Children honor historical African Americans in ‘living’ museum

JACKSON, Tenn. — Local children pay tribute Friday to historical African Americans for the community.

“It’s like you’re in a real museum,” said Carson Hamm , a second grade student at Lincoln Elementary.

As part of Black History Month, the gym at the elementary school is transformed into a self-guided exhibit.

“It’s voluntary. They all wanted to participate and did an awesome job,” school counselor Annie Atkins said.

The program included 39 students in first through fifth grades dressed up in costumes to portray historical black men and women.

From Harriet Tubman to Michael Jackson, students represented hundreds of years of history.

“They took our world and changed it,” Hamm said.

Students practiced speeches for two weeks, but some said they still felt nervous during the performance. “Whenever people come,” third grader Centana Thaxton said.

Thaxton said he didn’t know who Jackie Robinson was before he was cast to play the baseball great.

The two of them have something in common. “When I get out of school, I’ll play baseball or basketball,” Thaxton said.

Hamm said he learned a life lesson while participating. “It taught me a little bit about fairness in the world.”

“We need to know each and every individual that has made America great,” Atkins said.

This is the first time the school has hosted the special museum, and they say they plan to revitalize the program next year.