African American Heritage • History
An Evening Present With History
Join Virginia Humanities Board Member and BackStory host Ed Ayers; director of our African American programs, Justin Reid; and other special guests for a screening and discussion of Virginia Public Media’s new show, The Future of America’s Past. Watch a screening of the show’s first episode featuring Fort Monroe, where slavery began in British North […]
African American Heritage • Culture & Identity • Fellowships
Creative Commons image courtesy Flickr user Bethany Khan Singing the Nation Into Being
The ‘Black National Anthem’ and the Politics of Performance
What can videos and metadata tell us about Black subjectivities, nation, and diaspora? What might we gain by considering performances as part of an ephemeral archive? Virginia Humanities Fellow Sonya Donaldson (New Jersey City University) will discuss a digital humanities project she’s working on that curates performances of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and […]
African American Heritage • Culture & Identity • Folklife • Grants • TRHT
Learn from This Place
Bringing Arlington to Halls Hill
Learn the history of Arlington’s Halls Hill and other African American neighborhoods at this free panel discussion and performance. The event includes a panel moderated by Arlington County Board Chairman Christian Dorsey, with panelists comprised of former and current African American community residents and educators and performances by the Phil Wiggins Blues House Party and […]
African American Heritage • Grants • TRHT
Flip the Script actors during a recent rehearsal Flip the Script
You’re invited to Encore Stage & Studio’s Flip the Script project performances. Saturday, November 2 at 3 pm & 7 pm and Sunday, November 3 at 3 pm. Theatre is a powerful tool for examining the past and discerning intersections with the present. Encore Stage & Studio’s Flip the Script has worked with local students […]
African American Heritage • Grants • History
Thomas Jefferson (American, 1743–1826) Proposed sketch for the President’s House, elevation, 1792 Pen and ink with gray wash Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Society, 1976.88.6 Exhibit: Thomas Jefferson, Architect
Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals
The most important architectural thinker of the young American republic, Thomas Jefferson conveyed ideals of liberty and democracy in his designs. Jefferson (1743–1826) was Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. He was also a slave owner. Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and […]
African American Heritage • Culture & Identity • News
Unmasking Hampton Roads
Watch Live Streams
Unmasking Hampton Roads is a three-part learning series designed to help residents of the region take off their masks, be candid with each other about race and racism, and work together to make our communities more equitable and inclusive spaces for everyone. The series is inspired by the poem “We Wear the Mask” by African […]
African American Heritage • History • TRHT
The Legacy of Slavery
Join us and Roanoke Valley Points of Diversity for an open dialogue about difficult issues, including race. We’ll talk about Hollins University’s research on the history of enslaved people working on campus and the ways some of their descendants remain connected to Hollins to this day. This event is part of our W.K. Kellogg Foundation […]
African American Heritage • History • Virginia Indians
1619: Making of America Summit
The 1619 Making of America Summit will explore the 400-year journey of our founding cultures—Native, African, and English peoples, immigrant stories, and the contributions and influences that have shaped the building of America. The summit will highlight the three pillars of the commemoration: Diversity, Democracy, and Opportunity. At the foundation of this cross-cultural event will […]
African American Heritage • History • TRHT
The Color of Housing
The History of Racism in Housing in Arlington
In collaboration with the League of Women Voters, Challenging Racism is presenting an interactive program on the history of redlining in Arlington. The program uses local maps and stories to explain how the Federal Housing Administration prevented certain Black communities from acquiring loans in the mid-2oth century. This practice enabled segregation and continues to influence […]
African American Heritage • History • TRHT
Photo from Challenging Racism’s summer 2019 Learning to Lead training courtesy Challenging Racism Red-Lining Workshop
Challenging Racism is collaborating with the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Commission for a program on redlining. Part of Virginia Humanities’ and the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Project, this interactive program focuses on the Federal Housing Administration’s mid-20th century use of redlining to prevent loans to Black people in selected areas. Using local maps […]
African American Heritage • History
Danville Protests - Courtesy of The Danville Register & Bee The Movement: Danville’s Civil Rights
Exhibit Opening Aug. 10 | Danville
Join us August 10th, 2-5pm at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History for an opening reception for “The Movement: Danville’s Civil Rights Exhibit.” The exhibit is the first of its kind in the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. It will be a permanent exhibit highlighting Danville’s Civil Rights Movement. Historian Historian […]
