Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center will host the final Conversations with Storytellers event of the season at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.
This event is particularly special because it highlights the voices of elders in the Pigeon Community, the people who have made it what it is today.
The final event will feature storytellers from “Lift Every Voice” — collected oral histories and interviews from the two historic Pigeon Community churches — Mount Olive Baptist Church and Jones Temple AME Zion Church. The discussions were videotaped and featured members of Waynesville and Canton.
PCMDC has also participated in videotaped Historical Society discussions. The oral history part of this project began in 2014. From a list of the Black families in the county, the project involves interviewing the oldest members. Community partners helping to preserve these materials are the Haywood County Library and Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. Haywood is one of four counties in the western part of the state in which similar projects are underway to bring to public view the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans in our society.
Lin Forney came up with this idea as a tribute to the ongoing “Lift Every Voice!” oral history project that has been the backbone of community programs at PCMDC for several years now. Associate Director Tausha Forney will interview some of the community members at this event and discover some of the history that makes the Pigeon Community so special.
Tickets are $10 for community members, $7 for seniors 65+, and $5 for students. Children 12 and under may attend free of charge. Tickets may be purchased in advance at .zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/92f97f35-fb70-47a4-9099-a00dba4bdf08 or at the door of each performance. Reduced price $50/$40/$30 series passes are also available. Refreshments will be available for purchase.