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Special to the Signal

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail invites the public to the National Park Service Centennial and Lowndes Interpretive Center Anniversary in White Hall celebrating three Lowndes County African Americans on Saturday, Aug. 20th.

The event which will begin at 12 noon will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Lowndes Interpretive Center in White Hall and the 100-year birthday of the National Park Service.
According to Park Ranger Anthony Bates of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in White Hall, “This day will also be used to celebrate the contributions of three individuals of the Lowndes County communities.” He said they include John Hulett, Willie Vaughner and Matthew Jackson.
Hulett was the first elected African American Sheriff of Lowndes County who later served as probate judge for 22 years.
Vaughner served 13 years as the second African American Sheriff in Lowndes County and in 2004 was elected to serve as president of the Alabama’s Sheriff’s Association by his colleagues.
Jackson, who was an African American who sold his land to be used as temporary housing for evicted sharecropper and tenant farmer families in Lowndes County. He also loaned his family home to SNCC in the 1960’s to be used as a Freedom
House.
Bates said, “Visitors who participated or were affected by the Voting Rights Movement or The Modern Civil Rights Movement are encouraged to share their stories via oral history interviews at the programs conclusion.”
The event will be held at the Lowndes Interpretive Center in White Hall. There will be refreshments provided to celebrate the event, 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. inside the center.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (334) 877-1983 or visit www.nps.gov/semo.