Executive Director of the DeKalb History Center, Melissa Forgey, sends along this announcement…

The DeKalb History Center will host a new Temporary Exhibit on the historic Mt. Zion Community. This project has been a focus for students from the Arbor Montessori School for several years and builds on their work and oral interviews of residents from this community. The DeKalb History Center also received assistance from Commissioner Jeff Rader to conduct research in the community.

The Mt. Zion community is a small African-American enclave located on the northeast side of LaVista Road, and was settled in the 1800s. During the 20th century, the community changed from family farms to a suburban landscape which caused a large portion of the community’s African-American population to move away in the 1940s and 50s and then again in the 1980s and 90s. The community remained close-knit during these times of change and retains its cultural heritage today.

Read the rest of this entry »