The historically black St. Frederick Baptist Church in Marble Falls celebrated the last day of Black History Month by celebrating the ribbon-cutting grand opening of the African American History Museum next door to the church. Pastor George Perry and Deacon Bessie Jackson hosted the event.
Reputedly Bessie Jackson’s clone is her oldest daughter Beverly Adams from Dallas, who educated the audience about stories behind well-known African American spirituals. She explained that the well-known spiritual “Wade In The Water” harkens back to Harriet Tubman’s escapades leading enslaved people to wade in streams and rivers to avoid detection and capture. Adams shared that even to this day it is a mystery how Tubman found her way north.
A special feature of the day was guest speaker Okafor Ugochukwu, an employee of Baylor Scott & White Hospital for two years. He is originally from Nigeria in West Africa. His heavily accented English was clear to understand but his name is virtually unpronounceable. Thus, he shared his simple nickname, Ugo (pronounced Oo-Go). The manner of Ugo’s speech in short precise phrases, and the essence of what had to say, was memorable.
