Learn about local Black history and more at this Lacey church’s museum on Saturday
A temporary museum highlighting Black history, accomplishments and the local community popped up at a Lacey church at the beginning of February. After gaining overwhelming support from the congregation at New Life Baptist Church, the Rev. David Reaves and Dr. Thelma Jackson have decided to open the museum to the public.
The church museum will be open 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, followed by a panel discussion featuring local activists including Jackson’s husband Nat, who helped organize for Martin Luther King Jr. in the South, and former state official Merritt Long, who wrote “My View From the Back of the Bus.”
Hosted by Reaves, the panel will speak about “The impact of Jim Crow Ideology on our Quest for Equity & Inclusion.”
Walking through the church, visitors will see dozens of bright-colored tapestries, some featuring people dancing and others filled with mosaics and villages. Thelma Jackson said they came from a congregation member who has collected them in her travels to Africa and other places around the world.
Around the corner is a mannequin wearing a plantation worker’s clothing and cotton, as well as books written about and by Black people. That all leads to the Fellowship Hall, where posters and newspaper clippings cover the walls. The entire room will be filled with artifacts and stations where people of all ages can learn about Black history and the accomplishments of local community members.
Reaves said there aren’t many large-scale efforts happening in Thurston County for Black History Month, and his congregation has pushed for the church’s museum to be the main attraction.
He said there’s a sense of pride coming from people who visit the museum since it highlights a lot of Thurston County history. He mentioned the work the Jacksons have done since they moved to Lacey in the 1970s. Deacon John Grace, who passed away recently, was the founder of the church and a prominent community figure.
“This is a coming out of sorts for New Life,” he said. “It’s a reintroduction and a rebranding effort to really offer the best of who we’ve been for years, but perhaps maybe not shed light on.”
Reaves said since the killing of George Floyd and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more vocal and openly excited about celebrating Black history as American history. He attributes it to the way it’s being presented to the public these days, with video footage and other forms of media.
Jackson agreed with Reaves’ sentiment and wonders if people had more time to read and pay attention to social issues during isolation. Whatever the answer is, she said it’s time to figure out as a community how to capitalize on that thirst for more knowledge.
Reintroducing history
Jackson said the group who put the museum together is not trying to rewrite history, but to tell it from the right perspective. She said Reaves just began his ministry at New Life in October, but his drive and enthusiasm for this work came at just the right time for this sort of project.
“There’s another side to the history of Black people in America than the history we’ve all been led to believe the way it is,” she said.
Jackson, who has written a book highlighting Black people in the county from 1950 to 1975, has seen a lot change in the 50 years she’s lived in Lacey. She said Lacey and northeast Thurston County have always been a hub for Black people due to a history of redlining and discriminatory real estate practices. She said growing up, Lacey was the only area Black families were shown when they were looking to rent or buy a home, not Olympia or Tumwater.
She said this country wouldn’t be what it is now without Black folk, and even the church itself played a significant role in history and civil rights movements throughout time. She said many other civil rights movements have ridden on the coattails of the work done by Black people, and there exists the responsibility to teach this information.
“It’s a much bigger, challenging task than just rolling out some posters and things during the month of February,” she said. “It needs to be an ongoing, year-round kind of thing.”
She said there are many things about the Black community that people in Thurston County probably don’t know, like how the church has been celebrating Juneteenth for decades. And how the county declared racism a crisis and public health emergency in 2021 that still stands.
Reaves said the museum presents information in an inclusive fashion. He said they’ve seen a significant rise in people from outside their congregation reaching out or wanting to join for weekly service.
“They’re learning in a way that isn’t abrasive and offensive,” he said. “I think the way we’re representing this and sharing it with the community, everyone of the likes are coming to this community and saying to themselves, “Wow, there’s a place where I can learn something that I can appreciate about people, specifically Black people, in the way of history.’”
Teaching younger generations
Jackson said she worries about how this information is being disseminated to younger generations, or if it’s being taught at all. North Thurston schools have the largest population of Black students, she said, and what their curricula include is up for debate. Still, she has had several teachers reach out to her asking if they can bring their classes on a field trip to the church museum.
“There’s a great need for this information, it isn’t just local folks or young folks,” she said. “Other generations are learning, re-learning and remembering.”
At the same time, there have been teacher and parent groups speaking up against the formation of school mentor groups for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. And school boards continue to hear from parents concerned about putting a focus on diversity and equity or the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the classroom.
Jackson said she believes the fear and discontent about these issues stems from a place of ignorance. That’s where the museum comes in; much of it was curated by Black people who have lived experience or have family with experience. They’re true stories people can learn from, including stories of her own, facing racism as a child trying to go to school.
“I think people tend to do better once they know better,” Reaves said. “Some of this hatred is just a matter of raw ignorance that has not been enlightened or educated. We share these narratives and true stories, as these people offer their life narratives, and you can’t help but accept it to be true.”
Other Black History Month events this weekend
- Olympia kicks off Black History Month events: All are invited to join the Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture, in partnership with the City of Olympia and Olympia School District, for a three-day event series exploring and celebrating Black history. From 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, Dr. Sylviane A. Diouf, historian on African Diaspora and Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University and Lloyd International Honors College, will discuss the Maroon Peoples of the Southern United States. Registration is required through the City of Olympia’s calendar.
- Black History Month Keynote at the Washington Center: Dr. Joy DeGruy, researcher, educator and author of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome,” will present an in-person keynote and symposium on “Steps to Healing and Mental Wellness Within the Black Community” from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, in the Black Box Theater at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. This is a free event and all are welcome, but space is limited, so registration is required by Feb. 15 or until all spaces are filled.
- A Community Celebration of Black History Month: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, you can join a free, community celebration with presenters, music and food at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NE.
This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 1:20 PM.
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