World-famous photographer Roland Freeman of Washington, D.C. visited the Herron Center during the 2006 Black History Month. Mr. Freeman, who spent a couple of days in Pocahontas, devoted several hours to his visit to the Eddie Mae Herron Center, speaking about his life and his work, with particular focus on his coverage of the civil rights movement.
Freeman, also an expert on American’s quilting heritage, spent time with the Herron Center “quilting ladies”, admiring their work and sharing stories about the history of quilting.
Mr. Freeman lectured at Black River Technical College on his second evening in Pocahontas, sharing many memories of his years in news photography, with particular focus on his coverage of, and book about, the Mule Train wagon train from Mississippi to Washington, D.C., highlighting the plight of the poor in America.
During his lecture, Freeman expressed his amazement at and appreciation for the wonderful, cooperative atmosphere between the races in Pocahontas and Randolph County, and the interracial support for the Eddie Mae Herron Center.