“The important thing about history is that you have to learn from it,” said Deborah Price, executive director of the Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County. The organization will honor local and iconic African American leaders on Friday.
The Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County will present a program called A Celebration of Local Iconic Heroes/Sheroes at Rowan College at Burlington County’s Votta Hall Auditorium in Mount Laurel on Friday.
“The important thing about history is that you have to learn from it,” notes Deborah Price, executive director of the museum. “In order to go forward successfully, you have to understand the foundation from which you come from.
“That’s the importance of history.”
The museum has selected six inductees for its 2025 wall of honor, to celebrate not only those chosen but also their families. Inductees are cited for their service, sacrifices, accomplishments and phenomenal feats, while families are honored for their ceaseless support, spirit, backing and presence.
The wall of honor emphasizes the contributions and feats of those who have had an impact not only on the county, but the state and – in some cases – the nation.
This year’s inductees are retired Superior Court Judge Marie White Bell; the late Chief Master Sgt. and Tuskegee Airman James A. Cotten; Dr. Clarence B. Jones, former attorney for Martin Luther King Jr. and a key figure in the civil rights movement; the late Rev. Walter A. Rice, founder of the Manuel Training and Industrial School for Colored Youth; David Robinson, NFL Hall of Famer and Moorestown High School graduate; and state Sen. Troy Singleton.
This year’s program also introduces a new category, the 2025 Louise M. Calloway Inspirational Award, named for the museum’s founder.
“There’s going to be dialogue, there’s going to be messages, there’s going to be stories …” Price explained. “There’s something that somebody’s going to say that’s going to plant in someone’s spirit and will make a difference in their life, because it was at that time that they were meant to hear that story.
“ … I never knew that I would be in a position where I would be talking about so many people on the wall, and they planted seeds in my spirit,” she added. “I never knew that I’d be talking about them.”
The free program starts at 6 p.m.; doors open at 5.
The Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County is located on the grounds of Historic Smithville Park. It offers a visual presentation of the Underground Railroad experience in America, including in the state and Burlington County, where the railroad flourished before the Civil War.
Learn more at www.hugrrmbc.org.
