History Lesson: Demaracus Gatlin

Demaracus Gatlin is learning about his past by way of a history class project at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.
Along with a fellow student, he has curated “Lest We Forget: Slavery and Jim Crow in America,” an exhibit at the Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library on the UTB/TSC campus.
Gatlin, a UTB/TSC junior majoring in history, credits a friend for introducing him to the Rio Grande Valley four years ago.
“We became close friends while at Darnall Hospital at Fort Hood,” said Gatlin, a medically retired Iraq War veteran. “It is through him that I first came to the Valley, met his family and fell in love with this place. I knew this was where I wanted to make my home.”
Home is now “beautiful South Padre Island.”
Understanding he would not be able to follow the career path of law enforcement that he had originally envisioned for himself, Gatlin decided it was time to return to school and consider new possibilities for his future. UTB/TSC, as it turns out, was not just the most convenient choice for college, but Gatlin considers it was a gift.
“Everyone has been so welcoming and understanding toward me, especially my professors,” he said. “After all, I was an outsider who was trying to get back into the swing of things, and having been out of school for a number of years, I have to say hard work and determination are necessary ingredients when working on a degree.”
Always an avid reader and history buff, Gatlin is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history. It is his history professor, Michael Van Wagenen, who approached Gatlin and a fellow student about curating the slavery artifact exhibit to display during Black History Month.
Working with and handling such emotionally-charged artifacts has posed unique challenges for Gatlin.
“This is the first time I’ve ever held these kinds of artifacts in my hands,” said Gatlin. “I can’t help but think about the individuals who used them. Could they imagine our world and what we, their descendants, have accomplished?”
Originally from Forrest City, Ark., Gatlin remembers his great-grandmother telling him stories about her grandmother, who was a slave. In fact, the namesake of his home town, Nathan Bedford Forrest, served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
A mid-20th century KKK robe and hood are among the items in the library exhibit. Gatlin said he and Debby Cruz, his partner in curating the exhibit, took great effort to keep the artifacts in the proper context. The artifacts on display span the time period from the mid-17th Century to the mid-20th Century.
Among the older items are leg and wrist shackles along with two branding irons intended for use on humans. There are several examples of “manila,” the copper currency of slave trading on the Horn of Africa. A well preserved inventory prepared for probate of a will lists the names and values of the deceased’s slaves.
Aside from his studies, Gatlin is devoting himself to a project interviewing his grandmother, transcribing her memories of the past for a family genealogy and for historical purposes. After graduation he plans to continue his education in a history-related field.
“We hope this exhibit will be helpful to our fellow students and others to learn about this difficult chapter of America’s past that is clouded in shame, denial and mystery. It is uncomfortable for everyone. We didn’t want this to be entertainment,” said Gatlin.
An exhibit of 54 artifacts, “Lest We Forget: Slavery and Jim Crow in America,” is on display in the lobby of the Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library through the month of February. Library lobby hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
For more information on the exhibit, contact the John Hunter Room Archives desk at (956) 882-7130.

Cheryl Taylor is a writer in the UTB/TSC Office of News and Information