‘It comes full circle’: Lincoln organization turning snapshots into stories

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — In a room filled with boxes of photos and albums, history is coming back to life.

The Malone Community Center helping to launch a community-wide project to share what resources are available and capture a legacy that has been around for decades.

One of the leaders for the project, Charlene Maxey-Harris, said with the help of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries and staff, this will preserve the memory of so many.

“We need to tell and document our stories, our achievements, the leaders that were in the community and kept things going, the issues and concerns,” she said. “We’ve been UNL students, we’ve been staff, we’ve been faculty members. We have contributed to this city in a great way and yet that story is not very clear, we’ve got pieces and pockets everywhere.”

Albert Maxey, who has been involved with the Malone Center for a long time, said it is a very valuable resource for the capital city.

“My journey was actually through the Malone Center,” he said. “When you’re on the campus back in those days, in ’57, you don’t see a lot of people the same color that you are. So drifting away from the university into the Malone Center gave me a place where I felt more comfortable at times.”

Maxey-Harris said getting people involved to share the Malone Center’s stories and resources only brings the community closer.

“Tell us your stories and how your family got started or who you know or who’s in these pictures so that we will have the right information to be able to provide access to this information,” she said. “It’s really important. It gives them a pride, a sense of pride to acknowledge the leadership in this area and the achievements. It comes full circle.”