The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library will host an exhibit of photographic prints taken by Levi J. Rowan, former president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University) from Jan. 30-Feb. 24. The exhibit is comprised of 10 black-and-white framed photographs, depicting individuals, families, groups, office scenes and special programs and events. Dating to the 1890s, they detail the stories of middle- and upper-class African Americans in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Levi J. Rowan was an 1893 Alcorn graduate and native of Rodney, Mississippi, and the first alumnus to serve as president of his alma mater in 1905. He went on to serve until 1911, but was then re-elected president in 1914, serving until his death in 1934.
Due to the systematic disfranchisement and establishment of segregation in the region during this period, the black elite comprised a small part of the population, making these pictures a rare find. Still, they indicate the persistence of African Americans despite the ravages of Jim Crow society in the South and show the long history of the black middle class in America, which did not simply appear out of thin air in the 1960s.
Instead, these individuals provided a power base that was essential to the success of the modern civil rights movement and to growing access for African Americans to the ranks of the middle class. The collection also tells the story of early professional photography — one of the few career paths that was open, even if on a limited basis, to blacks in the South at the turn of the 20th century.
Opening reception
There will be an opening reception at the library Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Robert Luckett, director of the Margaret Walker Center for the Study of the African American Experience, will present “The Rise of a Little Harlem in Mississippi: The Levi Rowan Photograph Collection.”
Luckett said, “The opportunity to speak about Levi Rowan and his remarkable legacy in Mississippi is special, and I appreciate the support for special programming such as this event, which serves an important function in the community.”
The exhibit is from the Margaret Walker Center for the Study of the African American Experience at Jackson State University. Its presentation is made possible by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
The opening reception and exhibit are free to the public. The library is located at 314 Seventh St. N.
For more information, contact Mona Vance-Ali, 662-329-5304.
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