“Interwoven Traditions: The Spiritual Journey from African to African-American” and “The Road to the Promised Land: Martin Luther King Jr. & the Civil Rights Movement”

Two new exhibits at The Heritage Society examine the African-American experience. The first is “Interwoven Traditions: The Spiritual Journey from African to African-American,” based on the archeological work of two University of Houston professors, Kenneth L. Brown and Carol McDavid. It examines how Africans incorporated the spiritual beliefs from their homeland into their life in the United States. Unable to openly practice their religions, the Africans found ingenious ways of keeping their traditions alive such as hiding African symbols on bricks they made, then building with the symbol side in so that it was unseen. They also made Catholic medallions, but instead of the usual Virgin Mary, these had pronounced African features.

The second exhibit is “The Road to the Promised Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement,” which includes photographs of historic sites such as the Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated 40 years ago, and of trailblazers like Rosa Parks and our very own Barbara Jordan. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. 1100 Bagby. For information, call 713-655-1912 or visit www.heritage-society.org. Free.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: June 10. Continues through Sept. 28, 2008