Columbus’ historic R.E. Hunt and Cultural Museum to officially reopen
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A piece of Columbus history is turning the page on a new chapter.
The historic R.E. Hunt and Cultural Museum is officially reopening its doors.
This morning, community members had the opportunity to tour the school and see the newly renovated museum inside.
The historic high school first opened in 1953, when Union Academy, grades 1 through 12, became too full. It served as the only upper-level school for African-American students in Columbus.
Hunt was segregated until 1970 and then became Hunt Intermediate School for students in grades 5th and 6th.
In 2012, some years after Hunt closed, Laverne Greene-Leech, one of the 6 African American women to desegregate Mississippi State College for Women in 1966, founded the R.E. Hunt Museum and Culture Center.
But in 2019, a tornado damaged the museum, leading to its doors closing.
A reception will be held tonight at 6 at Sim Scott Park to celebrate the occasion.
