CHARLOTTE, TN – Promise Land Heritage Association presents Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, a new traveling exhibition, on display 02-OCT-2026 through 02-NOV-2026. Created by the Tennessee State Museum in partnership with The John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library at Fisk University, the exhibition traces the history of education for Black Tennesseans from the Reconstruction period, through the development of the Rosenwald program, and into the present day.
“I’m particularly excited about this exhibit because it gives us an opportunity to showcase the history of the Dickson County Training School, which later became Hampton School. Hampton opened around 1922 and was the only Rosenwald School in Dickson County. Through this exhibit, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about Hampton’s important role in the education and history of African American students in Dickson County. At the Promise Land Historic Site, we will also provide additional information about Hampton and its connection to our community’s story,” said Serina Gilbert, PLHA Board Chair.
What are commonly referred to as Rosenwald Schools were the result of an initial partnership between Sears, Roebuck, and Co. president Julius Rosenwald, Tuskegee Institute president Booker T. Washington, and Black Communities throughout the South. Between 1912-1937, that partnership resulted in the construction of almost 5,000 schools for Black children across 15 southern states, including 354 in Tennessee. Rosenwald schools drove improvement in Black educational attainment and helped educate the generation who became leaders of the Civil Rights movement. The traveling exhibition on display at Promise Land’s St. John Cultural Arts Center consists of five two-sided panels and includes the engaging stories of alumni and community members from 16 different Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, including Dickson County’s Hampton School…