New Black history exhibit opens in Grady Co.

CAIRO, Ga. (WALB) - A new exhibit that honors Black history is now open in Grady County’s History Museum.

The creator says she wants everyone in the county to get involved.

“It’s going to take the whole tribe now to get the information out. We have to remember our history, or it’ll die,” La’Faye Copeland said.

Copeland has been working for three years to get the new exhibit open. Now, it is ready for people to see. She says this project is years in the making.

The exhibit is not 100% complete yet. Still, she says it’s open to the public and shows off the rich Black history in Grady County.

Copeland says Grady County’s Black history goes farther than just Jackie Robinson. Jackie had a brother too. Mack Robinson was also born in Cairo and won silver in the 1936 Olympics in the 200 meters.

The most recent “first” official is current Mayor Booker Gainor who was elected in 2017.

“It’s all happened over the past five years. I’ve worked hard to get it all together. All there was before this was newspaper clippings,” Copeland said.

Copeland said people in Grady County would be surprised about what history lies there. She wants kids to idolize the heroes of Grady County along with well-known figures like Rosa Parks.

Don Nickerson is the director of the museum. He says tourism will increase because of the exhibit tremendously.

“Yes. We’ve had people come from different states. We had a man from Idaho asking how he could contribute,” Nickerson said.

Copeland says she’s still looking for any artifacts from people in the county. Right now, most of the museum is just stuff she’s kept over the years.

If you would like to share something or just reach out to the museum, call (229) 377-5142.

Copyright 2023 WALB. All rights reserved.