Building For Tomorrow: E.C. Morris, Centennial Church and the Black Baptists During Jim Crow

This extraordinary new exhibition explores the role of the Baptist Church in the lives of African Americans during the turbulent period of Jim Crow, as they navigated the difficulties and hardships of a segregated country.  Visitors, as they enter the South Gallery of the Delta Cultural Center, will first notice the large replica stain glass window that symbolizes the church. It is if they have been reborn in the past and are looking into this window to see what is happening in a church of that era. From that point, guests will be able to read and study numerous historical panels that depict the expansion of the Baptist Church throughout the Arkansas Delta and into the lives of African Americans. 

Activists such as Booker T. Washington and others used this religious awakening to further the cause of reform, but it was through the tireless labor of one Arkansan that the church rose to new levels of importance. That Arkansan was the Reverend Elias Camp Morris, who rose to national prominence through his work with the National Baptist Convention. In addition to his work in politics, Morris was the pastor at Centennial Baptist Church in Helena, Arkansas from 1879 to his death in 1922. Centennial was an example of an early megachurch with nearly a thousand members and was a beacon of light for all African Americans in the area. E.C. Morris was also president of the Black Arkansas Baptist State Convention for 35 years and helped start a seminary in Little Rock that eventually became Arkansas Baptist College.  There is a life size replica of Morris at his podium and interactive displays which feature a number of his speeches that visitors may listen to. In addition to the church, there are also displays and information panels dealing with the role of fraternal organizations like the Knights of Pythias and the Masons.

"The Life and Legacy of Louis Jordan"

The Delta Cultural Center will host "The Life and Legacy of Louis Jordan" from May 3, until June 28, 2024, in the center gallery at 141 Cherry Street in Helena. The exhibit will open with a reception on Friday, May 3, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In addition to the general public, all area educators are welcome to attend and learn about this exhibit and other events happening at the DCC. The Guest Speaker will be Arkansas musician, journalist, and Louis Jordan biographer Stephen Koch of Little Rock. Food and entertainment will also be provided. 

Known as the "King of the Jukeboxes," Louis Thomas Jordan was a vocalist, bandleader, and saxophonist, who dominated music charts during the 1940s. He was born July 8, 1908, in Brinkley, Arkansas and was greatly influenced by his musician father, James Aaron Jordan. As a young man, he actually toured with his father around Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri. After later working in several groups, he formed his own band called the Tympany Five. His hits included such songs as "Caledonia," "Beans and Cornbread," and "Let the Good Times Roll." Known for his up-tempo songs and concerts, Louis Jordan had a tremendous influence on many young artists such as James Brown, Bo Didley, and Chuck Berry. He passed away on February 4, 1975, in Los Angeles and is buried in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Jordan's starring role in a series of movies and shows was one extension of the popularity of his records and concerts in the 1940s. In addition to the highly successful "Caledonia" short and his cameos in "Follow the Boys" (1944) and "Swing Parade of 1946," Jordan starred in three full-length features for Astor Pictures: "Beware!" (1946), "Reet Petite & Gone" (1947), and "Look Out Sister." (1948)

In addition to being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, he was named an American Music Master by the Hall in 1999. Other honors include being inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2005. Three years later, in 2008, the U.S. Postal Service released a stamp featuring a likeness of the famed musician. A section of U.S. Highway 49 from Brinkley to Marvell was then designated the Louis Jordan Memorial Highway in 2017. Jordan was also posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. 

Featured prominently within the exhibition is a bust of Louis Jordan, sculpted by artist John Deering, on loan from the Central Delta Depot Museum in Brinkley. Posters, memorabilia, and other historical items make up the remaining collection.