Cultural Event: A Celebration of Storer College

Me in the Storer Ballroom right after the film showing.

For one of my cultural events for my Capstone, I went to the celebration of Storer College in the Storer Ballroom. Program Board director Rachael Meads presented the event, which was a dedication of both a place and a people.

At the celebration, attendees were treated to a wonderful documentary film about Storer College by Jefferson Co. native Midge Yost, who wrote, directed, and produced the film.

The celebration of Storer College was more than just a program, it was an inward look at the many milestones that American history went through. It gives meaning to the name "Storer" Ballroom and reminds us that America is a country of many diversities. At times these diversities and gems are lost to other parts of history, but the film inspires us to remember and explore the rich community right in our very own surrounding area.

Storer College, which I had not heard of ( or rather knew much about) before attending the celebration is truly an achievement for the African-American culture and heritage that is such an important part of our civil rights history. The college was one of the very first colleges to educate freed black slaves, and provided one of the first state systems for the higher learning of African-Americans.

The college, which opened in the fall of 1867, set up missionary schools to over 30,000 freed slaves in the Shennadoah Valley.  These school were designed to show recently freed slaves how to manage their freedom and become self-sufficient and successful. It was at Storer and college like Storer that proved that (contrary to the popular belief at the time) that freed slaves could learn and they could be educated. They were taught valuable skills and developed a passion for self-determination that helped them give themselves respect and a greater sense of humanity.

Before the college closed in 1955, Storer had become one of the most influential and respected institutions for African Americans in the US. Storer not only enriched the lives of its student with a strong community, but also was home to an intense, diverse, and ultimately very spiritual learning environment. Student were required to go to chapel almost every day, which sometimes include the occasional visit by important African-American leaders, including George Washington Carver.

In fact many say that Storer College was one of the birthplaces of the NAACP, when it met as the Niagra Movement, their first meeting together in the United States.

People as influential as Don Redman, who was the first African American attorney in WV was a Storer College alum. Redman went on to be the first elected president of Nigeria.

After the film, we were entreated to a interesting discussion and were fortunate to have an alumni from Storer College present. She was full of spunk and kept reciting how she had a wonderful time at Storer and how important the experience was to her life.

This event truly was inspirational, and it reminded me of how much cultural and history I had missed out on, Storer was truly a legacy to be celebrated!