Cordele’s Historical Awards Committee hosts third annual Black History Month Kickback Festival

CORDELE, Ga. – The Cordele community celebrates cultural pride and unity, honoring Black History Month with a lively festival.

Cordele’s Historical Awards Committee hosted its third annual Black Excellence Kickback Festival, a celebration of culture, community, and achievement. The festival welcomed guests free of charge, offering a rich array of food, vendors, and door prizes.

“Greg Rivers and the Historical Awards members, this has been the third year that they have presented this, and I know a lot of hard work has gone into it. It’s growing every year they add more to it. And every year we seem to have more people that are coming out to tour the facility,” said Willie Mae Dexter, retired educator & board member.

The Historical Awards Committee also unveiled a walk-through exhibit honoring prominent African Americans from Crisp county.

Willie Mae Dexter, a retired educator and community leader, emphasizes preserving the legacy of local African Americans and upholding their contributions to the Cordele community.

“Back then, we learned about the various people that made history, especially Black history. So, now the kids don’t get that. It is left out of the school system and therefore a big part of the history is lost. You know, everybody knows about Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Thurgood Marshall. But, this is local history, things that happen right here within our city of Cordele and Crisp county. So, it’s very important that we do not let this legacy die and I think that’s the vision that the Historical Awards wanted for the young people,” said Dexter.

De’Andra Jacobs reporting.

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