Usher badge from New Bethany Baptist Church

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This is a faux gold usher badge was worn by Ruby Penn, a onetime member on the usher board at New Bethany Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. The badge is comprised of two major sections - a horizontal bar from which a round pendant hangs suspended from two chains. The top section has a pin back on its reverse; the obverse is a white rectangle of plastic framed by an ornate faux gold foliage pattern of gold tinted metal. The white rectangle contains a line of capitalized black text which reads: [MEMBER]. This top section is then attached to the circular pendant by two chains hanging from either end of the horizontal bar. The pendant is also white plastic with lines of capitalized black text which read: [SR. USHER BOARD / NEW BETHANY / BAPTIST CHURCH / WASH. D. C.]. The pendant is also bordered by the faux gold foliage border.

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