Rockland Bicentennial to Host First Ever Smithsonian Exhibition in County. "Climbing Jacob's Ladder" to Open Feb. 22, During Black History Month
Bicentennial '98 in conjunction with the Historical Society of Rockland County, will usher in its year long celebration with the opening of "Climbing Jacob's Ladder", a Smithsonian exhibit which chronicles the rise of Black Churches in Eastern American cities from 1740-1877.
Generously financed by the Smithsonian Institution Special Exhibition Fund and researched and developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES), this presentation examines the path taken by African slaves who, while fighting laws and society, created churches which became the spiritual and familial centers of their communities. It illustrates how the early churches, which combined African traditions with the tenants of European Christianity, fed not only a spiritual hunger but also a yearning for education and freedom with the formation of primary schools, colleges and an abolitionist platform.
"Climbing Jacob's Ladder" takes this sadly neglected aspect of American history and makes the faces, words and spiritual music of these steadfast people come to life through the use of magnificent archival photographs, stirring biographies and moving, graphic presentations.
The public is invited to a reception, which will open to the sounds of live Gospel music, 4PM, February 22, 1998 following the Opening Day Pageant at the Lafayette Theater in Suffern. The exhibit will be on display until April 5, at the Historical Society of Rockland County, 20 Zukor Road, New City, NY 10956