Past Performance · 30+ Years
30+ Years of Past Performance
Three decades of exhibitions, sacred ground, and stories — kept alive by BHEC.
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Exhibition
An exhibition depicting African American life in Waycross, GA 31501. Through artifacts, photographs, and oral history, "From These Roots" honors the everyday lives, faith, labor, and joy of generations who built this community.
Preservation
Red Hill Cemetery is a project established by BHEC to identify, document, and protect the resting places of Black residents of Waycross. The work continues — recovering names, restoring markers, and ensuring that no soul is forgotten.
Explore the scholarly documentation of "Red Hill Cemetery" by the University of North Florida: history.domains.unf.edu/redhillcemetery
Memorialization
Memorialized in honor of Rev. Frank Hazzard, Hazzard Hill stands as another sacred site in BHEC's ongoing work to preserve the burial grounds and stories of African American Waycross.
Historical Significance
1968
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, spoke at Waycross's Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church for several days in 1968 — just before his assassination. His voice echoed in this sanctuary, and his presence remains woven into the story of our city.
Native Son
The great African American actor, playwright, and civil rights activist Ossie Davis is a son of Waycross. His contributions to American stage and screen — and to the cause of justice — have been recognized by the City of Waycross and are celebrated by BHEC as part of our living legacy.
Sacred Ground · Living Witness
BHEC honors the historic Black churches of Waycross — sanctuaries of faith, refuge, and resistance that have carried our community for generations.
Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church
Gaines Chapel A.M.E. Church
Antioch First Baptist Church
Austin Chapel C.M.E. Church
First Born Church of the Living God
Greater St. Paul Baptist Church
St. Peter's Baptist Church
New Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church
St. John's Missionary Baptist Church
Big Bethel Free Will Baptist Church
King Solomon United Methodist Church
Shiloh Baptist Church
Macedonia Baptist Church