Brownsville museum preserves African American history
BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — The Dunbar Carver Museum in Brownsville preserves African American history through exhibits that showcase the heritage of four former African American schools in Haywood County.
“The Dunbar Carver Museum was put together by alumni of the African American school systems here in Haywood County,” said Alma Jean Carney, curator of the museum.
Known as Soul Town Tennessee, Brownsville offers visitors an opportunity to explore African American heritage in the community where these stories originated.
School history preserved
Dunbar Carver High School originally opened in 1922 as an African American school during the segregation period. The school closed in 1970 and reopened as a museum in 2007.
“After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, there was no school system for African Americans in Haywood County,” Carney said.
Prior to the school being built, African Americans taught their children in single room classrooms near church buildings. These were deemed as normal schools.
Distinguished alumni featured
The museum features exhibits that describe rural life, school history and distinguished alumni from the community.
“One of our students from 1945, the Reverend Clay Evans, we have two rooms of his artifacts,” Carney said.
Other notable alumni include Edith Mitchell Peterson, a brigadier general who served as president of the National Cancer Research Organization.
After 20 years, the Dunbar Carver Museum continues to educate visitors about Brownsville’s African American history.
The museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or by appointment. Click here to learn more.
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