Stories of black achievers cover the Bethlehem Center's walls, transforming the hallways into an educational adventure and a place of community pride, said the Rev. Lurone "Coach" Jennings.
"This is history coming to life before your very eyes," said Mr. Jennings, the center's executive director.
The stories are part of the center's Education and History exhibit, which opened Thursday. A host of activities is scheduled to celebrate the center's 90th anniversary.
The Rev. Mark Flynn, pastor of Christ United Methodist Church, spoke Thursday at a breakfast fundraiser.
"The Bethlehem Center is a legacy that has been passed to our generation," Mr. Flynn said. "We need involvement from the community if we're going to take the legacy handed to us and move it forward."
The center is a nonprofit, faith-based agency dedicated to transforming lives and communities, according to center officials.
Visitors to the education and history exhibit will see about 20 bulletin boards covered with stories. One tells how John James Irvine, a black man, was elected Circuit Court clerk in 1886. Another recounts how Bethlehem Center former student John P. Franklin Sr. became Chattanooga's vice mayor.
"It's letting people know about people who did things for our country," 12-year-old Ashley Bisher said while visiting the center.
Ashley is one of nearly 100 students who participate in the center's after-school program.
Visitors also will see classrooms named after notable black Chattanoogans, including the late Roy Noel, who helped to start the African American Museum, and Mary Walker, a former slave who learned to read in her 90s.
Another board highlights business people of diverse backgrounds. It includes a story about a Middle Eastern family, Eddie and George Ankar, who opened the Ankar's Hoagies shop on Brainerd Road in 1979.
IF YOU GO
* What: GospelFest 90 Concert
* When: 7 p.m. today
* Where: Tivoli Theater, 709 Broad St.
* Cost: $20 adults, $10 students with ID
* What: Alumni Dinner and Dance
* When: 6 p.m. Saturday
* Where: Bethlehem Center, 200 W. 38th St.
* Cost: $25 per couple, $15 per person