JACKSON, Mich. — February marks the beginning of Black History Month. The City of Jackson is celebrating the month by educating people on important places by African Americans in Jackson that have made an impact.
Locations like the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and the original site of the Jackson Blazer newspaper will be recognized, the city said.
“We’re very excited to bring this important history to light. There is a wide variety of locations that will be honored from the 1800s up until today. It was encouraging to see such a big response from the community in 2019 and we hope to surpass that enthusiasm in 2020,” Public Information Officer Aaron Dimick said.
Recently, in 2019, the City of Jackson renamed an artistic alley after a woman who escaped slavery and settled down in the city.
The alley was formerly named Victory Lane, but after improvements the Jackson City Council renamed the alley to reflect the changes and spirit of the community.
The woman the alley is renamed in honor of reflects that spirit.
The downtown Jackson alley was renamed the Emma Nichols Garden, after a woman who came to Jackson on the Underground Railroad.
Emma Nichols was an African-American woman born a slave in Virginia in 1830.
People will be able to learn about more significant Black historical and important locations throughout the city on its website, cityofjackson.org, and on the City's social media.
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