1928 - Alderson High School - 1968
ALDERSON MAIN STREET - NEWS RELEASE
P.O. Box 117, Alderson, WV 24910
June 18, 2017
Contact Alderson Main Street
Improving The Community One Project At A Time
Invisible Roots And Legends Exhibit To Visit Alderson
The
“Invisible
Roots
and
Legends:
A
Photographic
View
of
African
American
History
in
Greenbrier
Valley,
West
Virginia”
exhibit
will
open
on
June
28
at
the
Visitor
Center
in
Alderson.
It
will
be
open
daily
from
June
28
to
July
9
from
1-5
p.m.
Greenbrier
Historical
Society
Board
Member
Janice
Cooley
has
curated
this
unique
exhibit
of
African
American
history
in
the
Greenbrier
Valley
and
will
be
installing
portions
of
it
in
the
Alderson Visitor Center.
Cooley
said,
“I
have
a
passion
for
the
history
of
African
Americans
in
this
area.
My
own
roots
go
deep
here
and
I
realized
that
so
many
of
my
contemporaries
as
well
as
the
younger
generations
had
no
idea
of
the
struggles
and
achievements
of
our
ancestors.
If
this
information
is
not
preserved,
it
will
soon
be
lost.”
Ms. Cooley has received state-wide recognition for this exhibit.
Photography
really
came
into
its
own
during
the
Civil
War.
Before
then,
there
were
few
photographs
of
anyone
or
thing
and
almost
none
of
African
Americans.
Even
after
the
Civil
War
and
for
many
years,
photographs
remained
the
purview
of
the
wealthy
and
there
are
few
photographs
of
those
who
were
considered
second
class
citizens.
Finding
photographs
which
exist
and
using
them
to
tell
the
heretofore
“invisible”
history
of
African
Americans
in
the
Greenbrier
Valley
is
the
mission
of
the
“Invisible
Roots
and
Legends: A Photographic View of African American History in Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia” exhibit.
The
exhibit
will
consist
of
a
collection
of
photographs
and
descriptions,
from
post-
civil
war
to
today,
of
African
Americans
who
have
contributed
to
the
growth
and
development
of
this
area
in
business,
religion,
education, sports, politics, and entertainment as well as general family life.
Mayor
Travis
Copenhaver
said,
“I
am
excited
to
have
this
exhibit
in
Alderson
at
our
Visitors
Center
during
the
July
4th
Celebration.
Alderson
would
not
be
what
it
is
today
without
the
contributions
of
our
African
American citizens, including our most famous one—Bricktop, the internationally known jazz entertainer.”
Sponsored
by
Alderson
Main
Street,
the
exhibit
will
be
open
daily
from
1-5
p.m.
June
28
to
July
9
at
the
Alderson Visitors Center.
Contact: Margaret Hambrick 304-646-2439
PHOTO
CAPTION:
A
railroad
crew
in
Alderson
identified
as
(l
to
r)
Everett
Terry,
Edd
Weekley,
Clarence
“
Shorty”
McGraw,
Mr.
Bowen
(foreman),
Paul
Sears,
Jack
Raines,
and
Junior
Page.
Back
row--Hubert
Crawford.
