T. Thomas Fortune legacy celebrated Exhibit part of effort to preserve historic home as cultural center BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer RED BANK - Red Bank residents can pay tribute to one of their own forward thinkers during Black History Month. T. Thomas Fortune, a black journalist and activist who resided at 94 Drs. James Parker Blvd. from 1901 to 1908, founded the Afro American League in 1881, which was the precursor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). An exhibit of memorabilia from the T. Thomas FortuneHouse, including his papers and photographs, will be on display at River Street Commons, 49 Catherine St., Feb. 27, 6-9 p.m., as a salute to Fortune's legacy and the legacy of Red Bank. "I'm spearheading this in trying to bring more awareness about the plight of the T. Thomas Fortune House in celebration of Black History Month," said Gilda Rogers, chairwoman of the T. Thomas Fortune House subcommittee of the Red Bank Historic Preservation Commission (RBHPC). "I wanted to do something in the community that would highlight the culture and contribution so that the community would come out in celebration." InAugust 2007, Rogers and the subcommittee, made up of borough residents, started writing letters to media outlets across the county to raise awareness about the pending sale of the Fortune House and the need to preserve it. Preservation NJ named the T. Thomas Fortune House as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey in May 2007. The Fortune House, on the borough's west side, was chosen because it has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is associated with African-American history in New Jersey, Preservation NJ Executive Director Ron Emrich explained at the time. "I'm hoping that the Fortune House someday will be a cultural site where students can come and see living history exhibits that salute not only African American culture but the community of Red Bank," said Rogers, who runs The Source at Red Bank Regional High School (RBR). She added, "We don't have anything like that in Red Bank. I would really like to see it as a community cultural center to be able to explore various different contributions to the community of Red Bank by T. Thomas Fortune, the Vaccarelli family [who currently own the property], Count Basie, who was born here in Red Bank.We have to give our kids something vibrant, what these people meant, who they are…." According to Rogers, the deal that had been pending to sell the circa 1883 structure in August 2007 has not gone forward, and there is still time to get the house listed as a national historic landmark. Rogers spoke to New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells, who referred her to the Black Cultural Heritage Initiative Foundation, which was recently commissioned for the "purpose of broadening, deepening and diversifying statewide participation in and appreciation for black arts, history and culture," according to the foundation Web site, www.NJLivingColor.org. "I'm going to be talking about the Black Cultural Heritage Initiative Foundation so that people will know to be able to go to that site. It's a great tool for students to go to, to access information for reports, resources," said Rogers, who was able to list information about the T. Thomas Fortune House on the foundation's site. "It's important because it's educational and it's providing a plethora of information, and it's also a good tool for community purposes. If you have something that reflects their mission and what they are trying to do, they will help you market whatever it is on their site." Along with Rogers, Claire Serant, Fortune scholar and professor of journalism at St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., and RBHPC Chairman George Bowden will be speaking at the Feb. 27 event. In addition to the Fortune exhibit, there will be an exhibit that salutes 50 years of Ebony magazine with vintage issues of the magazine on display from editions featuring the life of the gospel singer Mahalia Jackson to circa 1960 Ebony magazine pieces like "Who will get the Negro vote?" by Carl Rowan. The RBR Visual and Performing Arts program students will perform a skit titled "Little Rock Nine," depicting the 1957 integration of Central High School in Little Rock,Ark., the first such integration of an American Southern school following the historic Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, according to an RBR press release. "It highlights what these nine people went through to secure education for future generations. Itmakes you stop and think for a moment, are we living up to all that they went through for future generations?Are students today understanding the sacrifices that these nine students made so that they could have the opportunities that they have now? Are they really accessing these opportunities to their fullest, or have they really forgotten about the Little Rock nine?" asked Rogers, who wrote the skit. The Pilgrim Baptist Church choir will also perform, and traditional African-American food such as sweet potato pie will be served. Formore information, call (732) 842- 8000, ext. 236, or (732) 747-5017.