Mary Allen Museum Founders Day This Saturday
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – The Mary Allen Museum will celebrate it’s fifth annual founder’s day celebration Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. at Lifepointe Church in Crockett. The museum invites the public to attend this celebration with local speakers and a banquet meal provided by Chuck Wagon restaurant and the church.
The theme for the 2023 Founder’s Day is Sharing the Past and Shaping Future Generations. The college, established in 1886 is memorialized in the Mary Allen Museum which is also a museum of African American art and history.
One of the speakers will be Alexandria Hubbard, the artist in residence and who organizes many of the events at the museum. Hubbard is currently studying at Texas A&M Prairie View to get her master’s degree to be a licensed therapist.
She will be speaking as one of the descendants of students of Mary Allen College. Her great-great grandparents Espinola and Genoa Hubbard were students at the college in the 1920’s.
“Their legacy is something beautiful I want to keep alive. From my great-great grandparents and pretty much my whole family are very educated,” Hubbard said. “They’ve worked hard and it hasn’t always been that easy for people of color to succeed in life. So I tried to push myself to be someone and be able to help other people with my education background and just by being a good person. I think it’s important to remember where my family has come from and where we’re going.”
Crockett Indepdendent School District Assistant Superintendent Brian Aiken will present the Mary Allen College descendants including Dr. April Lovelady.
Houston County Attorney Daphne Sessions will serve as mistress of ceremonies as the museum welcomes special guests Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher, Rev. Jim Tom Ainsworth and the Crockett High School history class.
The public can look forward to good food, presentations, music and are asked to wear fancy attire to the annual celebration.
Musicians Sherica Cooks Willis and Danny Horton will be on hand along with event chair Hilliard McKnight and Mary Allen Museum President Dr. Thelma J. Douglass.
It is interesting to think that 100 years ago, Hubbard’s ancestors were able to attend Mary Allen and pass that legacy on to their descendants while today there is no university in Houston County that serves such a role. Asked if she thought that might change someday, Hubbard was hopeful.
“I hope so. As long as Crockett continues to grow and is open to growth, I think anything is possible,” Hubbard said. “We all just have to be open minded and accepting of change. “
Lifepointe Church is located at 1417 East Loop 304 in Crockett. For more information, contact the museum at 936-544-3255 or by email [email protected].
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
