Midweek: Connecting the Dots

It's been a good while since I've introduced a person or a project to the blog, but today I'd like to give a big shout out to Twyla Simpkins and all her fabulous volunteers. Twyla (Ms. T, as she is affectionately known) is a teacher. She says she's a retired teacher, but I can't say I believe that for a minute. Number one, good teachers never retire. They can't: it's in their DNA. Number two, in the fifteen minutes I spent with Ms. T and her sister, Maxine, I got quite an education. That's how I know she is a good teacher. She says it began years ago when she was trying to reach her students. She realized that memorizing names and dates wasn't cutting it: she needed to connect some dots. She believed her students would learn and would desire to learn if they became invested --in their education, in their history, in their future, in their community. Ms. T, already a curator of information combined with that her talents as a curator of items to bring history to life for her students. From that was born the Proof of Truth Museum and other projects designed to champion the achievements of the African American people of Chester, Pennsylvania.

As I visited the museum, currently located on the second floor of the CAAT Center (2300 W. 4th St., Chester), I was more than impressed by the number of items Ms. Simpkins has collected and her attention to detail. She has taken what some might call mere memorabilia and transformed it into history, the story of people and their city. Each display is artfully crafted, recounting the deeds of Ruth L. Bennett or Clipper Pride or authors who called Chester "home." Together they tell the proud black history of the oldest city in Pennsylvania's history.

And that's how this devoted teacher is connecting the dots. Not merely from one display to the next or from the actors of the past to the students of today, but she is connecting us all to the future. Without an appreciation for the blood, sweat, and tears of its past champions, the people taking part in Chester's future will always lack a point of reference. Ms. T and her folks are the link between past and future, telling the old stories and encouraging others as they create new ones. She is one of many visionaries in this life who work passionately and tirelessly but often unnoticed; those who believe change is possible when ideas are given the space to bloom. And while she has temporarily filled this space with history, she is all about creating spaces for others. She has produced several documentaries to inform and inspire, is CEOO of the Yes We Can Achievement and Cultural Arts center, is involved with cemetery research, and has even offered a summer camp program to develop young curators. 

I encourage you, if you are in the Chester, PA, area to stop in this week. This portion of her collections and her wealth of information will be present at the CAAT Center (2300 W. 4th St.) through Saturday, February 21st from 11AM to 6PM, everyday but Thursday. If you are unable to attend, I would recommend looking up her work at Twyla Simpkins - Documentaries, Chester Made Archaeology & Identity: Connecting People and Things, and www.yescenterchester.org. Chester has a bright future; it is tied to its rich past and those who share it with others!