Lexington celebrates Black History Month

Lexington City Manager Johnnie Taylor presents a plaque to Lewis Michael, who Taylor noted “has been on this earth for more than a century,” to honor his contributions to the Black community. {Elisabeth Strillacci/ Davidson Local}

Saturday afternoon nearly 100 people gathered in the gymnasium of Lexington Senior High School for a celebration filled with speeches, music and dance in honor of Black History Month.

Mayor Jason Hayes and the Lexington City Council members welcomed about 100 guests to the celebration of Black History Month Saturday afternoon. {Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local}

The afternoon event kicked off at 2:30 p.m. with a welcome from Mayor Jason Hayes and the city council. Hayes noted a number of things the city has done to honor Black heritage, but also said “we need to know, and once we know, we must do better” at both remembering and building on the community’s history. He also made a particular effort to point out that it is “not just Black History, but American History.”

Rev. Dr. Arnetta Beverly gives the invocation during Saturday’s celebration. {Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local}

The Rev. Dr. Arnetta Bevery gave an invocation before the Files Chapel Baptist Choir performed two songs. Guests were invited to join them in singing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by James Weldon Johnson.

Files Chapel Baptist Church Choir performs the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” on Saturday. {Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local}

Makia Cade, who performed a liturgical dance, said she wanted her dance and the music to give those in attendance and those celebrating history a dose of hope and encouragement.

Makia Cade performs a liturgical dance during the Black History Month event Saturday. {Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local}

City Manager Johnnie Taylor had the pleasure of presenting a plaque to Lewis Michael, who is more than 100 years old. Michael and his siblings have lived through numerous changes in the country and in particular for Black residents. His grandmothers were once slaves, and he has lived through all of the following: “two world wars, the arrival of automobiles, televisions and personal landlines, segregation, the “Jim Crow South,” development of the United Nations, passing of the Civil Rights and Voting Acts, integration, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcolm X and President John F. Kennedy, Alaska and Hawaii receiving statehood, the voting age being lowered, the 9/11 attacks and the election of President Barack Obama.

Rev. Alan Suber was the keynote speaker at Saturday’s Black History Month at Lexington Senior High School. {Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local}

Keynote speaker Rev. Alan Suber began by honoring the African origins of many in the Black community, reminding everyone there that God had created an intelligent, creative, capable people who were not only surviving but succeeding. So well in agriculture in fact that other countries began to come and kidnap Africans and take them back to their homes to learn. But they did not take them home and treat them as equals or with honor and dignity. Instead, Africans were taken to a number of other countries, including, eventually America, “with their hands and feet bound, stacked on top of one another, in the cramped hold of some ship.”

It has been faith that has carried them through all of the challenges of their history, he noted, and belief in a God that “will always take care of us.” Black history, he said, is essential and important and needs to be remembered, “but we must also remember we are not done yet.”

Mayor Pro Tem Joe Watkins fired off a lengthy list of accomplishments noting they are often overlooked, but worthy of appreciation. {Elisabeth Strillacci, Davidson Local}

In his closing, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Watkins made a point to say that he, like the mayor and the city council, stands firmly behind the request for clemency for Charles McNeair, a Black man sentenced to life in prison a the age of 16 for pleading guilty to second-degree rape, a crime advocates say likely did not happen. McNeair is 61 and still incarcerated.

Watkins then enumerated a myriad of accomplishments, tools, equipment and technology that have been developed by Black people, but saying “we often have had to work much harder, much longer and the recognition is often overlooked or ignored.”

In addition to speeches and performances, there were several displays for people to explore.

Local artist Kenrick Jobe had some of his work on display, along with artwork from the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Art Gallery and Exhibition sponsored by Anything for Our Youth Group. There were several posts with information about historical events, and a description of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood National Register Nomination. The Davidson County Historical Museum had highlights from the Black History Video Tour which includes video from Lexington and Thomasville. The museum began their Heritage Project more than two years ago, but they are still seeking input. They are looking for anyone willing to share a memory to sit for an oral history interview or to consider donating objects, photographs or documents that relate to Black History. They also hope people might watch the video and be able to identify some as-yet unknown locations. Anyone interested can reach the museum at 336-242-2035.