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With four tables full of exhibits dealing with the legend of John Henry, John William "Bill" Dillon, president of John Henry Days since its beginning in 1996, described the various academic investigations into the legend during an African American Heritage Month convocation at the Greenbrier Valley Campus of New River Community and Technical College Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Dillon's emphasis was on projects such as the 1929 "John Henry: tracking down a Negro legend by Professor Guy B. Johnson of the University of North Carolina and the 1933 " John Henry, a folk study" by Professor Louis W. Chappell of the History department at West Virginia University.
The Talcott resident talked about the eye witnesses to John Henry and their decedents who have written and/or told what they have been told about the legend which was immortalize by the song written by Johnny Cash as well as six other songs about the legend.
During the convocation, Dillon played an audio tape from National Public Radio's documentary which has been played for the Black History Month programming.
Earlier this month, the GVCNRCTC hosted Ivan Lee, the executive director of the WV Human Rights Commission, in the first convocation of the spring semester.
Lee, a resident of Hurricane, talked about segregation and the experience of living during that time in American history. She told of her personal experience as a child of going with her mother to Huntington to participate in a sit in and about the discrimination she observed as a police officer and as chief of police for the city of Dunbar.
The African American Heritage Month programs are arranged by Wanda Johnson, a program coordinator for multicultural and student activities with the office of Student Services on the Greenbrier Valley Campus of New River Community and Technical College and, like most programs on the GVCNRCTC, are open to the public.
For information on programs offered, contact Johnson at her office on the first floor of Greenbrier Hall, the main office and classroom building, at 101 Church Street, Lewisburg, 24901, or telephone 304-647-6710.
February 16, 2005
Submitted by Mike Williams
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