African American Heritage Society of Maury to host Smithsonian exhibit at library

Kerri Bartlett, Columbia Daily Herald
Updated ·2 min read
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Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is the Maury County Library's latest exhibit, which debuts this weekend and will be on display through Oct. 1.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is the Maury County Library's latest exhibit, which debuts this weekend and will be on display through Oct. 1.

The African American Heritage Society of Maury County is one of six organizations statewide selected to host the Smithsonian exhibit, “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America.”

The exhibit is a part of Museum on Main Street, collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Humanities Tennessee. "Voices and Votes" is based on a major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called "American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith."

The free community exhibit will open Aug. 19 at the Maury County Public Library and close on Oct. 1.

This traveling exhibit, presents a visual and interactive history of democracy.

A historic maker was installed at Freedmen's Savings Bank and Trust Company site in Columbia at North Main and 6th Street in 2020. (Left) Tom Price, director of the Maury Archives; Eric Cox, director of the society; Jo Ann McClellan, society president; Dr. Lea Williams, professor of history at TSU and keynote speaker at the dedication program; Tony Massey, city manager; Walter Mitchell, society vice president and Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka.

"Across generations, visitors will see diverse and inspiring Americans, who faced challenges and were determined to have their voices heard. Our democracy demands action, reaction, vision, and revision…every one in every community is part of this ever-evolving story," said Jo Ann McClellan, the Society’s president and Maury County Historian.

“While the Smithsonian exhibit will focus on the national stories of democracy in America, a companion exhibit, Voices of Maury County, developed by the Society will focus on some of the citizens who fought for democracy in this county."

McClellan said she is glad to partner with the library.

“Since the Society does not, yet, have a museum space, we are very excited to host this exhibit at the Maury County Public Library," she said.

Founded in 2012, the African American Heritage Society of Maury County is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. It is a membership-based organization and is open to anyone interested in furthering the objectives of the Society.

The Society has worked to add to the African American narrative to the rich history of this county. The projects included adding the names of over eighty African Americans, who lost their lives during the American Civil War, to the Maury County War Memorial; and the placement of five Tennessee Historical Commission markers commemorating significant sites, events, and people, including the Maury County Colored Hospital, which operated for more than 30 years.

Since 2013, the AAHSMC has sponsored a quarterly lecture series, where subject-matter experts and professors of history at Fisk, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt Universities discussed on specific topics determined by the Board of Directors. T

o date, the Society has published eight history calendars that featured the people and places significant to Maury County’s African American history.

The Society has collaborated with MTSU/Center for Historic Preservation, the MTSU/Albert Gore Library, and the Tennessee State Museum on historic preservation projects.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: AAHS of Maury County to host Smithsonian exhibit at library