New exhibit examines black history in Pittsburgh
John L. Ford grew up in Homewood during the 1960s and, as a young black man, he witnessed historical events that affected him directly.
There was the March on Washington in 1963, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and other moments.
“We came through very, very trying times,” Mr. Ford said.
He spoke Feb. 5 at the City-County Building in Downtown at the opening ceremony of a new exhibit called “Enslavement & Freedom: Early African-American Life in Pittsburgh.” The display, in honor of Black History Month, features artifacts from Africa and Pittsburgh, both pre- and post-slavery, including documentation from the first-ever black bank in Pittsburgh, authentic slave shackles and the city’s 1840 census.
Located in the lobby of the City-County Building, the exhibit will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until the end of February.
Mr. Ford recently retired as director of the Heinz History Center’s Education Division, and the artifacts come from his personal collection. He began collecting African and African-American artifacts as a teenager because he saw a need to preserve the history.
He spoke briefly about the history of slavery, including the European conquering of Africa and North and South America that led to the deaths of millions.
“I know this gets tough,” he said. “But we have to be tough in order to identify our history to the extent that we understand it, respect it, and then we can start getting along together.”
Thanking Mr. Ford for allowing the city to borrow some of his collection, Mayor Bill Peduto proclaimed Feb. 5, 2019, as John L. Ford Day in Pittsburgh.
“The city of Pittsburgh is honored to host a few of those artifacts from Mr. Ford’s remarkable collection here at the City-County Building in recognition of Black History Month,” the proclamation read in part.