I stopped by DeKalb History Center, located in the old DeKalb County courthouse on the square of Decatur to see the latest DHC exhibit, Lipstick & Fire. There were several other Saturday visitors and Decatur was hopping with big crowds for the annual Decatur book festival.
The exhibit included some general women’s history and the stories of local women who followed groundbreaking paths, setting up success stories for women in the future. This post will include a few highlights, because I recommend you visit the exhibit and spend time reading each story.
Here are a few of the subjects and women that are part of the Lipstick & Fire Exhibit, “a celebration of women-from DeKalb County and beyond.”.
Missouri Stokes and and Mrs. Alfred H. Colquitt of DeKalb County held leadership roles in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
Women served their country in many ways during WWII.
The Women’s Suffrage movement had its beginnings in 1848. The annual meeting of the group in Atlanta in 1895 did not permit Black women to participate.
Women filled many roles during World War II, including filling jobs after men went to war and joining the various service corps for women. Read about and see photos of Fletcher Pearson Crown, a resident of Decatur who held gardening classes and gave valuable assistance for people establishing victory gardens during WWII.
1965 was the year Black students from Bruce Street School in Lithonia first integrated Lithonia High School, eleven years after Brown v. Board of Education ruled segregation in schools unconstitutional. Read and see photos that tell the stories of two of those students, Olithia McGuire Reid and Teresa Kelly Shy.
Meet the first women to serve as DeKalb County Firefighters and women who sought after and won political positions in the county.
Liane Levetan was DeKalb County's first female commissioner. She was elected in 1974. She was elected CEO of the county in 1993.
The DeKalb History Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 am until 4 pm and Saturdays from 10 am until 2 pm. There are other exhibits available for viewing on the main floor of the courthouse, including the Methodist Children’s Home Exhibit. The museum exhibits are free to visit.