Smithsonian exhibit on rural America comes to Lowndes Interpretive Center
The Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit called “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” is being presented at the Lowndes Interpretive Center.
The exhibit explores how rural American communities changed in the 20th century. Even today, the vast majority of the U.S. remains rural, with only 3.5% of the landmass considered urban, according to the National Park Service.
However, it says that since 1900, the percentage of Americans living in rural areas dropped from 60% to 17%.
The interactive exhibit looks at how rural Americans responded to this shift in society. It is designed for both children and adults.
The exhibit opened Saturday with a speech and ribbon cutting by Commissioner of Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate. Pate grew up working his family’s cattle and poultry farm in Lowndes County.
Scheduled programs throughout the month related to Lowndes County include:
November 4 –Â “Sew Their Names” Project
Quilters of Mount Willing will be creating quilt blocks that memorialize the names of enslaved people of Central Alabama. The activity also will include a video and a presentation by the project organizers, Reverend Dale Braxton, the Director of the LCCLC, and retired Judge Susan Russ Walker.
November 11 –Â Ed Bell and the Piedmont Blues
Dr. Alison Upshaw, Associate Professor of Voice at of Stillman College, explores the history of the Blues with a special interest in the Piedmont style played by Lowndes County native Ed Bell. Throughout the presentation, we’ll listen to some of Ed Bell’s discography and examine the characteristics of the Piedmont style as compared to the Delta style of Blues.
November 18 –Â Rural Health Fair
Rural Black Belt counties in Alabama continue to experience high rates of preventable health disparities. The scarcity of resources in rural communities is commonplace although, not exclusive to the Black Belt. Come to the Center to gather information that can increase your knowledge to have a healthier life.
November 29 –Â Fl*shing Injustice
The “Fl*shing Injustice” video will be shown with a discussion on the status of the project and water quality in Lowndes County. Organizations and agencies are utilizing historic state and federal infrastructure funding to implement real solutions on the ground, transforming communities through education and bringing justice to areas that have long been overlooked and underserved for these basic needs.
December 2 –Â Hopewell Church Restoration Project
In rural Lowndes County, Alabama, the small community of Mt. Willing is home to a rare treasure: an antebellum church building largely unchanged from when it was constructed in the early 1840s. Join Rev. Dale Braxton to learn about this church that was built by skilled enslaved carpenters.
December 9 –Â Lowndesboro School Project
Join Josephine Bolling McCall as she shares the history of this important educational landmark that was founded in 1868 by Dr. Mansfield Tyler. The aim is to utilize the school to acknowledge the efforts and achievements of Black people throughout the history of Lowndes County.
This Crossroads exhibit will be on display at the Lowndes Interpretive Center from Saturday, November 4-Saturday, December 9 – Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except for Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 23).
