‘Atomic Integration,’ photo exhibit on African-American life during Manhattan Project, opens Feb. 23

African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

In honor of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host “Atomic Integration,” a photography exhibition focusing on African-American life during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The month-long exhibit will open on Thursday, February 23, with a reception starting at 4:30 p.m.

The photo exhibit is sponsored by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.

The images displayed in the photo exhibit illustrate the experiences and contributions of African-Americans during the Manhattan Project period during the 1940s in Oak Ridge, the press release said.

“Often overlooked in our remembrance of one of the world’s largest scientific undertakings that produced the atomic bomb are the works of a people who, in spite of discrimination, met the challenge and changed the course of history,” the press release said.

The photographs were taken by James Edward Westcott, a renowned photographer who worked for the United States government in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Westcott was one of the few people permitted to have a camera in the Oak Ridge area during the Manhattan Project.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. For more information, please call the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, at (865) 567-6767.