Heritage Center, Gammon House, Links
The Clark County Heritage Center, in collaboration with the Gammon House and Springfield Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, is hosting a special guest exhibit this month in the Heritage Center lobby that explores “the rich history and enduring legacy of Springfield’s Black community,” said Natalie Fritz, archivist and outreach director.
This year’s theme focuses on local church history and is called, “Progression of the Church from Safehouse to Freedom.”
“Local southwestern Ohio churches played a major role in the operation of the Underground Railroad, providing runaway slaves with assistance and hope on their journey north,” Fritz said. “The exhibit features a historical timeline extending through the late 1800s, spotlights influential church leaders and showcases rare archival materials and treasured church artifacts.”
Fritz said the Heritage Center does have a Black History Month exhibit each year, usually in the museum lobby, that previously highlighted materials from the collections. But the past several years, they have instead partnered with the Gammon House and Springfield Links, Incorporated.
Both organization’s committees work together to determine the theme, handle the exhibit text, graphics and artifacts. The Heritage Center lends use of their space, exhibit cases and display panels, and help with needed installation and other things.
“Rather than relying solely on what we have in our collections and archives at the Historical Society, this annual partnership helps the exhibit to be more dynamic and it draws more from the community, highlighting different figures and themes each year,” she said.
Dance Stomp Shake
Dance Stomp Shake, a Springfield-based dance show turned arts-based nonprofit, will host a few events during this month.
* The Art That Bonds program will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Springfield Museum of Art. This is an evening of visual art, creative writing and music celebrating Black History Month through diversity in the Arts. It allows middle and STEM school students to create art centered on mental health and self-love, and provides them with a professional platform to display their work, inspire creativity and self-expression and highlight the importance of mental health awareness.
* Dance showcase weekend: These cultural events will be held in Dayton during a full weekend, with a “hip-hop workshop and freestyle battle” Feb. 15 at Roosevelt Middle School, 1923 W. Third St., and the 3-hour competition featuring various dance genres Feb. 16 at the Dayton Masonic Center.
The teams competing in this year’s competition include returning champions Ohio State University, new competitors Case Western, high school teams Trotwood and Dunbar in Dayton, Independence High School in Columbus, SWEATSHOP from Racine, WI, and Levitated from Cleveland.
National Council of Negro Women
The National Council of Negro Women Springfield Clark County Section will host a Black history program at 5 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Hollenbeck Center, 275 S. Limestone St.
Karhlton F. Moore, former director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, will present the program, “Where Do We Go From Here.”
Tickets cost $55 and can be purchased at Young’s Hair Salon, 1928 E. High St.
If your organization is offering public local Black History Month events, email the information to sns-local@coxinc.com.
About the Author
