The Historical Society of Harford County’s traveling exhibition, “Trials & Triumphs: A History of the African American Experience in Harford County” will be on display at the Hays-Heighe House at Harford Community College through Sunday.
The exhibition, which is scheduled to travel for six months to public venues around the county, features documents, objects donated by the community and textiles, according to the exhibition’s website. Visitors can march with Sgt. Alfred Hilton across a battlefield, read a letter by enslaved Annie Davis to President Lincoln, ride with Sonny Thornton in a daring horse race and sing along with Nella Dodds to a classic pop hit.
Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and stories in the exhibition’s virtual galleries to continue the historical society’s work in tracing and telling the county’s history.
“Trials & Triumphs” was curated by three women — Iris Leigh Barnes, Chris Potts and Roxann Red-Wallace — who spent two years working with fabricators, graphic designers and researchers to develop an exhibition telling the story of African American history in Harford County.
Focusing on history spanning from the 18th century to present day, the exhibition features donated items including a stethoscope from the Havre de Grace Colored School Museum and Cultural Center of George Stansbury, the first African American doctor in the county to be granted privileges at Harford Memorial Hospital in the 1950s.
Iris Leigh Barnes, executive director at Hosanna School Museum, said the exhibition will increase awareness of the importance of local African American history.
“Sometimes African American history is relegated to be something ‘other,’ but it is simply part of the tapestry of American history,” she said. “We want you to know it’s more than just old papers and old court documents. They are stories that resonate with individuals, will move their spirit, warm their hearts and inspire them.”
Chris Potts, executive director of the county historical society, said she hopes visitors leave feeling proud of their county’s history.
“I think people will feel both informed by the affirmation of the history that we put forward and convey but also inspired by some of the extraordinary stories and some of the accomplishments of the people from our county,” she said. “There’s a lot of pride that we can take in that history together as we learn about that history.”
The exhibition schedule is as follows:
- Jan. 11-Feb. 9: Hays-Heighe House at Harford Community College, 401 Thomas Run Road in Bel Air
- Feb. 15-March 16: Abingdon Branch Library, 2510 Tollgate Road in Abingdon
- March 22-April 20: “Roni” Chenowith Activity Center, 1707 Fallston Road in Fallston
- April 26-March 26: Havre de Grace Opera House, 121 N. Union Ave. in Havre de Grace
- March 31-June 29: Hosanna School Museum, 2424 Castleton Road in Darlington
- July 7-Aug. 1: Historical Society of Harford County, 143 N. Main St. in Bel Air
For more information, visit aaexperiencehc.com.
Have a news tip? Contact Allana Haynes at ahaynes@baltsun.com or 240-756-5668.
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