Hobson City is the second oldest African-American town in the United States and the oldest in the state of Alabama. It is a small city with a population of only about 800, and it just celebrated its 117th Founders Day celebration. Though the area is full of history, there are many who aren’t aware of its existence.
But Hobson has been documented through twenty-nine photos now on display at The University of Alabama’s Paul R. Jones Gallery of Art. The exhibit is titled “#blackgirls4change: The Hobson City 9, Cultivating Community and Creating Change.”
The idea for the exhibit came out of a meeting between Michelle Robinson, an assistant professor in the department of English, and the mayor of Hobson.
“She asked a group of students and myself to partner and accomplish some goals that she and other town leaders had set for the community,” Robinson said.
Robinson created a list of projects, including a photo series in which she asked middle school-aged girls to take pictures of objects and places in their community. The teacher, along with three graduate students, learned a lot from the experience.
“We chose it [this project] as a research methodology, and chose middle-age school girls because we were a group of African-American women studying this and we wanted to include African-American girls,” Robinson said. “Through their photos they identified some concerns in their community and solutions.”
The girls were given guided questions, and then asked to answer them through their photos. Candace Chambers, a graduate student, said the girls ended up learning so much more about their own community.
“The pictures were representative of things they wanted to see changed and things they wanted to learn about,” Chambers said.
After the photos were taken, each girl had a one-on-one interview with one of the graduate students and explained why they took the photos.
“The girls wanted to change the perception of the city and present a positive image of Hobson City for those who are not there,” Chambers said.
A reception will be held Sept. 2 from 5-8 p.m. where community members can view the photos, but the gallery will be exhibited through Sept. 30.
Robinson said the entire process took about a year, but all of the time and effort was worth it.
“I think it had multiple impacts on the girls,” Robinson said. “It was a very small and intimate town. For us to come in and to have these intellectual and meaningful conversations with them about their town, it helped them realize that their town is special.”
Chambers said not only was it a great opportunity to take what she learned in the classroom and apply it in this project, but the relationships that formed between them and the girls was it’s own reward.
“Working on this project, I was able to provide mentorship to young African-American girls,” Chambers said. “I was able to engage and talk with them and talk about their issues and concerns. It provided me with insight on how to be a mentor to younger girls.”
