New library exhibit explores the history of Black literacy and education in Bulloch County

The Statesboro-Bulloch County Library opened a new exhibit in early June, titled “Freedom to Read,” located in the Genealogy and Local History Department, highlighting the history of Black literacy and education in the community during segregation.

Kaitlyn Capper serves as the Regional Genealogy and Local History Coordinator at Statesboro Regional Public Libraries. Her role is to manage the library archives, complete research requests for patrons, and help those in the community build their own family trees. Capper also works with library interns, teaching them how to organize archives and helping them learn more about their community’s history.

This particular idea started from a simple presentation that Capper was tasked with creating. When her director asked her to present something showcasing the history of the local library systems, she quickly discovered that there was so much history behind our libraries, dating back to the 1930s.

“Following that, I spent months diving into our history files, interviewing patrons and locals in the community, looking up things online, and piecing things together to get a complete story of the history of literacy and education in the Black community in Bulloch County,” she explained.

As Capper dove into the process of putting the exhibit together, she began pulling any documentation she could find, whether it be newspaper clippings, photos, poems, scrapbooks, or even Bulloch County Board minutes.

Finding a starting point, Capper traced the earliest records to William James. James founded the Statesboro Industrial School in 1905. The biggest accomplishment James worked toward was securing accreditation for the school from the State of Georgia.

“One of the things that he had to do was prove that his students had access to X number of books,” Capper said. “He personally housed a library in his own office and was the principal, cook, maintenance man, librarian; he was everything.”

Locals may recognize some notable names in the exhibit, including Principal William James and Luetta Moore. Adding to the history, Commissioner Anthony Simmons contributed to the exhibit due to the work of his mother, Mrs. Erselyn Simmons, as a librarian at the “Negro Branch” in the 50s and 60s.

Simmons worked closely with Capper, providing details and anecdotal evidence, helping Capper determine where to look to find archives from the time Mrs. Simmons spent as a librarian at what was previously known as Blitch Street Park.

The exhibit occupies three glass display cases and has some interactive bits scattered on the tables. The display shows stories of teachers, librarians and neighbors who worked to make sure Black residents had access to books and education during the segregation era. It also shows the history and how the schools have grown over the years.

To help guests learn more about the pieces not showcased, Capper created table centerpieces with more information. One of those centerpieces, titled “Keepers of Knowledge,” recognized the librarians who helped bring literacy to Black communities.

Another centerpiece, titled “Great Divides,” focuses on library segregation in cities like Albany and Savannah.

The library invites the community to look at local history and learn about those who helped shape literacy and education in Bulloch County. The free display will be available until the end of July and is open to patrons during regular library hours.

The Statesboro-Bulloch County Library is located at 124 S. Main St. in Statesboro and is open Monday-Thursday from 8am-7pm and Friday-Saturday from 9am-6pm.