Heritage students learn valuable historical lessons

Exhibit curator Hardy Brown II explains to students about some of the artifacts. (Staff photos)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

“Historical empathy” was the theme on Tuesday as students at Heritage High School explored an exhibition that tells the story of slavery in America and the courage of people who sought freedom or helped others find it.

“Footsteps to Freedom: The Gore Collection” is an extensive exhibit of artifacts from the 1800s that tell of both the suffering through slavery and the courage of people such as Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass and those involved with the underground railroad. The collection, donated by the late historian Jerry Gore, was presented by curator Hardy Brown II, whose family has documented the history of this area for decades.

Students had the opportunity to hear from Brown as they checked out artifacts on tables placed around the gym with books, photos, other documents, and artifacts such as a whip and shackles used on slaves. Brown interacted with the students to help them understand more about the history of that time and the opportunity they have to shape their own values.

Brown’s message?

“We are more alike than different. And in 200 years, somebody’s going to be reading these kids’ artifacts. What do they want them to know?

"This is all so distant. It doesn’t make sense to [the students] because it’s so far away. I chose to focus on historical empathy so they can find that there really were good white people, good black people, good brown people, good men and women throughout history that took the risk of their lives to do what’s right.”