LYNN — The Lynn Museum & Historical Society will debut an exhibition entitled “Untold Stories: A History of Black People in Lynn” on Saturday after about four years in the making.
The exhibition consists of photos, documents, records, stories and artifacts from Black community members dating back to slaveholding times in the 1600s.
The history in this showing continues through the 19th and 20th centuries and touches upon free Black people who lived or spent time in Lynn.
There is a photo wall which features more than a dozen photos of Black individuals and families from Lynn from the past and present, accompanied by a guide depicting the stories behind each face portrayed on the wall.
The opening of this exhibition on May 8 falls under the museum’s “Second Saturday” program where the event is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Former Lynn Historical Society member Tom Dalton — who wrote “Frederick Douglass: The Lynn Years” — will speak at this event from 1 to 2 p.m.
Dalton will discuss the recent discovery of a copy of a recorded deed of Frederick Douglass’ purchase of a house in Lynn, which Dalton said is believed to be the first property owned by the most prominent African American of the 19th century.
Dalton will also discuss the story behind the monument-to-be in Frederick Douglass Park, which will mark the site in Central Square where Douglass was forced off a train for refusing to sit in a segregated car.
Douglass’ story will be included in the exhibition, located on the second floor of the museum.
This exhibition ties into a recently-released virtual piece on prominent Black historical figures of Lynn, shown in February. It included a special collection of artifacts, documents and family ephemera from people including Lewis Latimer, inventor of the carbon-filament light bulb, and Jan Ernst Matzeliger, inventor of a shoe-lasting machine still used today.
A wall in the exhibition reads “Black stories are not to be seen as separate. They are an important part of the legacy of American life.”
This project has been in the works since 2017, and museum director Doneeca Thurston said it feels amazing to complete this project, which she is excited for people to see.
Thurston said she has received donations from people in the community, including a Lynn Classical letterman jacket from Stu Primus, who was on the 1980 Classical basketball team, which won the state championship.
Thurston said they are always looking for donations and stories from the community to add into the exhibit.
Saturday’s event will be on a first-come, first-served basis due to the COVID-19 capacity limit, but Thurston said the courtyard outside can be used as well.
Now that the museum is open to the public again, Thurston said they have a variety of in-person events coming up.
The museum is partnering with Soul City Yoga — located in the Lydia Pinkham Building — to host an outdoor yoga series on the second and fourth Wednesdays of May and June.
At the end of May, the museum will begin to host its African Dance Workshop in-person outside the museum, after taking place virtually for the past few months.
The M.E.S.A. (Museum Enrichment Series for All) lecture series, in partnership with Lynn Main Streets, will remain virtual on the second Wednesday of the month. Thurston said the virtual lectures have allowed the hosts to interact with more people, so they plan to continue hosting them online.
The topic of next week’s M.E.S.A event will feature Ann M. Brum — the founder and CEO of Joint Venture & Co. — discussing cannabis, as Lynn is opening its third dispensary this month. Brum works in brand development and communication management building cannabis and wellness organizations in New England, and she will discuss the plant and its benefits..
“The goal of this is to try to demystify the conversation around cannabis and what the difference between THC and CBD (is),” Thurston said.
In June, the museum will host a pride-themed event focusing on the state’s first LGBTQ bar, Fran’s Place, which was located on Washington Street in Lynn prior to its closing in 2016.
Thurston said, with more people getting vaccinated and some restrictions being lifted, she is excited to bring back some in-person events.
“I’m very thankful to have our outdoor space too, because it allows us to offer events in a safer way,” Thurston said.
The Lynn Museum website has a calendar with events listed and actively posts updates and reminders on its Facebook page.
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected].