the U . S ., complete with maps that show her journey to and from Africa .
The museum has created scavenger hunts and a variety of other activities that help students really investigate the pieces in fun and exciting ways . Last year , the Copeland Museum partnered with the City of Valdosta to highlight the inventions of Garrett Morgan , which included the first breathing device used by firefighters . City firefighters were generous enough to bring their truck and show students the modern equipment and talk about how their safety was only possible because of Garrett Morgan .
Speaking of the city , they have been especially supportive of the Copeland Museum according to Watson . A $ 15k grant from the city helped them expand the reach further educational programming for children in grades K-5 who visit the museum .
“ Last year , we partnered with Professor Evelyn Davis-Walker ’ s Graphic Design class and one of her teams created an amazing activity book that features the people represented in the museum . Thanks to that generous grant , every child who visits will be able to take one of those activity books home with them . We are thrilled that the people and contributions they learn about in the museum will be reinforced long after they leave through this book ,” she said .
“ People are always shocked by what is in the museum ’ s collection . They can ’ t believe we have things signed by Rosa Parks , Martin Luther King Jr ., Booker T . Washington , George Washington Carver , BB King . I could keep going , which is what I think impresses people the most . It ’ s not like the collection has one piece by a very influential person , it is filled with amazing things . Visitors mention all the time how awesome it is and can ’ t believe this is all right here in Valdosta . It ’ s hard to pick a most-popular item because it depends on the interests of the visitors . For people who are into sports , the Muhammad Ali signed gloves are probably the most popular . For people who love music , the BB King signed guitar is hard to beat . For those who are into politics , either the Malcolm X signed transcript or anything by Martin Luther King Jr are favorites .”
“ One thing we noticed is that people always wanted a place to take photos in the museum . The expansion has allowed us to create an amazing photo wall for both group pictures and selfies . It is in the process of being installed right now and I am so excited for guests to see it .”
Watson said her personal favorite section of the museum right now is in the new artifact room .
Copeland ’ s expansion comes with a children ’ s EmPOWERment Zone that will be used for field trips .
“ There are three pieces that tie together in very interesting and dramatic ways . The pieces are signed statements by Dr . Ralph Bunche , Malcolm X and Ossie Davis . You ’ ll get the full version if you schedule a visit , but the short version is that these men did not agree with each other about their approaches to the Civil Rights Movement and often made their criticisms of each other public . It has parallels to today and it is very informative and enlightening to have these conversations with guests . I highly recommend you come see them for yourself ,” she said .
She went on to say that it ’ s important for people to understand that history is being made every day , by everybody .
“ At the time the people showcased in the museum were making their contributions , they didn ’ t necessarily understand the full ramifications of what they were doing . They didn ’ t necessarily know they were going to end up on the wall in a museum as a significant and consequential artifact . We all have the potential to make that kind of positive impact on the lives of the people around us ,” she said .
“ Our motto at the museum is “ Excellence , Bravery , Resilience , Determination on Display .” You don ’ t have to be hanging on a museum wall to display those characteristics . We want people who visit to be inspired by the excellence , bravery , resilience , and determination they have seen on display at the museum and then go display the same things in their school , work , and social circles .”
February 2023 | Valdosta Scene 35