The Sherman Museum will present Dr. Njoki McElroy, whose book, 1012 Natchez: A Memoir of Grace, Hardship and Love depicts her life in Sherman beginning in the 1930’s, on Thursday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is invited.
She will talk about the importance of family and tell stories from her early life in Sherman and from additional experiences in New Orleans and Chicago in the Jim Crow era. Dr. McElroy graduated from Lincoln High School in South Dallas, was a professor at Northwestern University in Chicago for 33 years, and is now a professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “I feel it is very important for African Americans to retell their stories, particularly before the stories from those who are older are lost,” Dr. McElroy stated. Her grandparents, who lived at 1012 Natchez, and their neighbors often gathered to tell and retell stories, which instilled in McElroy both cultural and personal values, as well as an appreciation for history.
Dr. McElroy's presentation is in conjunction and in celebration of Black History Month. The annual meeting for museum members is scheduled for 5:30 pm on February 20, immediately preceding Dr. McElroy's talk. All members are encouraged to stay to hear Dr. McElroy speak.