Local man creates Black history exhibit

Robby Nelms
Updated ·2 min read
Mike Garner talks to Shanna Summers, the principal at Greater Vision Academy, about some of the items in the exhibit.
Mike Garner talks to Shanna Summers, the principal at Greater Vision Academy, about some of the items in the exhibit.
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WHITSETT — A group of students got a little music with their history lesson one day last week.

Students from the Greater Vision Academy in Gibsonville came to the Whitsett Town Hall to see a Black History Month exhibit created by Mike Garner, the husband of Town Administrator Elaine Garner.

Most of the students really seemed to enjoy a display containing records by James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and more. Garner delighted in stumping the students, playing a record and asking if anyone knew who was singing. Everyone thought that it was Elvis, but it was Otis Blackwell, who wrote a number of songs that Elvis recorded.

Garner beamed with pride while showing the students the exhibit, which runs the gamut, from music and sports to science and culture.

“I just love collecting and sharing this history with others,” he said. “I don’t think there should be a Black History Month. Black history is American history and should be celebrated and taught year-round.”

Mike Garner collected the items that are in the exhibit, which is the product of his research.
Mike Garner collected the items that are in the exhibit, which is the product of his research.

Sophia Wheeler, a 10th-grader at Greater Vision Academy, said she learned from the exhibit herself.

“There are a lot of cultural references here that I just didn’t know. I think this is better than a museum,” she said.

Elaine Garner’s father, Willie Leon Byrd Jr., was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of primarily Black pilots who fought in World War II.

“I knew that my father was a Tuskegee Airmen, but have learned so much from my husband’s research,” she said.

Mike Garner’s great uncle was a Buffalo Soldier, what Native Americans in the 19th century West called Black soldiers. His great uncle’s patch and membership identification are part of the display.

The exhibit will be on display at the Whitsett Town Hall for the month of February. Town Hall is open 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Mike Garner collected the pieces on display and is willing to talk with any group interested in learning more about Black history. He can be reached by email at mgvinyl14533@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Times-News: Alamance County man creates Black history exhibit