Submitted by Dr. Mary Edwards Harris
Members from the Black Bottom Neighborhood Community of Covington organized and executed a groundbreaking three-day Neighborhood Community Reunion—a first-of-its-kind event for the city! Through prayers, meticulous planning, and persistent effort, the weekend event fostered renewed connections and fellowship among attendees, achieving remarkable success.
Day 1
Friday, May 23, 2025
We began our weekend festivities with a Meet/Greet picnic held on a vacant lot on Feezor Street, owned by Mark Heaston. The menu included grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, and assorted beverages. Kelvin Howard procured the food, and Dwain Edwards prepared it. Ann Dickson Kent contributed desserts.
The evening was spent reminiscing about our childhood, enjoying the food, dancing, and playing croquet, a favorite pastime from our youth. Many of us revisited several local landmarks, including our childhood baseball field, the Heaston’s basketball court, Miss Lizzie Hill’s grocery store, the Compress, Mrs. Mattie Edwards’ orchard, Dickson’s’ basketball court, Mr. Cecil’s grocery store, and Willie Mae Neal’s backyard football field. Despite significant changes to most of the physical building structures and landscape, we had a wonderful time reliving those memories.
Day 2
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Saturday Evening’s Theme:
“Straight Out Of Black Bottom”
A BLACK AND BLING WITH SNEAKERS THING!
The Friday evening Black Bottom Meet & Greet Picnic was highly enjoyable, leading us to anticipate correctly, an even more engaging weekend.
The semi-formal dinner was held downtown Covington at the Cellar Restaurant. As guests arrived, they mingled. The ambiance of the evening was enchanting. The restaurant’s décor was elegantly adorned in black and silver, and the guests’ attire complemented the color theme. The evening began with Opening Remarks by Tim Hall, after which, everyone gathered outside in front of the restaurant for a group photograph. Photographer Kendall Elam did an outstanding job organizing the photo shoot.
Following opening remarks, Marilyn Whitley-Carter delivered the welcome, Chris King gave the occasion, and Lady Josephine King led the invocation and offered a blessing over the meal. The menu featured beef brisket, lemon pepper chicken, loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Beverages included sweet tea, coke, lemonade, and water. Desserts were, chocolate cake, pecan pie, and a delightful strawberry cake with cream frosting, baked by Chris King.
During dinner, Dr. Jacquelyn Heaston Owens amused us with a video presentation, titled, “Back Down Black Bottom Lane”! The video showcased core neighborhood families and photographs from Black Bottom’s past to the present. Additionally, we gained valuable insights into the origin of the name “Black Bottom.” The Covington’s Genealogist/Historian, David Gwinn, presented compelling findings, clarifying that the historically African American Black Bottom’s name originates from the fertile, dark soil perfect for farming, not from its ethnic makeup or lack of lights as previously believed.
Zina Dickson and the Dickson/Kent family provided two musical selections. Several members shared memorable reflections on their upbringing in Black Bottom from the 1960s to the present; The committee formally acknowledged and presented commemorative gifts to four surviving senior members of the Black Bottom community: Mrs. Liz Whitley, Mrs. Sarah Maclin, Mrs. Josephine King, and Mrs. Nellie Ware. Additional awards were presented for categories such as largest family representation, furthest travel distance, and the most spirited committee member was awarded to Howard Kelvin.
All attendees received a glam bag containing informational materials, gifts, and candy. Prior to the program’s conclusion, a candlelight vigil memorialized deceased family members, with a representative from each attending family participating. Mr. Dwain “Hubba” Edwards delivered closing remarks, followed by a closing prayer offered by Shepherdess Shelia Bryant.
The “Black and Bling with Sneakers” event was a resounding success. Attendees enjoyed a sophisticated, relaxed, and engaging evening featuring music, entertainment, presentations, and interactive activities. It was a pleasant experience for everyone.
Day 3
Sunday, May 25, 2025
The Black Bottom Reunion concluded at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church, where Senior Pastor Shawn Moses officiated. Many reunion attendees wore the silver and gray reunion t-shirts to the church service. The service and sermon provided both inspiration and encouragement. The sermon, titled “When Dreams Come True,” resonated deeply, as many of us had long envisioned this reunion. Participating in the planning committee and witnessing its successful execution has been profoundly rewarding.
Pastor Shawn’s sermon challenged us to go beyond the dream for the Black Bottom Community. Now that the Dream has come true, we should realize the followings: God’s
• Purpose In our past,
• Pardon people from our past,
• Provide for the place where we were born.
During the church service, the Black Bottom Committee presented Pastor Shawn with a reunion t-shirt, designating him an honorary member of the Black Bottom community. A monetary contribution was also made to Canaan Missionary Baptist Church, along with a group photograph of Black Bottom reunion attendees for inclusion in Canaan’s historical archives. After the church service Pastor Shawn took a group photo with us and we all convened in the fellowship hall where we enjoyed a light lunch, prepared by Jeff Owens. It was a great time of fellowship, feasting, and fun.
The strong sense of community in Black Bottom fostered deep and rewarding relationships among neighbors and relatives. Rekindling these connections proved highly fulfilling. The exceptional attendance at the reunion, with participants traveling from Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan, Carolina, Georgia, Russellville, Tennessee, and other locations, underscored the enduring strength of the bonds formed during our upbringing in Covington, Tennessee’s Black Bottom community. Please look at the attached photos that highlight some of the activities we did over the weekend.
The reunion concluded with feelings of joy and optimism regarding the next gathering. Planning the next event is paramount, but equally important is our commitment to supporting the institution that fostered our bonds. This requires collective faith and active participation.
The Planning Committee for this exceptional weekend consisted of Chris King, Marilyn Whitley Carter, Dr. Mary Edwards Harris, Tim Hall, Zina Dickson Mark Heaston, Dr. Jacquelyn Heaston Owens, Kelvin Howard, Olie Brown, Krystal Maclin Barnes, Dwain Edwards, Brittany Ware, and Shameika Fayne.
Black Bottom’s residents have historically and will continue to comprise a diverse professional population, including educators, production workers, protective service workers, accountants, police officers, farmers, doctors, nurses, civic leaders, social workers, entrepreneurs, industry workers and leaders, advocates, brokers, skilled laborers, customer service representatives, firefighters and paramedics, physical therapists, construction workers, carpenters, software developers, and chefs, among many others.
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