Photograph: Norman Gobert speaks to other individuals that attended the first presentation of the Free People of Color exhibit now located at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
A permanent exhibit featuring St. Landry Parish free people of color, was introduced publicly Thursday night at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center.
Further activities associated with the exhibit include a series of presentations that continue on Saturday beginning at 1 pm when individual histories in connection with Martin Donato, St. Ann’s Church in Mallet and the origins of parish free people of color will be delivered and discussed at the museum.
A reasonable sized crowd gathered at the museum on Thursday night to view the exhibit designed by Opelousas artist Jerome Ford.
The exhibit which also includes research and a timeline provided by historian Sara Senette, and Taylor Suir, a graduate student in history, covers nearly an entire wall of the museum.
Museum curator Patrice Melnick said the free people of color exhibit represents the start of similar projects.
“This is just the beginning. We plan in the future to introduce exhibits from all types of cultures,” said Melnick.
Opelousas Mayor Julius Alsandor complimented Melnick for creating a renewed interest in the museum through projects similar to the one that was displayed Thursday night.
Melnick added that funding for the project was obtained through a number of separate federal and state grants that includes the National Endowment of the Humanities funded through the state, the Atchafalaya National Cultural Association and local funding.
“This exhibit that you see here represents nine months of work and planning,” Melnick said.
The exhibit features a timeline beginning in 1755 when research shows that people of color can be identified as living in St. Landry.
By 1762 according to the exhibit, Louis Richard, a free mulatto rancher was documented by the Opelousas Post as owning property.
Several poster-size photographs that portray St. Landry free people are also available for viewing as part of the exhibit.
These photos, divided into subject areas, are featured also chronologically, beginning with pre-Civil War or antebellum period in St. Landry and continuing through the present day.
Etha Semien Amling told those in attendance that many Creoles and free people of color lived successfully in St. Landry since the 18th century.
“We owned our own property. This is shown through the histories of the Donato, Guillory, Fuselier and others who were big property owners,” Amling said.
The impact of the original families are still evident, said Amling, since their descendants continue to be economically independent and property owners.
