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February is known as Black History Month, and as February comes to an end, let’s think about those Tullahomans who over the years have contributed so much to our community.

The first ones who come to mind are Professor and Mrs. Stamps. Davidson Academy was the school for the black children when segregation was the norm. Professor Stamps was the principal there and Mrs. Stamps taught fifth and sixth grade. They were both much beloved and also respected by everyone in the community. It was later that the C.D. Stamps Center was named for him because of all that he had contributed to Tullahoma. Just recently I learned from local historian and poet Jackie Duncan that Professor Stamps initials stood for Crosby DeWitt. Mr. Duncan had Mrs. Stamps as his 5th grade teacher, and he credits her with inspiring him to write his first poem and to keep on writing and has published his first book of poetry which became a best seller. He had great praise for both of the Stamps.

Another kudo goes to Jackie because he served on both the Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Alderman as well as the Coffee County Commission.

Others who have served on the Tullahoma Board are J. T. Northcutt and Sernobia McGee.

Mr. Northcutt gave a very impactful talk in 2014 at the AEDC African American Heritage Luncheon during Black History Month. He reflected on the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and what it had meant to his life. Mr. Northcutt also served on the Tullahoma Utilities Board as well as having his own band known as “Utopia” and has been heard by many of us in the community.

Sernobia McGee serves as Director of Admissions at Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital. In addition to the great service she provides there, she is well known for her gift of music by singing at many events and also preaching and her devotion to helping the young people in her community.

Another individual who comes to mind is Vi Harris who had a restaurant at the eastern end of the viaduct on Carroll Street. She was known far and wide for her wonderful cuisine. People still ask on Tullahoma Talk if there is a restaurant anywhere close by that serves the same kind of food that Vi served. She was loved not only for the great food she served but for her geniality and humor.

Several others who come to mind are Emma Coleman and Fredia Lusk. Their gifts to the community are their connections to the youth of Tullahoma.

Emma has served for many years as the Director of the Tullahoma Day Care Center where she has helped so many of the city’s youngsters to get a good start for their formal education. And later, once they had made it to high school, they had the gift of Fredia’s advice as they sought lifetime careers and further education after graduating from high school. Fredia served for many years as head of the guidance department at THS.

The list is long for the many who may have had their start at Davidson Academy or other schools, and have had so much influence on us in Tullahoma. We are grateful for each of them, and we wish each of them well and thank them for their contributions to our citizenry.