Seated: Michelle and Margaret Mullings
Hours of VHS 1980’s video interviews with Hudson African-American elders sat in a box in a basement at Columbia Opportunities. Through the dedication of Hudson residents Emily Chameides, Tiffany Garriga, and Quintin Cross, Columbia Opportunities, the organization largely responsible for this invaluable collection, saw that the library could be stewards of it and the box, along with invaluable research done by volunteers of this project, was donated to the library. These interviews are the anchors of the exhibit, A Dialogue Across Generations: Making Connections through the BLACC Collection, courtesy of a grant from Humanities New York with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The exhibit, curated by Tanya Jackson, will be viewable in the Hudson Area Library Community Room during open hours through June 2024.
The Hudson Area Library, with the support of an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant, has archived the collection, digitized and created a website for the Black Legacy Association of Columbia County oral histories, here: https://blacc.hudsonarealibrary.org Many of the images from the BLACC collection can be found on https://historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org
Watch the Video of the Opening Reception
As per their statement, “The exhibit is designed not only to inform but also to foster a sense of connection, empathy, and respect among residents and visitors. By providing points of reference, the exhibit aims to contribute to a more complex, collaborative, cohesive, and just community ethos. The hope is that this newfound awareness will influence how visitors interact with the collection and one
another, as well as shape expectations for local government, civic organizations, and business
leaders as they plan for the future of all county residents.”
There’s a house on State Street, number 433, that you may have passed many times over the years. It’s a simple, unassuming house with a front porch and white picket fence that blends in well with the rest of the neighborhood. For many years, black persons were not welcome in hotels in Hudson. Instead, they stayed at 433 State Street. The house was a safe refuge and community center. It offered a meal and a bed and a sense of home, and still stands today.
The current owner of 433 State Street, ninety-five year old Margaret Mullings was present at the opening reception and spoke about her life and stories of the City of Hudson from over fifty years ago. She spoke of picnics and outdoor gatherings with friends and neighbors, and sweet Columbia County corn, corn that you cannot find elsewhere. The opening reception ended with plates of homemade mac and cheese and fried chicken.
On Saturday, March 23rd, 11am-1pm, the Hudson Area Library will host a seminar for educators, and offer a syllabus to help incorporate this valuable history into our current teachings of local culture.
The exhibit, which took countless hours to research and prepare, will be in the Hudson Area Library Community Room through June. Please, take some time to check it out, and thank the individuals who took the care and effort into preserving our local past.
Very good article about my next door neighbor’s house & family.
This project was from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program which was part of Columbia Opportunities yes, but was the dream and vision of the director of RSVP Marcella Beigel. She also had it made into a curriculum as well. It was one of her many life achievements. After she passed the boxes were the property of COI and languished. I’m glad that this new project was undertaken, to show this important part of Columbia County history. She did not do this for the credit,
but to make sure there was a record, Marcella is proudly watching I’m sure.