly-restored Flagg Grove School at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn. Recently, two local 5^th grade classes experienced what it must have been like to attend the one room schoolhouse.  On November 24, the East Side Elementary classes of teachers Joni Taylor and Wendy Piercey were given the unique distinction of being the first students taught in the school since its closure in the mid-1960s.

As the children stepped inside the schoolhouse, Taylor numbered each child off to signify the eight grades taught in the one room building. The students sat, some  in the original desks and some on the floor, while experiencing first-hand the lessons and challenges.

Each “grade” was given a different assignment that was written on the school's original chalkboard. For example, first grade was asked to write their name 10 times, and "print clearly;" eighth grade was told to write a five paragraph essay while other students did arithmetic or simple sentences.

Students were given a history lesson about life "back in the day." Taylor explained that the school was an African-American school and built 24 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves.

"This equals 24 years of children growing up without a formal education," Taylor explained. “What do you think they were doing instead of going to school?"

Taylor explained that children would have their own chores, from boys picking cotton and working as farm hands to girls helping cook and washing and mending clothes.

These daily routines were altered somewhat when Flagg Grove School was built in 1889. Education became the focus in the little community. Most children walked to school and each family paid one dollar per child, per month, for the teacher’s salary.

Taylor told them about outhouses and explained about the potbelly stove. Not only did the kids get to experience the inside of the school, they each rang the school bell and tried their hand at the old well pump outside. Many proclaiming they were happy to be attending school in this century.

Students also visited the museums and exhibits inside the Delta Heritage Center, on a special tour lead by Mrs. Piercey, and were excited to learn that people from all over the world stop in Brownsville to see the Center. According to Center director, Sonia Outlaw-Clark, more than 22,000 visitors have stopped so far this year from all 50 states and 35 countries.

The children's experience in the 125-year-old school building, coupled with its rich history, continues to emphasize the importance of education and the school's unique legacy.

About the author: Emily Pugh, a Brownsville native, is in her first year of college at the University of Memphis. She is studying Public Relations with hopes to work in the tourism field.

New book spotlights famous travel writer born in Brownsville

Richard Halliburton was an adventurer and travel writer who became one of the world's most famous celebrities during the first decades of the 20th century. R. Scott Williams explores Halliburton's dramatic rise to fame in his first book about the explorer, "The Forgotten Adventures of Richard Halliburton, from Tennessee to Timbuktu." Meet the author and learn more about the story during a book launch and signing Thursday, November 13, 5:45 p.m., at the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn.

Williams looks at Halliburton's life and the cultural changes taking place in the United States that contributed to his phenomenal success and tragic failures. Halliburton was born in Brownsville in 1900 and raised in Memphis. At the age of 19, he left home to lead an extraordinary life of adventure.

Interest in Halliburton began to develop while Williams was doing research on his own family. “For several years, I’ve been researching and writing about my ancestors who, since the early 1830s, mostly lived in and around Haywood County, Tennessee," he explains. "My parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all born and lived there. Richard Halliburton’s ancestors were from the same area so I ran across the Halliburton name many times and my curiosity took me down the path of learning more about Richard."

Against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, Halliburton's exploits around the globe made him an internationally-known celebrity and the most famous travel writer and lecturer of his day. From climbing Mount Olympus in Greece, to swimming the Panama Canal, to literally flying all the way to Timbuktu, Halliburton experienced and wrote about adventures that others never even believed possible. He disappeared in 1939 during a typhoon in the Pacific Ocean.

"Halliburton's  parents, Wesley and Nelle, actually met and married in Brownsville, Tennessee where Wesley was farming family land and Nelle was teaching at the Brownsville Women’s College," says Williams. "Early in Richard Halliburton’s life, the family moved to Memphis, which is where I also grew up.”

During his life, Halliburton maintained close ties to his family in Memphis and returned home frequently. Shortly before his death, Halliburton's father, Wesley, donated the family's artifacts to Rhodes College. Williams worked closely with the library archivist and was able to use scrapbooks created by Wesley as a basis for his work on Halliburton.

The book features never-before-published photos, rare letters, memorabilia and documents and photos of artifacts that provide a glimpse into the life of Halliburton. Several photos will be on display during the Book Launch and Signing November 13.

For more information about the book, visit www.HalliburtonBook.com. The book is available at HistoryPress.net and Amazon.com on November 5. To reserve a copy of the book ($19.99) for the signing or for more information about the event, call the Delta Heritage Center at 731-779-9000.

About R. Scott Williams
Originally from Memphis, R. Scott Williams is an advertising, marketing, and public relations executive with a passion for researching and recording unpublished stories of the early American south. After receiving his degree in journalism from the University of Memphis, he worked a variety of jobs until landing at Graceland where he helped take care of business for the king for more than twelve years. Currently, he leads the marketing and communication initiatives at the Newseum, a museum of news and history in Washington, D.C.

W. S. Holland and Truly Tina perform during Tina Turner Heritage Days

Samira "Truly Tina"

Brownsville's two-day celebration of the "Queen of Rock" and the opening of the newly-restored Flagg Grove School as a Tina Turner museum is not the only excitement that will be happening this weekend during the 2nd Annual Tina Turner Heritage Days. Performances Saturday evening, September 27,  will feature the legendary W. S. Holland and his band, as well as the world's premier Tina tribute artist, Samira. Also appearing will be Rayburn Anthony, Carl Mann and young performers from Brownsville and Muskogee, Oklahoma, during the  7 p.m. event at Carver High School.

The second annual Tina Turner Heritage Days will kick off Friday morning, Sept. 26, at 10:30 a.m., with the opening of Flagg Grove School. The restored 1889 one-room school attended by Turner in the 1940s, and now home to a collection of costumes, gold records and memorabilia from her long career.

Friday evening includes a fan gathering and book signing at 4:30 p.m., by Canadian author Katherine Carlson. Carlson's book "Arrows Across Eons: Becoming Tina Turner" tells the author's own story about growing up and the impact of Tina's music on her life.

Saturday activities include tours to Nutbush and evening concert including the W. S. Holland Band and Samira's Truly Tina show.

W. S. "Fluke" Holland

Holland, a self taught drummer who began his musical career at Sun Studios in 1954 with Carl Perkins and performed on the legendary "Million Dollar Quartet" sessions, has the distinction of being the only drummer Johnny Cash ever had and was the first to play a full set of drums on the Grand Ole Opry stage at the Ryman Auditorium. Dubbed the "Father of the Drums," Holland has played all over the world and was most recently honored in his hometown for 60 years of performing. Joining Holland and his band will be two other legendary rockabilly artists, Rayburn Anthony and Carl Mann.  

Samira, a Canadian tribute artist who has been recognized internationally for her work impersonating Tina Turner, will present her "Truly Tina" show during Saturday's event. As a genuine fan of  Tina's music, Samira is fueled to present a professional show complete with vocals and choreography. Her fitness trainer background is evident as she presents a dynamic 1970-80s  high energy show and interacts with the audience.

Also joining the show will be young spotlight performers from Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Haywood's Got Talent winner Keshaun Shepard.

Tickets for the Saturday evening concert is $15 and available at the Delta Heritage Center, online at www.tinaturnerheritagedays.com or at the door. Parking for the concert will be at the Haywood County Justice Center, 100 South Dupree, beginning at 6 p.m., with shuttle service to and from Carver High School. For more information, contact the Delta Heritage Center at 731-779-9000.

"Life Perspectives" through the eyes of seven West Tennessee artists

Sister Series IV by Artist Jere Williamson is among the pieces on exhibit during "Life Perspectives"

Seven award-winning West Tennessee artists share a collection of their works during an art exhibition opening to the public October 3 at the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. The exhibit "Life Perspectives," organized by Brownsville artist Jere Williamson, features his personal pieces as well as those of noted artists Bill Bailey, Dr. Tim Hacker, Susan Hyback, Lendon Noe, Mary Spelling and Tuva Stephens.

Williamson is a Brownsville native who graduated from the University of Memphis in 1967 and began teaching art in Jacksonville, Florida. He went on to earn his Masters' of Fine Art  and taught at three Florida colleges before returning to Brownsville in the 1980s. His art has earned him numerous awards and has been included in eight museums, corporate buildings and numerous private collections.

"I'm excited to be showing in my hometown," says Williamson. "Most pieces in the show are watercolor, but you'll also see colored pencil and mixed media, too."

Bill Bailey worked for 30 years as an electronics engineer before devoting himself to painting in 1992. He attempts to capture the "Southern landscape and people" in his works and was selected among the "ones to watch" by Watercolor Artist Magazine in 2012.

Dr. Tim Hacker of Bartlett, Tenn., began studying art in high school. Since that time he has studied with numerous nationally-known artist such as Charles Harrington, Frank Francese and more. The Memphis-Germantown Art League has honored Hacker with the Spectrum Award and in 2011 he received the Westy Award from the Bartlett Arts Commission for his continued support of the visual and performing arts.

Susan Hyback, of Somerville, Tenn., has enjoyed life as a commercial illustrator and fine artist. She has a fervor for painting wildlife and animals. Two highlights of her career has been inclusion in "The Best of Wildlife Art" and acceptance into the Kentucky National Art and Wildlife exhibit.

Jackson, Tenn., native Lendon Noe enjoys using a combination of media to create her themed works. For the last 15 years her work has focused on natural history. She uses drawing, painting, collage, image transfer and assemblage to bring her award-winning pieces to life.

Mary Spellings, of Mercer, Tenn., loves to capture light and life in her paintings. She has won numerous awards for her paintings in regional and national competitions and most recently was awarded the "Annie Pitcher Award" from the Mississippi Watercolor Society Grand National Exhibition.

Tuva Stephens, of McKenzie, Tenn., was an art and drama director for 34 years before pursuing art professionally in 2009. In 2010 she was  a featured artist on the Nashville-based TV program Tennessee Crossroads. She likes to capture those "fleeting moments that captures my heart ... and causes the viewer to create their own story."

The 30 piece exhibit, showing a unique perspective of West Tennessee life through the eyes of the individual artists, will premier during an Artist Reception Thursday evening, October 2, and remain on display October 3 through November 14 at the Delta Heritage Center. Admission is free.

Back to School rock show to benefit Haywood Schools

Allison Purifoy, a local school teacher and lead vocalist for the rock band Roses Unread, has put together a back to school concert to benefit Haywood County Schools. The "Back to Schoolhouse Rock" show features five bands from the mid-south region performing on the grounds of the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville Saturday, September 13. Showtime begins at 1 p.m. and admission is $5 worth of school supplies. Teachers with school IDs will get in free.

"It is very important that the children in our school system have the necessary supplies to meet their educational needs and have a successful school year," says Purifoy. "I wanted to put this benefit together to do something to help meet some of those needs."

Among the most needed items, according to Purifoy, are pencils and Kleenex tissue. But other traditional items such as paper, pens, crayons, composition books and writing tablets are also needed. School supply lists for each school can be found at www.haywoodschools.com.

Roses Unread

Purifoy is a second grade teacher at Haywood Elementary School. Her Brownsville-based group, Roses Unread, consists of five individuals from varied walks of life who came together to write "good rock 'n roll" music and perform. Branding themselves as "a little bit different," since 2004 they have released two full-length albums and music videos, performed countless shows, garnered global airplay, and boast a worldwide following of fans. Roses Unread will perform at 5 p.m.

"It is great to know that my music can help with such a great cause. As a teacher, it is very important to me that every child has what they need."

Bobby & Becky Stokely

Brownsville's Bobby and Becky Stokely will perform at 4 p.m. The Stokely's enjoy playing their two-person acoustic shows which include everything from country and blues to rock and funk. Becky is a kindergarten teacher at Anderson Early Childhood Development Center in Brownsville and also recognizes the importance of each child having what they need to succeed.

"This show is a natural for Bobby and me to participate in," says Stokely. "It's important because it brings the community together in support of our schools and it's a great way to kick off ‘I (heart) HCS’ week."

William Charles Collective

Other groups to perform include William Charles Collective (WCC). The Memphis-based WCC blends southern rock, folk and bluegrass to produce their own organic sound and will kick-off the event at 1 p.m. 

The Long Patrol

The Long Patrol (2 p.m.) is a pop/rock four-piece band with a considerable jazz and blues influence. The members are all Tipton County residents. 

Shekinah

Shekinah (3 p.m.) is a north Mississippi Christian music group that likes to "rock for Jesus;” a professional group of musicians that want to reach the people of today with upbeat, positive music.

For more information about the show, contact the Delta Heritage Center at 731-779-9000, visit www.westtnheritage.com or email info@westtnheritage.com.