<a style="display:none;" href="http://smartregion.org" title="Go back to the front page"> SmartRegion.org

From left, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.; Mayor Molly Ward, Hampton, Va.; Interior Secretary Ken Salazar; watch President Barack Obama sign a Proclamation to designate Fort Monroe, in Hampton, Va., a National Monument under the Antiquities Act, in the Oval Office, Nov. 1, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

From Wil LaVeist of The Wil LaVeist Show: Hampton is Black America’s Ellis Island

In a ceremony at the White House yesterday, President Barack Obama confirmed Fort Monroe as a national monument, saying it was all about “preserving our nation’s treasures.” It is the first time he has used the Antiquities Act to create a national monument.

Now the site ought to be the location for the proposed National Slavery Museum, if the museum is going to be built at all. The museum, the vision of former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first elected black governor, is in bankruptcy court. Old Point Comfort, the site of Fort Monroe, is where the first African indentured servants arrived in English speaking America in 1619. It’s also the location where slaves began to gain their freedom in mass during the Civil War in 1861, becoming known as the Contraband Slaves.

Read more by the Daily Press: It’s official – President Obama confirms Fort Monroe park designation

The Wil LaVeist Show can be heard every Wednesday @ noon to 1 p.m. EST live via the Web on www.whov.org or in Hampton Roads on 88.1FM WHOV.

More on Fort Monroe…

Tags: Fort Monroe, Hampton Roads, History, Virginia

1 comment

Nov 02

Fort Monroe and the antiquities act, deep roots in Hampton Roads

Categories:

Read the rest of this entry »

National Monument move at Fort Monroe is welcomed

Posted October 30, 2011, by David Macaulay for the Daily Press

News that President Barack Obama is poised to declare Fort Monroe a national monument was welcomed by local decision makers.

“Overall, we are hopeful that Tuesday will culminate in a park being established to preserve and tell the American story that unfolded at Fort Monroe. This has been a huge unified effort and we are all holding our breath for Tuesday,” said Terrie Suit, chairman of the board of the Fort Monroe Authority.

Senator Mark Warner, (D-Virginia) the co-sponsor of a Senate bill to bring a national park to Fort Monroe, said: “A National Park Service presence at Fort Monroe will go a long way in preserving and highlighting the remarkable role of ‘Freedom’s Fortress’ in our nation’s history.

Tags: Fort Monroe, Hampton Roads, History, Virginia

Oct 23

“The American History Guys” on Indians in Virginia

Categories:

Indian Country Virginia: Real & Imagined << Click link to listen to show

In this live performance at Colonial Williamsburg’s Kimball Theatre, the History Guys take on the history of Indians in Virginia. From Jamestown to Thomas Jefferson to Disney’s Pocahontas, they consider some of the ways Virginian Indians have been imagined by non-Native people, and reflect on how those images have shifted over the centuries. Along the way, they are joined by two special guests, actor Larry Pourier, native production manager for Colonial Williamsburg, and Buck Woodard, manager at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and adjunct instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University and the College of William and Mary — both of whom contributed to the 2005 film The New World.

Pictured: Louis Firetail (Sioux, Crow Creek), wearing tribal clothing, in American history class, Hampton Institute, Hampton, Virginia, ca. 1900 (Library of Congress) Click on photo for larger view.

BackStory, a program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is a radio broadcast that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us today. Renowned U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf and Brian Balogh take headlines and dive into their historical depths. Together, they drill down to colonial times and earlier, revealing the connections (and disconnections) between past and present.

NOTE: Ed Ayers, perhaps better known as president of the University of Richmond, will speak at The Norfolk Forum on January 10, 2012.

Tags: Hampton, Hampton Roads, History, Virginia, Williamsburg

Education & Workforce, Tourism, Arts & Culture

Oct 21

Young Audiences ‘flipping the switch’ in the minds of students

Categories:

Young Audiences of Virginia (YAV), headquartered in Norfolk, VA, is a non-profit organization focused on providing in-school performances, artist-in-residence programs for schools, and professional development for educators. The primary focus is to integrate the Arts into the core curriculum. Recently Young Audiences of Virginia was selected as one of just forty arts education nonprofit organizations by Josh Groban to receive funds from The Find Your Light Foundation during his “Straight to You” tour.

Artoberfest is YAV’s annual fundraiser, and this year’s will take place on Tuesday, October 25th at Old Dominion University’s Ted Constant Convocation Center .

“YAV’s goal is to ‘Flip the Switch’ in the minds of students through-out the Commonwealth of Virginia; using The Arts as teaching tools to make concepts in math, science, literacy, bullying and multicultural studies easier,” says executive director Bill Griggs.

Young Audiences of Virginia’s Artoberfest will feature performers from Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia such as YAV’s classical string ensemble Clivia String Trio, poet Nathan Richardson, musician Curtis Blues, and storytellers April Uhrin and Atumpan as well as visual artist Kim Herman.

Artoberfest provides YAV’s guests with an opportunity to experience for themselves the interactive Arts-in-Education experiences that children across the state of Virginia experience each time Young Audiences of Virginia presents a program in their school.

Cathy Lewis, a popular speaker, corporate facilitator and broadcaster, serves as keynote. With expertise in civil discourse and civic engagement, Cathy believes that powerful conversations can change the world. In 2011, Cathy was named to the inaugural list of the 75 Most Powerful People in Hampton Roads by Inside Business magazine. She has also been named one of the “50 Very Important People in Hampton Roads” by Hampton Roads Magazine and is a frequent favorite in listener polls.

Young Audiences of Virginia, Inc. first brought arts-in-education programs to Virginia in 1955. From its humble beginnings with a single string ensemble and a handful of volunteers, the organization has grown to one with more than 160 professional artists, in various artistic disciplines, working and performing in schools and is the largest arts-in-education organization in Virginia. Now in their 56th year, they have reached nearly 6 million students throughout the Commonwealth.

For more information, contact Anna Green at (757) 466-7555 ext. 306 or schedulingdirector@yav.org.

For more information about Young Audiences of Virginia, go to www.yav.org or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/YAV.

Tags: Art, Culture, Education, Hampton Roads, Virginia

Oct 13

ODU Presents: Making creative connections

Categories:

Tourism, Arts & Culture

ODU Presents: This Filthy World with John Waters on Thursday, November 10, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in the Webb University Center.

This is the inaugural year of “ODU Presents,” a lecture series that focuses on the university’s research initiatives and outreach efforts by featuring engaging speakers from a variety of disciplines. Lectures are free and open to the public; however, seating is limited and RSVPs are encouraged.

John Waters (born April 22, 1946, in Baltimore, MD) is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films. Waters achieved crossover success with the original film version of Hairspray (1988), which earned a modest gross of $8 million domestically. In 2002, Hairspray was adapted to a long-running Broadway musical, which itself was adapted to a hit musical film that earned more than $200 million worldwide. This Filthy World is a one-man show by John Waters concerning his origins in the trash genre and his successful career navigating Hollywood.

For more information, (757) 683-3116 or email rsvp@odu.edu. RSVP (event code PFW11)

Tags: Arts, Creative, Culture, Hampton Roads, ODU

Oct 03

OpSail 2012 commemorates Bicentennial of War of 1812

Categories:

Tourism, Arts & Culture

The U.S. Navy and OpSail will commemorate the Bicentennial of War of 1812 and Star-Spangled Banner with major events 2012-2015. ”Our Flag Was Still There” theme marks festivities in seven ports across the country. On June 22, 2011 U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and the chairman of Operation Sail, Inc., Jose Fuentes announced a seven-port public/private partnership for the bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner.

From November 2011 to May 2012, OpSail 2012 Virginia will host world renowned authors for a series of lectures on the War of 1812 kicking off OpSail 2012 Virginia activities, culminating in June 2012 when the Port of Virginia will once again host an impressive fleet of tall ships, navy and military war ships representing the world. The OpSail 2012 Virginia 1812 Bicentennial Speaker Series will host seven acclaimed historians who will discuss Virginia’s role during the War of 1812 as well as major themes of the conflict.

November 8, 2011: Ian Toll, “Six Frigates and the Founding of the U.S. Navy”
January 19, 2012: Spencer Tucker and David Healey, “Chesapeake-Leopard Affair” and “Heroes and Villains of the War of 1812”
February 16, 2012: Brian Lavery, “In Nelson’s Shadow: The Royal Navy in 1812”
March 15, 2012: Donald R. Hickey, “Myths of the War of 1812”
April 19, 2012: Catherine Allgor, “Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation”
May 17, 2012: Walter R. Borneman, “Forging a Nation: Why the War of 1812 Matters”

Each lecture will begin with a 45 minute discussion by the author followed by 15-20 minutes for questions and audience participation. Following the lecture, there will be a reception and the opportunity to meet the authors. There will also be a drawing at each event for a one-of-a-kind gift set of autographed books from all seven featured historians. Interested parties can reserve seats for any of the six lectures by emailing opsail2012virginia@festevents.org. All events are free and open to the public; however, space is limited and advance tickets are required.

OpSail 2012 Virginia is partnering with six community organizations to offer the lectures at a variety of venues. Preceding the lecture, each venue will offer a preview of their 2011-2012 programs as well as information about OpSail 2012 Virginia. Partners include the Chrysler Museum, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, NAUTICUS, Norfolk Botanical Garden, Tidewater Community College’s Roper Theater, and the Virginia Arts Festival.

For more information, visit opsail2012virginia.com or contact Joella Adams at (757) 441-2345, ext. 3020, or AdamsJ@festevents.org.

Tags: Hampton Roads, History, Norfolk, Port of Virginia, Virginia

Aug 14

Portsmouth, then and now

Categories:

Tourism, Arts & Culture

On Saturday, September 3, 2011, from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, join the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and Lightship Portsmouth for the First Weekend event, Portsmouth, Then & Now. Discover what life was like in Portsmouth, Virginia, in the past and how it changed over time. Learn about the buildings on High Street, the changing technology of the Shipyard, and discover hands-on activities with real artifacts from Portsmouth’s past. Read about a young girl who lived in Portsmouth in the nineteenth century and learn how her life differed from children today. Admission and activities at both museums will be free and open to the public.

To find out more about Portsmouth, Then & Now,contact Katie Barnes, Assistant Curator of the Portsmouth Museums, History Division, at (757) 393-8591 or via email at: barnesk@portsmouthva.gov.

Tags: Hampton Roads, History, Portsmouth, Virginia

Aug 06

First Africans in the New World at African Arrival Commemoration Day

Categories:

Saturday, August 20, 2011, honor the arrival of the First Africans in the New World at African Arrival Commemoration Day, an inaugural program being presented by the City of Hampton and Project 1619, Inc.

The celebration begins at The American Theatre (125 E. Mellen Street Hampton) at 3:30 p.m. with “Dispelling the Myth of Jamestown,” a free symposium featuring an interactive audience and panel discussion on the misrepresentation of the arrival of Africans in Virginia. The panel includes renowned scholar and historian Dr. Bill Wiggins; Calvin Pearson of Project 1619, Inc.; and Rev. Ronald Myers, founder of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. Immediately following the symposium, at 6:00 p.m., The American Theatre will host the Juneteenth Jazz Heritage, Reconciliation, and Healing Concert.

A ceremony commemorating the 392^nd anniversary of the historic landing of Africans in Virginia will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Fort Monroe (across the street from 53 Fenwick Road), near the site of the African American First Arrival Marker. The African Landing Commemoration Day Candlelight Ceremony begins with a prayer, followed by a song, and then a historical overview of the first arrival. The commemoration will conclude with a candlelight remembrance vigil and prayer.

Project 1619, Inc. is a national non-profit organization based in Hampton, Virginia dedicated to remembering and honoring the first Africans that arrived on English occupied territory in 1619, at what is now Old Point Comfort on Fort Monroe. In 2019, the City of Hampton and Project 1619 will commemorate the 400^th anniversary of this arrival. The organization is in the process of raising funds, with the hope of building a national monument in time for the anniversary. For more info, check out www.Project1619.org. For more information on African Arrival Commemoration Day, contact Calvin Pearson at( 757) 380-1319.

**The African American First Arrival Marker is across the street from 53 Fenwick Road, to the right of the Fort Monroe Fishing Pier. Free parking is available along Fenwick Road, an additional large parking lot is located on the right side of Fenwick Road, about 4 blocks away, near the east gate entrance into the fort.

Those wishing to attend the African Landing Commemoration Day Candlelight Ceremony must have a valid photo I.D., vehicle registration, and proof of insurance as there will be a mandatory identification check to access Fort Monroe.

Tags: Hampton Roads

About Hampton Roads, Government & Citizens, Tourism, Arts & Culture

Jul 25

Elevating Fort Monroe’s History to the National Level

Categories:

About Hampton Roads, Government & Citizens, Military Bastion, Tourism, Arts & Culture

Citizens of Hampton Roads Come Together to Show Their Unity in Elevating Fort Monroe’s History to the National Level

Originally posted on July 22, 20110, to the Hampton Chronicle by Robin McCormick, Marketing INC, Hampton Communication Strategist

Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Terrie Suit, today acknowledged the great turnout and showing of support at last night’s Fort Monroe public hearing held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA. Over 800 citizens showed up to voice their opinions to the National Park Service on Tuesday. All levels of government including members of Congress, members of the state House and Senate, local mayors and city council members all came together to represent the Commonwealth. Audience members from all walks of life including the armed services, historians, teachers, parents, environmentalists, tourists and life-long Hampton residents also came to show their approval.

Many organizations also offered their support to include the Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Preservation Virginia, Hampton Roads Partnership, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Hampton Watch and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

“I’m extremely pleased to see the outstanding support we are receiving from the public,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Terrie Suit who is also the Chairman of the Fort Monroe Authority. “Our ability to show our unity as a Commonwealth will go a long way in seeing us accomplish our goal of preserving the tremendous historical value that Fort Monroe has not only to Virginia, but the nation.”

Familiar refrains heard throughout the night from the public included “Let’s get it done” and “Thanks for listening.” So many people wanted to voice their opinions that both two hour public hearings went thirty minutes over.

“The National Park Service meetings in Hampton on July 19 were an equivocal success,” said Hampton Mayor Molly Ward.

“Citizens from all over the region and the East Coast came to the Hampton Roads Convention Center to voice their support for a National Park Service presence at Fort Monroe through legislation or an Antiquities Act designation by the President. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, business leaders, regional organizations, state and national conservation organizations all made their support known. The Hampton Roads community undoubtedly wants Fort Monroe to be the next great urban park.”

Resonating loudly and becoming a general theme during the evening was the virtually unanimous support for the National Park Service creating a unit at Fort Monroe and for the President using the Antiquities Act to designate it a National Monument. Continuing to pursue legislation through Congress was another important theme that was touted as making this project a reality.

Fort Monroe is steeped in history from the days of the Kecoughtan Indians to Captain John Smith’s first landing at Point Comfort, the arrival of the first Africans brought to the New World, and the beginning of the end of slavery through the famous “Contraband” decision by Major General Benjamin Butler. Natural assets at Fort Monroe include two miles of beachfront along the Chesapeake Bay, two miles of marsh front and live oaks that date back several centuries. The Fort Monroe Authority, the City of Hampton, and Commonwealth of Virginia have supported this endeavor from the beginning. They have collectively lead the call for the National Park designation and sincerely wish to thank those who attended yesterday.

That was the final scheduled public hearing. Those who wish to voice their views may do so through Tuesday, July 26, at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/fortmonroe.

Tags: Fort Monroe, Hampton Roads, Military Bastion, Virginia

1 comment

Jul 25

Supports for Fort Monroe National Park

Categories: