Professor Ann Schierhorn, Lecturer David LaBelle and Althemese Barnes received an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) in the 2014 Leadership in History Awards for their exhibit “They Led the Way."
The Leadership in History Awards recognizes “achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history,” according to the AASLH.
“They Led the Way” chronicles the stories of eight students who desegregated public schools in Tallahassee, Fla. in the 1960s.
The interactive exhibit features photography from LaBelle, director of JMC’s photojournalism program. Schierhorn and LaBelle collaborated with Althemese Barnes, director of John G. Riley Museum, who located several sources for the exhibit.
“They Led the Way” was the only Florida exhibit to win an award and the second award-winning exhibit for Kent State, alongside the May 4 Visitor Center exhibits.
“The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history,” according to the AASLH.
The association will present Schierhorn, LaBelle and Barnes with the award at a banquet during the 2014 AASLH Annual Meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday, September 19.
Photo: "Civil Rights Pioneers" 2013 by David LaBelle