Our Roots, Your Roots

20 Years Preserving History and Culture

(1994-2014)

When I visited Louisiana in 1991, I saw picturesque scenes of vast sugarcane fields, majestic oaks, dilapidated slave cabins, shotgun houses, small and large churches, cemeteries and monolithic plantation homes, all woven into the colorful fabric of this historic landscape. People of many ethnic backgrounds, enslaved and free, contributed to this beautiful tapestry. But the voices of the Africans and African Americans were simply not there. Our goal is to give them a voice. We find a new narrative in every exhibit that gives a voice to the people in these communities. We look forward to sharing our findings with you through the new Digital Outreach program. QR codes are used for the first time in two new exhibitions. Here is your introduction to The Lemannville School: A Collection of Rare Photographs and Artifacts and Physician, Planter, & Philanthropist: Dr. John H. Lowery.

Yours truly,

Kathe Hambrick-Jackson

Founder & Executive Director

Clean Teeth

ca.1949

Photograph

2014.001.010

Communities Along the River Road: Lemannville, Louisiana

Lemannville, Louisiana sits on the boundary of St. James and Ascension parishes. The community of Lemannville was founded on the site of the Pedescleaux Plantation.

Jacob Lemann purchased the Pedescleaux Plantation in 1871 and community of Lemannville was named for him.

Listen to an interview with Charles Pedescleaux. Pedescleaux is a resident of Lemannville, Louisiana. The video was produced by Casablanca Productions at the River Road African American Museum

Some of Lemannville's notable residents include: Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson, Former NFL Football Player Jarvis Green, NFL Football Howard Green, and legendary blues musician Cornelius "Lonesome Sundown" Green

The Lemannville School: A Collection of Rare Photographs & Artifacts

Lemannville School Front View

Photograph

2014.001.003

The Lemannville School: A Collection of Rare Photographs and Artifacts features over 140+ artifacts documenting the Lemannville School. Kathe Hambrick Jackson avows, "There is something magical about these photographs and artifacts when they are seen for the first time. It's amazing that the Lemannville School Collection has survived over 60 years in an old shed. The collection was turned over to the River Road African American Museum by Willie and Darlene Lamendola in the summer of 2013. Life at the Lemannville School is being resurrected with the exhibition of each item featured in this exhibit."

The museum is currently conducting research to identify the students and teachers in each of the photographs. If you can identify anyone in the pictures or if you would like to be interviewed an email to education@aamuseum.org.

To view The Lemannville School: A Collection of Rare Photographs and Artifacts exhibit, click here

Taking The Collection to the People

Did you know that many museums display approximately 25% of their entire collection? The RRAAM is not an exception to this statistic.

The museum staff and board members have worked diligently to increase accessibility to the RRAAM's collection. On October 1, 2014, the RRAAM Digital Outreach Program rolled out with the goal of taking the collection to the people. The RRAAM Digital Outreach program, powered by blogger, allows visitors to become actively engaged. Visitors can listen to oral histories, view documents and photographs and leave comments.

There are currently two exhibits available to the public through Digital Outreach Program. Click on an image below to enter the RRAAM portal.

Lemannville: A Collection of Rare Photographs & Artifacts

Physician, Planter & Philanthropist: Dr. John Lowery

Ambassadors Needed at the RRAAM

Volunteer now by becoming an ambassador at the River Road African American Museum. We are looking for volunteers to assist with tours, special events and educational programs. All ambassadors receive free admission to all museum events, professional development seminars, and an opportunity to meet people from around the world on a daily basis. We are looking for mature adults with a friendly personality, good verbal and written communication skills, and a love of local history. Students looking for community service hours are welcome to apply. If you have five to ten hours a week that is available to join our team on this rewarding adventure, please give us a call at 225-474-5553 or email at kathe@aamuseum.org.

November 2014, Vol: 1