KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- In January, the Beck Cultural Exchange Center marked 50 years of preserving Black history, a testament to resilience after Knoxville's Urban Renewal projects several decades ago displaced many Black families, churches and businesses.
Reverand René Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, explained that the focus on cultural exchange stems from the center's founding in 1975 -- a time when embracing and celebrating Black culture was gaining momentum.
"Cultural exchange really embodies all of those traditions, all those cultures, all of those ideas that we share together, grow together, and learn from each other," Kesler said. "When we think of cultural exchange, we think not just of history for history's sake, but of history that comes to life through the exchange of great ideas."
The Beck Center is not just a place to celebrate Black culture but also a place to learn about it. It holds more than 50,000 Black history artifacts, many of which are original. The center often pulls historical narratives, stories and artifacts to display in rotating exhibitions for the public.
"It's really the heartbeat of what we do. It's how we preserve history, tell its stories, and conduct scholarly research," Kesler said.
Because of the fragility of the artifacts, significant effort goes into preserving them.
"Typically, we use gloves and ensure air conditioning and temperature control in the room to prevent moisture in the air," Kesler said. "There's a lot of work behind the scenes by our archivists to preserve these items."
To better share its artifacts, especially for academic research, the Beck Center is in the process of digitizing its collection.
"We're excited about that," Kesler said. "Others will be able to see the Beck from wherever they are."
You can learn more about the Beck Cultural Exchange Center on its website.