A Tribute to the Burtons, to Facebook Publicity, and to Our Membership in General

I don’t do Facebook. I kind of get it but I’m past it. But I keep encountering member Alyssa Burton at events. She’s at the Blacksmith Shop with children and she’s posting news about the cool forge and the guys hammering red-hot iron rods on anvils (hey:  every second Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. – stop by). And people are checking us out because of her posts. And she’s at our programs. Alyssa and Jason Burton and two small children have recently moved to Mt.

Vernon from Dallas; are renovating homes on English Street and have jumped into community life. She’s out at Dupree Park, walking our renovated trail. It is swell.  And she’s posting on Facebook (I understand this brings more visitors and we want visitors and we want to serve the public and we think the spirit of Mary Dupree Scovell is smiling down on the children walking in her park).

Without solicitation, Alyssa posted a major report on Black History Month in the Mt. Vernon Community and News Group. Here’s her report: February is Black History Month.  Mt. Vernon has an authentic Rosenwald School still standing; one of only 10% of the structures built still in existence.  Mt. Vernon’s was built in 1931 and was located at 407 E.

Grady Street. Julius Rosenwald, an executive with Sears Roebuck and Co. funded grants in small towns across the American South to advance education for African-American Children.  It is considered the most important initiative to advance black education in the early 20th century.

And then she added the link to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (she linked to a lengthy write up about the movement:  https://www.facebook.com/NMAAHC/ )

The past couple of months saw us replace the a/c unit in the upstairs of the Fire Station Museum; prepare a user-friendly searchable database for the archives held in our storage facility and for the Don Meredith archives; repaint the entire depot; maintain grounds; replace the welcome sign at Dupree Park; start yard maintenance/mowing; and had me attending funerals of two life members of our association – Bill McCorkle who brought us the bird collection; and Rena Asimakis who donated over 2 dozen costumes – full period dresses – for our organization and who never failed in her devotion to church and community; and I then realized we didn’t address Black History Month. Thank goodness for volunteers. Thank goodness especially this month for the interest of Alyssa Burton.