PRESS
RELEASE
RELEASE DATE:
April 5,
2010
Maywood
African American
Pioneers
Honored with
Photo Exhibit
Saturday
The Village of
Maywood Special
Events Commission,
in collaboration
with the West Town
Museum of Cultural
History, Proviso
East High School,
Donald Williams
State Farm Agency
and Donora Realty,
will honor Maywood
African American
pioneers in a
ceremony to be held
this Saturday, April
10 directly north of
village hall, 40
Madison Street in
Maywood. Program
will start at 10:30
a.m. with the
unveiling of the six
photographic
montages scheduled
for 11 a.m.
Honorees will
include the
following:
-
The Hurst
Family --
first African
Americans to
move into
Maywood(1887)
-
Dr. Andrew
Dobson —
First African
American dentist
in Maywood(1920)
-
George
Harrison —
First African
American elected
official to
Washington Park
District in
Maywood(1927)
-
Myrtle
Jefferson —
First African
American
newspaper in
Maywood “The
Echo”(1942)
Others honored are
Quinella Bernice
Hathaway, the second
African American
graduate from
Proviso East High
School in 1918; and
three prominent
African American
pioneers in real
estate—Naomi Carter,
Lynnasaks Wideman
Guise, and Ora D.
Williams-- who
became Maywood
realtors in the
early 1950’s.
Proviso East high
school students
Faustino Padilla and
Armando Delgado,
under the
supervision of art
teacher Emily Tonon,
developed the
creative digital
montages. Research
and historical
background
information was
provided by the West
Town Museum.
Sponsorship funds
for the display was
provided by Donald
Williams State Farm
Agency and Donora
Realty.
