On Saturday, April 18th at 2:00PM, everyone is invited to attend a presentation by Elma McKnight, a retired Murfreesboro City School System educator. McKnight is a direct descendant of David Maney, a blacksmith who was enslaved on the Oaklands / Maney plantation. The plantation would later become a battlefield, an historic house museum and public park.
For five generations, the legacy of David Maney has been rooted in Murfreesboro. David was a skilled blacksmith whose labor and craftsmanship helped sustain the very grounds where history is now preserved. Today, that legacy comes full circle. Five generations later, his granddaughter, Elma Black McKnight, now serves on the Board of Trustees at Oaklands Mansion, the same site where her ancestor once lived and labored. Her service represents not only a powerful personal journey, but a living connection to history, resilience, and the enduring presence of David Maney’s family in Murfreesboro. Join us as McKnight shares David Maney’s story.
To read the Untold Story of the Maney Family Slaves, visit www.oaklandsmansion.org and click on “Slavery” at the top of the page. You can find Oaklands Mansion on Facebook and Instagram. This event is free, open to the public and will take place rain or shine. Reservations are not required. Light refreshments will be served.
This event is sponsored by The Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Parking is located at the Oaklands Park pavilion located at 427 Roberts Street Murfreesboro, TN 37130. ADA parking is located at 901 N. Maney Avenue, Murfreesboro TN 37130 in the Oaklands Mansion Visitors Center parking lot.
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