JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Various banners have been raised to honor residents of South Pittsburg and their contributions to the community for Black History Month.
Since last February, the city puts up banners across the historic downtown on Cedar Avenue to commemorate black residents who left a major and positive impact within the local community. Kellye Hogan, Chairman of the South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society (SPHPS), shared how last year, 14 banners were raised across downtown South Pittsburg. This year, 24 banners are now on display, featuring new figures whose services and contributions left marks of their own within the town.
“Every one of these people that we are honoring for Black History Month have made a positive impact on the citizens of South Pittsburg,” stated Hogan. “They were educators, they were community leaders, and they were people that everyone looked up to. And it wasn’t just the black community that looked up to these people. It was everyone.”
New to the growing collection of honorees include John Walter Morris, Charles L. Cook, Peggy Joyce Garth, Samuel Cornelia Mitchell, Thomas Montgomery Murphy Jr., Hattie Hyatt Slaughter, Leonard E. Wellington, and Julia Christine Fultz White. Alongside them are other figures previously honored during Black History Month last year, such as well renowned physician Hiram Beene Moore and funeral director Charles A. Wilkerson.
The SPHPS looks to expand the list of banners and honorees next year. Sarah Gaines, Chairman of the Black History Month Committee in South Pittsburg, already has eight new names listed and ready to be displayed for Black History Month in 2027, adding to the community’s dedication in recognizing local figures for the annual celebration.