Lasting Legacy: Midlands Technical College Honors Black History Month

Midlands Technical College (MTC) celebrated Black History Month on Wednesday, February 21 with the ninth-annual Harbison History Day. Graduates of the Harbison Institute, a historic African-American college, were in attendance with their families for the event that focused on the progress made by the Black community over the years.

Randall “Mack” Jackson, MTC Commissioner and Bible Way Church of Atlas Road Assistant Pastor, served as the speaker for the event. During his remarks, Jackson touted many Black leaders who helped pave the way for others to charter their own success. “Frederick Douglass; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Barack Obama; Nelson Mandela; Oprah Winfrey; Dr. Ronald Rhames, Diane Sumpter; and Commission Chairwoman Sandra Jackson – these are all individuals who are helping forge new paths for Black Americans. So, thank you.”

“We recognize that this is an important part of Midlands Technical College history,” said MTC President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames. “But more importantly, we recognize the graduates of the Harbison Institute on what they mean to our community, state, and country.”

During the event, alumni and their families shared a meal followed by a ceremonial bell ringing. An original 1882 bell from Harbison Institute was found at the back of the Harbison Campus in the mid 2010s. MTC preserved the bell and dedicated it in a new bell pavilion on the campus in 2016.

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