Paint Branch Elementary Celebrates Black History Month with a Mini-Museum

A mini museum greeted students in the library of Paint Branch Elementary School on Friday.  Betty Lattimore took a day from her regular duties to act as historian for the groups of students coming to see her collection of dolls, paintings and historical artifacts all tied to the centuries of African-American History.

“I asked the principal if I could bring in some of my things because I’m a collector and I’m also a historian -- that’s what my undergrad degree is in,” Lattimore said.  “Some of these things I’ve had over 40 years, and some I just bought recently, but I wanted to share them with the school.”

Lattimore’s collection was displayed on tables and chairs around the library, a path of hand-drawn footprints leading the way. Each footprint had a written small historical moment, ranging from Africans’ arrival in Jamestown in 1619 to the presidency of Barack Obama.  Her 20-minute tours began in Africa with the kidnapping of people for slavery and moved through the stories of the descendants of those first African-Americans.

Students heard stories and saw images of faces they recognized. One presentation was interrupted with cries of “Look, it’s MJ!” and “Whoa! Ali!” But Lattimore also made sure to clarify and share lesser-known parts of African American history.

She said there’s a lot of untold history in her collection. She tries to present it in a way that won’t upset or anger people because much of the history is tragic, such as “Rosewood, where the people were burned and murdered, and that kind of stuff,” she explained. “My goal is to make people aware of what happened, but not make them angry about what happened, and make them want to keep changing for the better.”

It’s the first time that Paint Branch has had a Black History Month museum, but Lattimore felt right at home, given her history of researching, collecting and sharing, and may bring her collection back next year.

If she creates the museum again, she’d make it earlier in the month and in a place where she could spread out. “I would probably bring back most of the same things, and probably a few others,” Lattimore said.  “I just like sharing it with other people and all the cultures. We just have to learn more about each other.”

Set-up took hours and she dedicated a school day to showing her collection. She was on her feet all day but said it was worth it.

“I would like for them to get more knowledge so they can get more pride,” Lattimore said.  “I think if they understood their roots and the sacrifices that people made just for them to even get to a school like this, that hopefully that will make a positive impact.”

She added, “I want them to know that … everything is possible.”