African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County Black Tie Affair

Oct 15, 2017 at 08:53 pm by bryan


The African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County held their second annual black tie affair this past Saturday. According to Mary Watkins, President of the AAHSRC, the event is a celebration to honor the five pillars of our community who have contributed to the enrichment of life in Rutherford County.

As a society, the AAHSRC strives to discover, teach, and preserve the African American history and heritage. Their mission is to document, research, and teach the future generations so that we may keep the history alive and apply it to our futures. Watkins stated that there are many hidden figures in Rutherford County, and those accomplishments need to be celebrated and passed down.

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The evening's honorees include Dr. Gloria Bonner, Racquel Peebles, Leonora Washington, Ron Washington, and Pierre Lyons. These five Pillars go above and beyond for Rutherford County, and are recognized and celebrated for their public service in education, city affairs, and overall efforts in sharing the African American history with our community.

The celebration started with a welcome from the AAHSRC Vice President Edward Shannon Blackman. Following, Murfreesboro City Mayor, Shane McFarland, gave the greetings. He commented on the state of our city, and how the city honors our African American history. He ended his speech by giving Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo, the keynote speaker and founder of the Elders Program, a key to the city.

Nwankwo states that the future of the AAHSRC is extremely bright. They have many plans for the future and are proud of what they have already accomplished.

To listen to the interview with Mary Watkins about the society and the black tie affair click below.

Listen to a part of Shane McFarland's speech for more information about Rutherford County.

To hear Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo's thoughts on the society click below.

Dr. John Dandridge comments on the night's affair; click below.

Dr. George W. Smith and his vision below.

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