Black History Month events recall contributions to Macon County's story

[Cuban_Liberal]

Black History Month events recall contributions to Macon County's story

By SHEILA SMITH - H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR - They are names and faces you wouldn't recognize but grace the pages of Decatur's history books.

Ben Berkshire, a former slave with a disfigured hand, came to Macon County in 1834 and was the first black resident of the county.

Hue Singleton, a bellhop and waiter, purchased a building on the northwest corner of Lincoln Square in 1884 and became the first black restaurant owner. He operated the restaurant for 37 years before selling it in 1921.

John Williamson hit the streets as the first black police officer with the Decatur Police Department from 1891 to 1905.

And Ellsworth Dansby of Decatur was the first black master sergeant with the Tuskeegee Airmen during World War II. He also served on the Decatur Board of Education before his death in 1989.

"In some small way, blacks have contributed to the growth and development of Decatur," said Jeanelle Norman, president of the Decatur branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

"We want to build an awareness of the positive things going on in the African-American communities," Norman said. "That is why it is important to have black history month that was developed by Carter G. Woodson, so people know about the achievements of African-Americans and how that purpose remains the same today."

Woodson earned a Ph.D. in history at Harvard University - the second African-American to earn a Harvard doctorate. He established Negro History Week during the second week of February in 1926. It became Black History Month in the 1960s.

For Black History Month, the Decatur Public Library decided to provide the public with more programs about African-American culture.

Events include a gospel celebration involving several churches that will take place at the library.

http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2005/02/05/news/local_news/1005672.txt

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