History
isn’t a mystery at Fairfield Community High School.
That’s
because 13 students are enrolled in…and are learning Wayne County history in a
class taught by Collin McDuffee. I can’t tell you how interesting this class is
to me.
We have been
so fortunate to have our history extensively researched by people like Judith
Puckett and members of the Wayne County Historical Society. The wealth of
knowledge about the generations who have gone before us is staggering and
accessible for a young and enthusiastic teacher like McDuffee.
He says the
class has spent considerable time dealing with the Shelton gang and “sun down
towns.” It allows for the discussion of prohibition and societal norms at the
beginning of the 20th century. If you were not aware, there was a
rule here that African Americans were not allowed on the streets in most Wayne
County towns after dark. What a perfect discussion vehicle to deal with what
has become a national discussion about race.
And the
class does one other thing…..it spawns the next generation of citizens who want
to hold onto the stories of this region’s past and maybe spawn a new generation
of researchers looking into—for instance---Abe Lincoln’s visits to this region
while he was a country lawyer and not the president who saved the union.
Dr. Martin
Luther King said it best.
“We are not
makers of history. We are made by history.“
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