Back in February, when officials from the Hattiesburg Convention Commission first showcased the “Generations Strong: Inspiring African Americans of Hattiesburg Commemorative Wall” on East Sixth Street, they decided to leave some space on that wall to later honor individuals who were not featured in the original design.
That space has now been utilized, as on November 9 commission officials, along with Mayor Toby Barker and honorees, unveiled the final installations to the wall. Two new panels at the site, which is located behind the historic Eureka School, feature nine additional individuals who now join the more than 170 African American individuals or families enshrined on the wall.
“We knew there may be some (people) who slipped through the cracks that the (Commemorative Wall Advisory Committee) missed, and we wanted a little bit of wiggle room so to speak, and that certainly proved to be true,” said Rick Taylor, executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. “I wish we had more (space); we had so many great recommendations and individuals, and we just ran out of space, so we would have loved to have more.
“I will say that I’m excited for the ones that the committee selected; they certainly are notable individuals. This also spurs us to think about what else we can do in the Sixth Street Museum District that will continue this type of recognition.”
The individuals on the new panels include:
- Lillie Burney, former principal of Mary Bethune Elementary School in Hattiesburg, who is now the namesake of an elementary school in the Hattiesburg Public School District.
- Alfonso and Marjorie Clark, former educators in the Forrest County Public School System and the Hattiesburg Public School System who were active in the Civil Rights Movement.
- Helen Jean Ford Ansari, a 1971 graduate of L.J. Rowan and Jackson State University student who was crowned the nation’s Miss Black America in 1975.
- Oliver William Johnson II, who led the North Forrest High School baseball team to four consecutive state championships and became the first African American coach to be induced into the Mississippi Coaches Hall of Fame.
- Clarence and Carrie Magee, former educators who were among the few African American registered voters in the 1960s. Clarence served as president of the NAACP Forrest County Branch from 1970-1974 and was re-elected to serve in 2001. He has served in that role since then.
- Mattie Robertson, a former educator in Forrest County schools who established the first academically-structured kindergarten for African American children.
- Frank E. Jones, a longtime partner at the Katie Avenue Medical Clinic, which helped deliver babies of African American women who could not afford access to local hospitals.
“There are incredible people featured on our wall, and the new additions are no exception,” said Latoya Norman, director of museums for the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. “These nine stories are an important part of Hattiesburg’s history, and we are proud to share them on our commemorative wall.”
The wall, which was designed to highlight African Americans from Hattiesburg who have inspired – or continue to inspire – others through their work and service, was unveiled on February 23. Some individuals honored on the wall include Johnny DuPree, Charles Marshall, Vernon Dahmer, Ellie Dahmer, Deborah Delgado and Charles Brown, among others.
Honorees on the wall are chosen by the ten individuals on the committee, which consists of Henry Bethley, Charles J. Brown, Bettie Dahmer, Anthony Harris, Eddie Holloway, Stephanie Hoze, Sherita Johnson, Annie Jones, Stella Mackabee and Melvin Williams.
“Being a part of this committee was perhaps the most insignificant part of the finished product,
‘The Generations Strong Wall;’ however, it was a pleasure to serve with other members of our
community to help develop such a proposition.” Mackabee said. “The project stirred memories of people and events that have not been thought of for many years, as well as some notions that are current in our heritage.
“Some are good, some bad, some thought-provoking and some even painful, but working through them with other contemporaries of our community was an experience that I shall forever cherish. It is my (our) hope that this wall mirror the hard work of the committee as well as the benefactions of those selected to appear on the wall.”
Each of the 75 panels on the wall features a QR code that can be scanned with a smart phone to learn more about the individuals on that panel. That information can also be found on the Eureka School’s website at www.hattiesburgeureka.com.
At dusk, each wall panel is backlit, and guests are encouraged to visit the wall any day of the week between daylight and 10 p.m.
“It continues to amaze us how many people come down throughout the day, and even through the evening, to see the wall or to find relatives or people from their past,” Taylor said. “When the backlit portion comes on, it’s always fun and encouraging to hear people ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ and react very positively to that.
“It’s been a great addition, and one that we’re very proud of, to be able to honor all these people.”
