Jackson and Ella Sharp Museum partnering for Black History Month

JACKSON, Mich. (WILX) - The City of Jackson and the Ella Sharp Museum are partnering up to tell the stories of the city’s African American community.

Throughout the month of February, the city will be sharing black history artifacts and displays from the museum on their social media pages. Artifacts range from an 1893 African American City Directory to a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest sign.

“The Ella Sharp Museum is a wonderful resource for all things Jackson history,” John Willis, Chief Equity Officer for the City of Jackson said. “As the City begins multiple racial equity efforts, it’s important that we’re mindful of Jackson’s Black History and what it can teach us.”

Jackson is entering its third year of celebrating Black History Month via social media. Each post will have photos of the artifacts and an explanation of the magnitude of the item.

In 2019, the city shared stories of local African Americans who have impacted both the community and the nation.

Last year, city staff highlighted important places that impacted the lives of Jackson’s African American community.

“We hope you find them inspiring and that they paint a richer picture of Jackson’s diversity,” Diane Gutenkauf, Executive Director of the Ella Sharp Museum, said. “We are actively working to expand our collections and want to tell more stories by and about people of color. We would love to hear your story and add it to our collection.”

You can see the full collection of posts on the city’s website.