African-American Calendar
Events for February, 2010
Much in Demand: 200 Years of Central Virginia African American Military Service
Saturday June 20, 2009 - Saturday May 1, 2010
Legacy Museum
403 Monroe Street map it
Lynchburg, VA 24505
This exhibit traces the ways the status of African Americans in the larger society shaped their experiences in the military. Dianne Swann-Wright, director and founding curator of the Frederick Douglas - Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Baltimore, is guest curator.
The exhibit explores the following themes:
More Information...
- Central Virginia's African Americans, like people of African descent living elsewhere, fought in military conflicts dating back to the American Revolution.
- African Americans fought racial discrimination in the military while fighting for the principles of liberty and democracy.
- Military service changed the lives of African Americans living in Central Virginia in significant ways.
- Military service expanded Central Virginia's African American military men and women's social and economic horizons.
- Central Virginia's African American men and women had successful experiences in the military, bringing honor to themselves, their families, and communities.
"The Portent: John Brown's Raid in American Memory"
Saturday October 10, 2009 - Sunday April 11, 2010
Virginia Historical Society
428 North Boulevard map it
Richmond, VA 23220This exhibition is the first-ever critical analysis by a southern institution of an episode that, on the eve of the Civil War, broke open sectionalist fissures. Brown demanded that his contemporaries take a moral stance on slavery, and to this day a mention of his attack spurs debate about issues of justice, terrorism, liberation, and vigilantism. The story of Brown’s early life, his fervent religious beliefs, his turn to violence as an abolitionist in Kansas, and his Virginia raid and its aftermath will be told in the exhibition, part of the national acknowledgement of the 150th anniversary of John Brown's raid on the Federal Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Contemporary reactions to the raid and to the trial and execution of John Brown will be discussed and visitors will see a display of objects and books related to the raid. See www.vahistorical.org for gallery hours and admission fees.
Integration in Charlottesville: Big Read Exhibit
Sunday January 3, 2010 - Sunday February 28, 2010
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library - Central Library
201 E Market Street map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902This event is part of The Big Read.
EXHIBIT:The Year the Governor Closed the Schools: Integration in Charlottesville. The exhibit is part of The Big Read. Central Library: Jan 2 - Feb 28. Grant Wiggins, narrator of A Lesson Before Dying, teaches at a segregated school in Louisiana. This exhibit was originally created by the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society to mark the 40th anniversary of the year that the Cville City Schools closed rather than integrate.
Black History Month at Mt. Vernon
Monday February 1, 2010 - Sunday February 28, 2010
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy map it
Mount Vernon, VA 22121At Mt. Vernon's slave quarters, interpreters will highlight the lives and contributions of the enslaved men and women who built and operated the plantation home of George and Martha Washington. A daily Slave Life at Mount Vernon tour explores the lives and contributions of the enslaved people who lived at Mount Vernon. Admission: $15/adults, $7/children. Go to visit.mountvernon.org or call (703)780-2000
Exhibit: "From Africa to Virginia"
Monday February 1, 2010 - Sunday February 28, 2010
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Jamestown Settlement
2218 Jamestown Road, Route 31 South map it
Williamsburg, VA 23185Gallery exhibits and a special gallery brochure highlight the culture of the first known Africans in Virginia, from the kingdom of Ndongo in Angola, and the experience of Africans in 17th-century Virginia. Guided tours of the museum’s outdoor living-history areas will compare fishing, hunting, construction and metalworking skills of Africans in Angola with technology used in 17th-century Virginia. Admission: $14 adults, $6.50 children 6-12. Visit www.historyisfun.org or call (757) 253-4838 or toll-free (888)593-4682
Virginian Western Community College Big Read Kickoff
Monday February 1, 2010
10:00 AM
Virginia Western Community College, Brown Library
3095 Colonial Ave SW map it
Roanoke, VA 24015
Virginia Western Community College Big Read Kickoff. For more information, call 540-857-7303 or 540-857-6326 or visit bigreadroanokevalley.org
Monday February 1, 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902Decades ago, court-ordered school desegregation in Virginia met with political and social resistance which eventually led to the closing of schools by several Virginia localities. "Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance" tells the stories of many of the students who found themselves on the front lines of the fight against Massive Resistance, through first-hand accounts of the negative effects of this concerted abuse of public power--observing how it also paved the way for future progress. Co-produced by WHTJ-TV and the UVA Center for Politics, this powerful documentary had its world premiere at the 2009 Virginia Film Festival. Admission is free. Call 434-979-1333 or visit www.theparamount.net "Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance" is available on DVD for $19.95, s&h included. To order, contact Donna Crossman: 1-800-476-2357 or 804-560-8121; email: dcrossman@ideastations.org
Location: Charlottesville
Thursday February 4, 2010
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
The Library of Virginia
800 E. Broad St. map it
Richmond, VA 23219Book launch party for Lillian Lambert's The Road to Someplace Better: From the Segregated South to Harvard Business School and Beyond. Lillian was first black female to earn MBA from Harvard. Read more at www.lillianlincolnlambert.com.
Thursday February 4, 2010
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street map it
Richmond, VA 23219The Road to Someplace Better: From the Segregated South to Harvard Business School and Beyond describes Lillian Lambert’s journey from her rural roots in Powhatan County to her historic achievement as the first black woman to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1969. After Harvard, Lambert continued to break barriers by founding and transforming her own company, Centennial One, into a $20 million operation, employing more than 1,200 employees before she sold it in 2001. The event is free and open to the public. Call 804-692-3500 or go to http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
Answering the Bell: Working in the House at Monticello
Friday February 5, 2010 - Sunday February 28, 2010
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Monticello
931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902These guided tours of the house will highlight the experiences of enslaved men and women who worked in the Monticello household. Noon and 2 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in February plus Presidents Day (Monday, Feb. 15). Included in price of admission; register at the Dominion Welcome Pavilion. http://www.monticello.org/index.html or call (434)984-9822
Friday February 5, 2010 - Sunday February 28, 2010
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Monticello
931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway map it
Charlottesville , VA 22902These guided outdoor tours focusing on the experiences of the enslaved people who lived and labored on the Monticello plantation will begin at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in February plus Presidents Day (Monday, Feb. 15). Included in the price of admission. Visit http://www.monticello.org/index.html or call (434) 984-9822.
Exhibition: Take Our Stand: The African American Military Experience in the Age of Jim Crow
Friday February 5, 2010 - Saturday May 29, 2010
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia
00 Clay Street map it
Richmond, VA 23219A new traveling exhibit considers the evolution of the Black military experience and the quest for equality, from the 1898 Spanish-American War to the desegregation of the U.S. military in 1948. Admission $5 adults, $4 seniors,students and teachers; $3 children 12 and under. Call (804) 780-9093 or visit http://www.blackhistorymuseum.org/index.html
Genealogy Workshop: "Their Voices Can Be Heard"
Saturday February 6, 2010
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe Street map it
Alexandria, VA 22314Discover expert techniques for tracing African-American family history. Join genealogist Char McCargo Bah at a workshop exploring the use of cemetery, church and death records in family history research. The featured cases are from Ms. Bah's research of descendants of people buried at historic Freedmen’s Cemetery in Alexandria. Reservations requested. Admission free. Visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call (703) 838-4356.
Saturday February 6, 2010
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Virginia War Museum
9285 Warwick Boulevard map it
Newport News, VA 23607Members of the Tuskegee Airmen will discuss artifacts on display at the museum, and there will be a screening of the film "The Tuskegee Airmen". After the movie, guest speakers will relate their experiences of serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. $6.00 admission includes museum tour and film. Visit www.warmuseum.org or call (757) 247-8523 or (757) 928-6738.
Saturday February 6, 2010 - Saturday February 27, 2010
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Lucasville School
10516 Godwin Drive map it
Manassas, VA 20110Visit Prince William County’s last standing one-room school dedicated to the education of African-American children in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Reconstructed in 2007, the one-room school served local African-American children from 1885 to 1926. Through tours and exhibits, visitors can learn the history of post-Civil War African-American education in Prince William County and northern Virginia. Tours run every weekend in February. Admission is free. Visit www.pwcgov.org/historicsites or call 703-792-4754 for more information.
Film screening: "Akeelah and the Bee"
Monday February 8, 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902The Paramount Theater and the Virginia Film Festival present Akeela and the Bee, with Keke Palmer, Angela Bassett, and Laurence Fishburne. Akeelah Anderson is bright and loves words, but her family situation makes it difficult to concentrate on school. Threatened with either detention or entering the school spelling bee by the principal, Akeelah opts for the lesser of two evils. She easily wins the spelling bee and unexpectedly finds herself headed off to compete in the prestigious National Scripps Spelling Bee. Akeelah comes to realize that not just her dreams, but those of her friends and community, rest on her success. Tickets: $6.00 and $4.00 (youth) Call 434-979-1333 or visit www.theparamount.net
Monday February 8, 2010
6:30 PM
Reynolds Homestead
463 Homestead Lane map it
Critz, VA 24082This new Reynolds Homestead group is open to anyone interested in exploring the history of blues and rural music. Meetings will feature guest musicians, workshops, and jam sessions all part of a supportive group eager to share ideas. Come to play or just to listen and learn during these monthly meetings, which are free and open to the public. Call (276) 694-7181 or visit http://www.reynoldshomestead.vt.edu/about_us.html
VCU Libraries Black History Month Lecture
Tuesday February 9, 2010
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
W. E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
922 Park Avenue map it
Richmond, VA 23284
"Fifty years after the student-led sit-ins - Where are we now?" Free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please call (804) 827-1165 or (804) 827-1163 prior to Feb. 5, 2010.
Tuesday February 9, 2010 - Tuesday March 30, 2010
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Bel Rio Restaurant
407 Monticello Road map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902What is traditional music? What relevance does it have for us today in the 21st century? This noncredit series explores these questions through the lens of folklore, ethnomusicology, and performance. Students gain access to the world of traditional music by attending private performances,multimedia presentations, and engaging in conversations with musicians, folklorists, and ethnomusicologists. Guest performers from the Virginia Folklife program will include Maggie Ingram and family on February 16. Traditions under study include old-time, bluegrass, samba, jazz, blues, gospel, Sephardic, and Mande/Voltaic. Students will gain an insider's knowledge and a greater appreciation for traditional music and some of its greatest artists and experts in the Commonwealth today. Eight Tuesday evening sessions. Fee: $150. Registration recommended by early February. Call (434) 982-2779 or visit www.scps.virginia.edu/
Gospel Celebration Honoring Black History Month
Sunday February 14, 2010
3:00 PM
Reynolds Homestead
463 Homestead Lane map it
Critz, VA 24082The Rev. Burgie Penn leads this annual celebration featuring musicians and choirs from Patrick and surrounding counties. Spend a delightful afternoon enjoying these very special performances. The event is free and open to the public. Donations to the Patrick County Food Bank are accepted. Call (276) 694-7181, ext. 21 weekdays between 9 & 5, or visit http://www.reynoldshomestead.vt.edu/about_us.html
Film screening: "Lilies of the Field"
Monday February 15, 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902The Paramount Theater with the Virginia Film Festival presents Lilies of the Field, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor (Sidney Poitier). Homer Smith is a young, single, ex-GI headed west looking for construction jobs, when he stops at a farm for water when his car overheats. Only it’s not a farm, it’s the refuge of five German nuns who escaped from East Germany. Smith is easy-going and agrees to do some work for them even, against his better judgment, beginning construction on a chapel, much needed by the local migrant community. Smith asks himself how can it be built single-handedly and how will five penniless nuns be able to buy the necessary materials. The mother superior convinces him that faith can move mountains. . .or build a chapel. Tickets $6.00 and $4.00 (youth). Call 434-979-1333 or visit www.theparamount.net
Wednesday February 17, 2010
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Harrison Institute, Small Special Collections Library UVA
Charlottesville, VA 22903The public is invited to a presentation by Deborah E. McDowell, Dir of the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American & African Studies on the themes explored in A Lesson Before Dying. Hosted by the Harrison Institute and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library.
Thursday February 18, 2010
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Crozet Branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
5791 Three Notch'd Road map it
Crozet, VA 22932Laura Anderson, author of An Anatomy of an Execution: The Life and Death of Douglas Christopher Thomas, recounts her experience as a spiritual advisor to the last juvenile offender executed in Virginia. This is a program of the J-MRL Big Read.
Miles of Smiles: Years of Struggles
Thursday February 18, 2010
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Central Branch
201 E Market Street map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Paul Wagner will lead a discussion of this film which he produced and directed. Film featuring an oral history of the Pullman porters examining their history and lore, and their organization of America's first African American labor union; produced independently in cooperation with the Smithsonian Office of Folklife Programs, with a grant from the D.C. Community Humanities Council; national broadcast on PBS, four regional Emmy Awards, Cine Golden Eagle, American Film Festival Blue Ribbon, Mill Valley Film Festival, INPUT International Public Television Conference, Cinema du Real (France), Flaherty Film Seminar, Telluride Film Festival.
An Expendable Man: the Near Execution of Earl Washington
Saturday February 20, 2010
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Northside Branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
300 Albemarle Square map it
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Author Margaret Edds discusses her book and the case of Earl Washington, Jr, a mentally retarded man wrongfully convicted of rape and murder in Culpeper, who spent almost 18 years in prison (9 on death row) before being exonerated.
Archaeology Workshop for Children
Saturday February 20, 2010
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Archaeology Lab, Monticello
931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902Offered as part of Monticello's observance of Black History Month, this two-hour workshop for children in grades 4 through 7 accompanied by an adult provides a hands-on introduction to archaeology. Free; advance registration required. Call (434) 984-9880 or visit http://www.monticello.org/index.html
African-American Spirituals with Calvin Earl
Tuesday February 23, 2010
4:00 PM
Jefferson Library at Monticello
1329 Kenwood Farm, State Route 53 map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902Music historian and recording artist Calvin Earl will interpret African-American spirituals in song and story. Admission is free. Visit http://www.monticello.org/index.html or call (434) 984-9822.
Meet the Author: Linda Kenney Miller
Tuesday February 23, 2010
6:00 PM
Moton Museum
900 Griffin Boulevard map it
Farmville, VA 23901Linda Kenney Miller's book Beacon on the Hill tells the story of John A. Kenney, M.D., a son of ex-slaves who eventually becomes the personal physician to Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute in rural Alabama. Four-time national book winner Linda Kenney Miller is the granddaughter of Dr. Kenney. The novel is a tribute to her grandfather and to the early pioneers in African-American medicine. She will sign copies of her book, which will be available for purchase. This program is cosponsored by Centra Southside Community Hospital, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and the Moton Museum. For more information, call 434-315-2445 or visit http://motonmuseum.com/
Everybody Reads: A Lesson Before Dying
Thursday February 25, 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Charlottesville High School - Black Box Theater
Charlottesville Performing Arts Center, 1562 Dairy Rd map it
Charlottesville, VA 22903Hear the story come alive as local celebrities read passages from the Big Read in Virginia's A Lesson Before Dying. Reception follows.. Hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
Film Screening: Miles Of Smiles: Years of Struggle
Thursday February 25, 2010
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
JMRL Central Library
201 E. Market Street map it
Charlottesville, VA 22902MILES OF SMILES: YEARS OF STRUGGLE producer/director/editor, Paul Wagner with Jack Santino (1983) An oral history of the Pullman porters examining their history and lore, and their organization of America’s first African American labor union; produced independently in cooperation with the Smithsonian Office of Folklife Programs, with a grant from the D.C. Community Humanities Council; national broadcast on PBS, four regional Emmy Awards, Cine Golden Eagle, American Film Festival Blue Ribbon, Mill Valley Film Festival, INPUT International Public Television Conference, Cinema du Real (France), Flaherty Film Seminar, Telluride Film Festival. Call 434-979-7151 x 204 or visit http://www.jmrl.org/br-central.htm
HBO's Adaptation of A Lesson Before Dying
Saturday February 27, 2010
2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Northside Branch of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
300 Albemarle Square map it
Charlottesville, VA 22901"Books on the Big Screen." View the HBO Film adaptaton of the Big Read in Virginia's A Lesson Before Dying, starring Don Cheadle, Cicely Tyson, and ekhi Phifer. Free. This is a program of the J-MRL Big Read.
Jazz and Justice: A River of Words and Music Collide
Sunday February 28, 2010
4:00 PM
Jefferson Center Rehearsal Hall
541 Luck Ave SW map it
Roanoke, VA 24016
An inspired mix of musical performance and electric literature by Maestro David Stewart Wiley and Tracey Cowden at two grand pianos; Julee Hickcox at flute; and T.J. Anderson III reading his poetry. Music includes selections from Joplin and Gershwin and more musicial surprises. Reception follows. Tickets required; limited seating. $20 ($5 for students). Call 804-345-2550 or visit bigreadroanokevalley.org.
