4 5 6 11 VFH Teachers’ VABook! 2007 Interview with Support for Institute Wrap-up Jerome Handler Virginia Tech

The Newsletter of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Spring 2007

A More Complete

PictureBY DAVID BEARINGER of Virginia Virginia has taken an important step, one that recognizes the significance of Virginia Indian history and cultures—past and present—in the life of the Commonwealth. The budget legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor this spring includes funds to create a Virginia Indian Heritage Program. This program, to be established at the VFH, is based on a close partnership between the Virginia Foundation and the eight state-recognized tribes. In part, the Heritage Program is designed to help redress centuries of historical omission, exclusion, and misrepresentation of Virginia Indians and their history, including the impact of laws that for a time denied even the existence of Indian The histories of Virginia’s people in the state. Equally impor- Indian communities are tant is the program’s significant in their own right. focus on Virginia They are also irreplaceable Indian people and tributaries in the larger communities in the story of Virginia. present day. Four hundred years after the found- ing of Jamestown, Virginia Indian cultures and communities retain their connection to the past. But they are also living and changing. Continued on page 2 Powhatan Red Cloud-Owen (Mohawk/Chickahominy). Photo by Mathias Tornqvist SPRING 2007 AContinued More from cover Complete Picture of Virginia

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Initially, the Heritage Program will include: We hope that twenty years 145 Ednam Drive Charlottesville, VA 22903-4629 t a website and database that builds on the impor- from now, partly as a result of this tant work done in creating the Virginia Indian program’s efforts, every Virginian (434) 924-3296 Heritage Trail (see related article, page 3); will know something about the fax (434) 296-4714 cultures of Indian peoples living virginiafoundation.org t institutes and related programs for teachers, vhfi[email protected] some focusing on the development of new cur- in the state, and will have at least riculum resources; a basic knowledge of Virginia Indian history because it is no III, PRESIDENT t grants to non-profit organizations, including Robert C. Vaughan, the tribes, supporting educational programs on longer seen as marginal but sol- DEVELOPMENT Virginia Indian history and culture; idly within the mainstream, where Sheryl Hayes, DIRECTOR Lynda Myers, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE t a broad range of exhibits, publications, oral it has really been all along. histories, conferences, and other initiatives ENCYCLOPEDIA VIRGINIA The VFH is grateful to the Governor and his MANAGING EDITOR to be developed by the VFH and Heritage Matthew Gibson, staff, the Secretary of Natural Resources, the ASSOC. EDITOR Program staff. Karen Wikander, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Matthew Gaventa, MEDIA EDITOR and members of the General Assembly for their Tori Talbot, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE For more than three decades, the VFH support in the establishment of this program. GRANTS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS has worked to help create the broadest possible DIRECTOR David Bearinger, portrait of the Commonwealth and a more Jeanne Siler, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE PROGRAM complete representation of its complex history. Christina Draper, PROGRAM DIRECTOR Our work with Virginia Indian communities VIRGINIA FOLKLIFE PROGRAM began twenty years ago, in 1987, with a grant to PROGRAM DIRECTOR Jon Lohman, support the first conference of the eight state- MEDIA PROGRAMS recognized tribes (the Monacan were then in the Andrew Wyndham, DIRECTOR Lydia Wilson, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE final stages of the state-recognition process). “WITH GOOD REASON” RADIO SHOW The histories of Virginia’s Indian commu- Sarah McConnell, PRODUCER AND HOST nities (including those of Indian people living Jesse Dukes, ASSOC. PRODUCER Nancy King, FEATURE PRODUCER in Virginia who are not part of the eight offi- Elliot Majerczyk, ASSOC. PRODUCER cially recognized tribes) are significant in their PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT own right. They are also irreplaceable tributaries Andrew Chancey, DIRECTOR in the larger story of Virginia. This was true Gail Shirley-Warren, BUSINESS MANAGER RECEPTIONISTS decades, even centuries before 2007, and it will Judy Moody remain true long after the observance of 2007 Jeannie Palin is past. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION Nevertheless, the establishment of the Vir- DIRECTOR Roberta Culbertson, ginia Indian Heritage Program during 2007, the Ann Spencer, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE 400th anniversary of the first permanent English SOUTH ATLANTIC HUMANITIES CENTER Pablo Davis, PROGRAM DIRECTOR colony in North America, is symbolic; and the

VIRGINIA CENTER FOR THE BOOK timing is fortunate. Susan Coleman, DIRECTOR This program can build on the interest in VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK Virginia Indian history and contemporary life PROGRAM DIRECTOR Nancy Damon, that has grown as a result of the 2007 commem- Kevin McFadden, ASSOC. PROGRAM DIRECTOR oration. But much more remains to be done. NEWSLETTER STAFF David Bearinger, ADVISORY EDITOR The establishment of a permanent Virginia Kevin McFadden, CO-EDITOR Indian Heritage Program creates a wealth of CO-EDITOR Ann Spencer, opportunities: to explore Virginia Indian his- Christina Draper, TEXT/WEB EDITOR Lydia Wilson, TEXT/WEB EDITOR tory, to add Virginia Indian perspectives to the Lynda Myers, DISTRIBUTION MANAGER broader discussion of our shared past, and to allow all Virginians to experience the richness of TOP: Zelma Wynn and Van Holmes (Chickahominy) making pottery, 1979. The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities BOTTOM: Virginia Indian Nations powwow, 2006. Photo by Robert Llewellyn Newsletter is published three times a year. contemporary Indian cultures. The VFH is an independent, nonprofit, tax- exempt organization.

2 Spring 2007

VFH Publishes Guide to Encounter: Virginia Indian Heritage Sites

VirginiaVFH Radio Commissions Indians Its First Five-part Today THE Series of Short Stories for Public Radio VIRGINIA INDIAN

BY LYDIA WILSON HERITAGE TRAIL ocahontas. Powhatan. Opechancanough. Th e Jamestown 400th he idea to create a Virginia Indian anniversary is drawing attention to the history of Virginia’s Heritage Trail publication was Indians. It is also serving as a reminder that Virginia Indians conceived in 2005 and developed are not people of the past: that today, nearly four thousand by the Virginia Council on Indians Virginians are members of the Commonwealth’s eight state-recognized T with support from a consortium of state Indian tribes. P agencies and the Virginia Foundation for Each tribe’s membership may be relatively small, but their heritage the Humanities. is rich, and their contemporary challenges resonate in major issues aff ect- ing Virginia as a whole. Contemporary Virginia Indians want to maintain The book was published in May and their tribal identities, even as they live in broader American society. distributed as part of the Jamestown Th eir stories of history, tradition, community identity, and change 2007 commemoration. are stories well worth telling. In January, VFH Radio staff and Karenne VFH provided initial funding for this project through a $10,000 grant Wood (Monacan), who was then chairwoman of the Virginia Council on awarded in June 2005, supporting research and a survey of exist- Indians, approached Virginia’s tribal leaders with the idea for a fi ve-part ing public collections and interpretive sites. VFH is also the book’s radio series to explore the question of what it means to be an Indian in publisher and will assist in its state and nationwide distribution. Virginia today. Tribal leaders off ered their often passionate perspectives on the issues that they believe matter most to their people. Th e result is a fi ve- This 80-page volume, edited by Karenne Wood (Monacan), part series that is a “fi rst” for VFH radio programming. In this series: contains information on more than two dozen tribal and interpre- t Jesse Dukes, With Good Reason Associate Producer, talks with Chief Anne tive sites, as well as histories of each of the eight state-recognized Richardson and other members of the Rappahanock Tribe about tribal tribes, an excellent short history of Virginia Indians, and a foreword identity during a practice of their traditional drum and dance groups. by Chief Kenneth Adams of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe.

t Martha Woodroof, feature reporter for WMRA in Harrisonburg, visits It also includes historic and contemporary photographs; lists of Amherst County’s Monacan tribe to hear how they teach the next genera- Virginia Indian resources and suggested readings; a guide to “Writ- tion what it means to be Monacan. ing and Thinking about Virginia Indians” developed by the Virginia t Mike MacKenzie, a freelance reporter based in Richmond, hears from Council on Indians; and a calendar of powwows, heritage festivals, Chickahominy Chief Stephen Adkins about the impact of Virginia’s and other events taking place throughout Virginia during 2007. complex education history on his tribe today. Another distinctive feature of the book is a series of vignettes t Nancy King, With Good Reason Feature Producer, explores how the state focusing on the historical fi gures Powhatan, Opechancanough, determines what today’s public school children learn about the history of Pocahontas, Amoroleck, Cockacoeske, and Bearskin; and on the Virginia Indians and arguments for revising these parts of the curriculum. 2007 commemoration. t Peter Solomon interviews Mattaponi chief Carl Custalow and his son This is a landmark publication, created by members of the Virginia Todd about how their traditional values are refl ected in their partnership tribes and refl ecting Virginia Indian perspectives on their own his- with the Commonwealth to repopulate the state’s rivers with shad. tory and how that history is interpreted. After four months of work It is also arguably the best, most accessible general introduction and research, the series began airing to Virginia Indian history, heritage, and contemporary life currently statewide May 7 – 11. Th e series available in print. Funding was provided by Jamestown 2007, the reached over 47,000 public radio Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the Virginia Tourism listeners during local segments on Corporation, the Virginia General Assembly, and the VFH. WCVE–Richmond, WHRV–Tide- water, WMRA–Harrisonburg, and WVTF–Roanoke and Southwest The Foundation is very proud to be associated with this Virginia. Th e “We Th e People” initiative of the National Endowment for important and beautifully produced book. For further informa- the Humanities provided the funds to make this series possible. tion, contact Karenne Wood, editor, at 703-338-1652 or David To suggest people, themes or stories for future Humanities Bearinger at the VFH. Feature Bureau reports, contact Lydia Wilson at 434-924-6895 or —D.B. [email protected].

3 BeyondVirginia Jamestown: Indians Past and Present

BY DAVID BEARINGER

any Virginia teachers have expressed their Karenne Wood interest in learning more about Virginia Indian (Monacan), a doctoral history and cultures; and improving the teach- student and Ford ing of Virginia Indian history has long been a Fellow in linguistic goal of Virginia Indian tribal leaders and scholars. anthropology, and In June, the VFH will offer the first of what we hope will Rhyannon Berkowitz Monacan schoolchildren, circa 1914. M Photo: Jackson Davis collection. be an extended series of annual teachers’ institutes focusing on (Creek), Ph.D. Fellow Virginia Indian history and contemporary life. Twenty-five in cultural anthropology, both at the University of Virginia, will

VFH Teachers’ Institute Teachers’ VFH elementary, middle and high school teachers will meet in Char- serve (respectively) as Lead Scholar and Assistant Lead Scholar. lottesville for five days (June 17-21) of intensive discussions. Course faculty include: This is the first statewide institute of its kind ever held in Kenneth Adams, Chief of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe Virginia: the first to offer a curriculum designed by Virginia G. Anne Richardson, Chief of the Rappahannock Tribe Indian leaders, and the first in which Virginia Indian chiefs and other tribal leaders make up the majority of the course faculty, Wayne Adkins, Assistant Chief of the Chickahominy Tribe supported by leading academic scholars. Among other topics, the Institute will focus on Powhatan Red Cloud-Owen, Member of the Chickahominy Tribal Council t Virginia Indian history and cultural traditions from the pre- contact era to the present day Deanna Beacham (Weapomeoc), Program Specialist Virginia Council on Indians t Current issues facing Virginia Indians, including cultural stereotypes, the role of museums and other non-Indian Gabrielle Tayac (Piscataway), Historian at the National Museum of institutions in interpreting Indian history, questions of Indian identity and perceived “authenticity,” etc. the American Indian

t Differing cultural perspectives on regional ecology and Jeffrey Hantman, Archaeologist and Associate Professor of Anthro- environmental issues. pology at the University of Virginia (authority on the Monacan and other Siouan peoples of Virginia’s Central Piedmont)

Kent Mountford, Senior Scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency, the author of Closed Sea, From the Manasquat to the History of Barnegat Bay

Helen Rountree, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Old Dominion University who is generally recognized as the preeminent academic authority on the history and cultures of the Powhatan tribes.

The VFH is very pleased to be working with this distin- guished group of scholars in an unprecedented program. We hope it will be the first of many similar programs, part of our long-term effort to support the teaching of Virginia Indian his- tory, by providing teachers with accurate, balanced information and resources. Funding for this Institute was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities through its “We The People” initiative. A Sappony elder instructs a younger tribal member in quilting.

4 Spring 2007

VABook!Keeps Reading 2007 on a High Plateau

B Y K E V I N M C FADDEN & NANCY DAMON

he thirteenth annual Virginia Festival of the Book came to Charlottesville March 21-25 attracting 20,310 attendees to more than 200 events for youth and adults. Crowds turned out magnifi cently for their favorite authors—including audiences nearing 500 for both lun- cheon speaker Doug Marlette and journalist Helen Th omas, and over 200 for the writers of HBO’s Th e Wire. TFestival attendance has topped 20,000 for four consecutive years now. Th e festival featured special programming on the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the environment, immigration, and other cur- rent aff airs issues, amid the contemporary poetry and fi ction readings which are an annual highlight. Festival Audio Online Th e Festival also kicked off a month-long series of programs onTh e Great Gatsby in libraries and schools as part of a statewide reading campaign, “Th e Big Read,” sponsored by the National Endow- Log on and Listen! ment for the Arts. Another reason for celebration is that the newly revamped website is giving the Festival a longer Business Breakfast with Mike Veeck “shelf-life.” More Festival audio and video than ever were collected in 2007. Author interviews Festival Luncheon with Doug Marlette appeared on C-SPAN 2’s Book TV, programs were broadcast on local access and public television, and Jews Jazz and Jive—John Leland audio segments are available for download via vabook.org and other websites. and Ted Merwin Th e fourteenth annual Virginia Festival of the Book, Press Pass: From the White House produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is to the World—Helen Thomas March 26-30, 2008. As in the past, most programs will be Barbie Dolls, Ginseng, Moonshine & Moonpies off ered in free-and-open-to-the-public venues throughout Charlottesville. Visit vabook.org for more information. The Motivational Magic of Reading Aloud— Jim Trelease This I Believe—Dan Gediman, Betsy Chalmers, Gregory Orr, Frank X Walker Interrogations—Poetry Reading with Kevin Young and David Wojahn Blue Ridge Anthology—Local Authors Changing the Constitution—Garrett Epps Sonia Manzano (Sesame Street’s “Maria”) and Dahlia Lithwick signing books for a young fan. Fiction Contest Winners Book program at Kenwood Library Carolyn Preston Reads from Gatsby’s Girl (Monticello). How! & Other Approaches to American Indians—Karenne Wood and Gabrielle Tayac Letters About Literature Winners th VFH Helps Celebrate Auden’s 100 Birthday Lives Up Close: Portraits & Appreciations— Earl Hamner, Donna Lucey, Charles Shields About a month before the book festival, Charlottesville was host to another spectacular Virginia Politics—Frank Atkinson and literary celebration, W.H. Auden’s centenary. “All I Have Is a Voice” was cosponsored by the Garrett Epps Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ Center for the Book, the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Daily and the Folger Shakespeare Library. Science Writers Tackle the Taboo— Elizabeth Royte and Mary Roach “It’s a wonderful thing to be able to celebrate W.H. Auden’s centenary in a church across the Passage to Freedom: Slavery Legacies— street from a great university, with musicians waiting in the wings. I think that Auden would Betty DeRamus, Cassandra Pybus, th have imagined no happier 100 birthday,” Dana Gioia, chairman of the NEA, told the crowd Jon Sensbach, Ron Soodalter of 250 gathered at St. Paul’s Memorial Church on February 26. The program featured poems, commentary and music written by and devoted to the 20th century poet; remarks by Gioia, The Rare Book Thief—Travis McDade Charles Wright, Arthur Kirsch were followed by a cabaret number by Stephanie Nakasian Women Violence & Survival—Ann Jones featuring music by Benjamin Britten and Auden lyrics. and Terri Jentz

A second celebration took place the following evening at the Folger Shakespeare Library in How to Stop Screwing Up: Martha Washington, D.C. Woodroof’s substance abuse memoir

5 VFH Senior Scholar Jerry Handler VFH Hosts Eighth Annual Working Without a Map “Roots” Seminar BY DAVID BEARINGER Exploring African Infl uence on Jerome (Jerry) Handler likes working with- out a map. He’s an innovative scholar, impatient the Americas with labels, restrictive boundaries, icons, and sacred cows; a respected anthropologist (Ph.D., Beginning June 4, through July 13, the Brandeis) who has spent most of his career mov- VFH will once again host “Roots: African Dimensions of the History and Cultures of ing back and forth across the borders between the Americas Through the Trans-Atlantic cultural anthropology, archaeology, and history. Slave Trade.” As a result, his work has made, and con- This program was conceived in 1998 and tinues to make, important contributions in fi rst organized and conducted the following multiple fi elds, including Caribbean summer by Dr. Jerome Handler, then a VFH Studies, West Indian Slave Life, the Senior Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, African Anthropology and Black American Studies at Southern Illinois University (see related American Social and Cultural His- article) and Dr. Joseph Miller, T. Cary tory, and the early African Diaspora. Johnson Jr. Professor of History at the In his long, and unique, Jerry Handler doing fi eldwork University of Virginia. affi liation with the VFH, he’s also in the village of Chalky Mount, Barbados, in the early 1960s. Since then, Professor Miller, one of the proven to be equally skilled—and leading African Studies scholars in the dedicated—as an ambassador United States, has offered the program and a pioneer: a rare combina- With Michael Tuite, seven more times. In alternate years, the tion. And earlier this year, after he has created one of the Seminar is targeted to high school teachers most widely respected and and college and university faculty. All eight almost a decade as Senior programs have been hosted by VFH and Fellow, he was named Senior used websites devoted to received funding from the National Endow- Scholar at the Virginia Foun- images of slavery and slave ment for the Humanities. dation for the Humanities: life—Th e Atlantic Slave With a group of alumni now approaching the fi rst person to hold each Trade and Slave Life in the 200 teachers and college faculty nation- of these titles. Americas: A Visual Record wide, the “Roots” Seminar has had an (www.slaveryimages.org). t t t enormous impact on the teaching of Afri- Th is archive contains more than 1,200 images and can and African American history. Jerry came to the Foundation as a Fellow in is a resource for museums, authors and publishers, This year’s program, like its predecessors, 1995. Since then, his affi liation with the VFH has scholars, students and teachers at all levels, as well blends historical, literary, and cultural per- brought national and international visibility to our as documentary fi lmmakers, and many others. spectives, includes individual research and programs. Th e site is currently receiving more than presentations by participants, and involves a superb guest faculty. As a speaker and lecturer, he has appeared at 200,000 visitors annually from more than 150 scores of colleges, universities, and in public set- countries, with approximately 4 million “page The “Roots” Seminar is rich in content, tings throughout Virginia, and nationwide—at views”; and these numbers continue to grow. and evaluations of the course have been Yale, U.C.L.A., Stanford, Princeton, Syracuse, Earlier this spring, the VFH published the consistently at the highest levels. Many participants, including a number from Vir- and the Universities of Pennsylvania, Vermont, second (revised and enlarged) edition of Freed- ginia, have said it is one of the highlights of Arizona, and Connecticut to name just a few; men of Barbados: Names and Notes for Genealogical their professional careers. as well as internationally at the University of and Family History Research by Jerome Handler, the West Indies (Barbados), the Universities of Ronald Hughes, Melanie Newton, Pedro L.V. The consistent support from NEH and a pool of applicants that grows stronger Hull, Sussex, and Cambridge (England), and the Welch, and Ernest M. Wiltshire. Th is book con- every year speak to the long-term value University of Toronto. tains information on more than 1,800 Barbadians of this undertaking, which advances the Along the way, working with the historian identifi ed as freedmen in documentary sources. Foundation’s longstanding interests in Joe Miller, Jerry was instrumental in beginning African and African American history Along with his Guide to Source Materials for the and culture while providing a unique op- what is probably the Foundation’s most impor- Study of Barbados History, 1627-1834 (also recently portunity for teachers and college faculty tant and infl uential long-term initiative serving re-published), this book serves as “...a testament nationwide. teachers and college faculty—Roots: Th e African to the value of [Handler’s] work as a Caribbean Infl uence on American Culture Th rough the Trans- studies scholar....” Atlantic Slave Trade (see sidebar at left). I spoke with Jerry recently about his work. 6 Spring 2007

DB: You grew up in the Bronx. What led you to Disturbing burial sites is a very sensitive issue now, want to study slave life in Barbados? in this country at least. Was there resistance to your work? Violence and Survival Fellow JH: I became involved in the Civil Rights move- David Niyonzima JH: ment as an undergraduate [at UCLA] in the 1950s, No. But it would be more difficult today. At that and this led to an interest in African Studies, which time (this was the early 1970s), plantation burial From Burundi— was then a relatively new field. In graduate school I sites were not considered sacred to the local people, A Model for Postwar became steeped in the anthropology of Africa; and and they still aren’t. The people in the villages, Reconciliation this led in turn to an interest in colonial societ- the people of African descent, for the most part, ies, the impact of Africa and Africans in the New didn’t—many still don’t—feel a strong identification World, and especially the descendents of people with Africa or with the people buried in the slave who were brought here as slaves. The Atlantic slave cemeteries. Today, there’s more of an emphasis on trade lasted about 350 years, and Barbados was an Africa in the secondary school curriculum; and of important slave colony in the British sugar empire. I course, the whole field of archaeology has changed had an opportunity, as a graduate student, to spend in its attitudes toward excavating burial sites. a summer in a village called Chalky Mount, in the DB: highlands of Barbados, and returned there for a year Tell me about your current research interests. collecting data for my Ph.D. dissertation. JH: I’m interested in the Middle Passage, the forced transportation of captive Africans across the This summer, the VFH Violence and Survival DB: What was interesting about Chalky Mount? Atlantic, especially what kinds of material goods program will welcome David Niyonzima as a JH: scholar in residence for one month. The VFH Most of the people worked on sugar planta- and personal belongings slaves brought—or might Board approved the invitation of scholars able tions, and were descended from slaves. But they had have brought—with them to the Americas. What to assist the VFH in developing or expanding a unique pottery tradition—using a hand-operated were people wearing? Were they stripped of their its programs, and David comes equipped to offer a variety of insights to the Violence crank shaft instead of a kick-wheel. I spent many clothing and jewelry before they left Africa, or program. Dr. Niyonzima grew up in Burundi, hours in the cane fields; and also did historical when they arrived? a country south of and culturally similar to Rwanda. One of a few to survive an assault research in libraries, trying to find information DB: How can we know this? by government soldiers at his school, David about the origins of their pottery technology. I resolved to work to prevent and treat the began to realize that what really interested me most JH: Images from the period is one way. But this effects of violence, first by understanding was the period of slavery: who were the ancestors is tricky. Let’s say you have an engraving of a it, and then by developing a program that of the people living on Chalky Mount and how could be implemented for very low cost all slave market, or a ship’s hold. Was this based on a over Burundi. His work has become a model did they create new lives based on their African sketch made in situ by someone who was actu- for much postwar reconciliation in Africa, traditions while living under highly repressive ally observing the scene? Or is it based on an and increasingly, elsewhere. Dr. Niyonzima conditions? artist’s imagination? These are different kinds of developed an intercultural, interdisciplinary model of healing that uses story and history information. There are also the official records of DB: Your career was evolving from anthropology (the humanities), Western and Burundian the British Parliament, accounts by slave traders understandings of trauma (science), action toward the study of history.... and other Europeans; and, occasionally, first hand methods (the arts and therapy), and micro- JH: accounts by Africans who survived the Middle enterprise (economics) to help those affected I would describe myself now as an historical by violence to reconstitute meaningful and anthropologist. But remember that we’re talk- Passage. And look: the Trans-Atlantic slave trade constructive lives. The keystone of his ing about a population that didn’t leave its own lasted from the early 1500s to the 1870s when program is a network of “Listening Rooms” Africans were still being brought into Cuba and all over Burundi, where trained volunteers records. The records that do exist were created by can listen to the first level of traumatic the British. As an American scholar, I was looking Brazil. This is an enormous span of time; tens of processing — victims telling what happened at an alien population (transplanted Africans) thousands of voyages; millions of people. So it’s and developing a workable context for through the eyes of another alien population (the dangerous to make any categorical statements or understanding it. Community based and generalizations about the “slave trade.” respectful of Burundians’ own understandings British). Even though the documentary evidence of themselves, THARS, as it is known, is might be scattered and fragmentary, archaeol- now building a school in Burundi that will DB: One last question. You’ve been involved with ogy can provide a “straight line” to the African teach the THARS (Trauma Healing and VFH now for more than a decade—as a Fellow, population. My interest was—and still is—in how Reconciliation Services) method to volunteers Affiliate Fellow, Senior Fellow, and now Senior and professionals all over the region, including the archaeological data raises questions that the Scholar. What kind of impact has this had on your Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the historical record doesn’t raise; and vice versa. It’s Congo. For more information on THARS, go work? like a conversation... to www.thars.org. We are able to bring Dr. Niyonzima here through the generosity JH: It’s provided an encouraging, congenial, and DB: The cemetery you studied is now a National of private donors to the VFH Violence and supportive environment, enhanced considerably Survival program, and through the generous Historic Site in Barbados. by the connection with UVa and its faculty and assistance and guidance of the Charlottesville Friends Meeting, who will provide housing, JH: students. I am doing things here that I never dreamt Yes, the Newton Plantation Cemetery. and who introduced Dr. Niyonzima to the VFH. I would have done when I retired from university DB: Your research involved excavation of the site. teaching about 11 years ago.

7 Strengthening an African American Heritage Network

BY CHRISTINA DRAPER

magine yourself on a warm evening in the late 1920s and positive interpretation of the history of civil rights in education, specifi cally as it stepping through the garden gate. You overhear soft relates to Prince Edward County and the voices, not just any voices, but those of poets: James role its citizens played in integrating this Weldon Johnson and Anne Bannister Spencer. Th ey sip country. Th e Museum also serves as a center tea, hardly noticing the lavender and blue left by the setting for community groups to discuss issues of sun as the sweet fragrance of beautiful spring fl owers fi ll the racial cooperation. I Th e Harrison Museum of African air around them. Th e place is a sanctuary. Th e water-spouting hheadead ooff PPrincerince EEbobo ttherehere iiss a ggiftift ffromrom WW.. EE.. BB.. DDuBois.uBois. American Culture is located on the ground fl oor of Harrison School, the fi rst pub- Would you not want to preserve lic high school built in 1916 for African and protect such a moment so that it American students in Roanoke. Designated could be celebrated with many genera- a Virginia Historic Landmark, the museum tions to come? Museums have been researches, preserves and interprets the created traditionally to do just that, to achievements of African Americans, specifi - protect treasures and the heritage they cally in Southwestern Virginia. represent so that they can be shared Among the newer network members with future generations. Hampton is the L. E. Coleman Museum in Halifax, University Museum is Virginia’s oldest located at 3011 Mountain Road. Established African American museum; in 1978, in 2005, it is dedicated to promoting artistic the predecessor to the Association of excellence that primarily refl ects the culture African American Museums was formed The L.E. Coleman Museum of African Americans of Halifax County. to bring together a group of institutions, Th eCarver-Price Legacy Museum thus strengthening the commitment to example of a local African American history in Appomattox is the newest museum in the address challenging issues and ensuring that museum, Legacy has produced outstanding Network, and it is an out growth of the work such history was no longer ignored, omitted, exhibitions on the education, businesses, and of the Carver-Price alumni association. Th e or misinterpreted by scholars. social movements in the Lynchburg area and school building is part of the Civil Rights Faith and perseverance continue to be were a principal organizing partner of the and Education Heritage Trail and is located the driving forces for each of the museums NAAMV initiative. on business route 460. that have emerged in Central and Southside Also in Lynchburg, the Anne Spen- To learn more about these institu- Virginia. As reported in our last newslet- cer House and Garden is the only house tions and other African American sites that ter (VFH Views, Winter 07), the Network museum in the network. Th e former home preserve and interpret the Virginia Afri- of African American Museums in Virginia of the poet is located in the Pierce Street can American experience, go to the newly (NAAMV) is designed to provide techni- historic district. Its collections cal assistance, enhance cooperation, and are designed to preserve and enable collaboration as each reaches out to celebrate, through education the community it serves as well as across the and research, the literary, cul- Commonwealth. Th e initiative, created in tural, and social legacy of Anne partnership with the VFH African Ameri- Spencer. can Heritage Program, involves six museums Th e other fi ve network from Central Virginia. members are housed in former Th eLegacy Museum of African African American school American History was established in buildings. Th e Robert Russa 1995 and moved to its current location in Moton Museum in Farmville Lynchburg, 403 Monroe Street, in 1997. has a rich history in the Civil Th e museum collects, preserves, and stores Rights Movement. Located in historical artifacts, documents and memora- the former R.R. Moton High bilia relating to the signifi cant contributions School, a National Historic of the African American community in Landmark, the museum was Lynchburg and its environs. A leading established in 1997. Its board is committed to the preservation 8 Spring 2007

Pablo Davis Leaves for Memphis; New Staff Join Encyclopedia and Grants

will serve as Executive Director of Latino Memphis, a English, and from the University of Iowa in 2005 with community non-profi t, and plans to join the local music an M.A. in Film Studies. Matthew can be reached at scene. Of his time with the VFH, Pablo says, “For me, [email protected] or 434-924-3777. it has been like a candy store to a little boy. People here are committed to bringing the humanities to a Jeanne Nicholson Siler became Program Associate wide public audience. It’s not just a job—it’s a cause, for Grants in January following more than ten years and that makes it an inspiring place to be.” The South of involvement with the VFH. Jeanne has volunteered Atlantic Humanities Center continues as a VFH partner- consistently for the Book Festival and in 2005-2006 ship with the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. served as Project Historian for the VFH’s FAHI Project, interviewing Martinsville’s Fayette Street community Matthew Gaventa describes his new position as about life before integration. She spent many hours Media Editor for Encyclopedia Virginia as coordinator in the living rooms and on the porches of Martinsville, of “a really giant scavenger hunt.” For each encyclope- documenting an African American history that had dia entry, he scours archives for audio, video and imag- never before been written down. “For a journalist used

Jeanne Nicholson Siler, Matthew Gaventa, and Pablo Davis es to supplement the text and then handles the legal to daily deadlines, it was a luxury,” she says of the long- and licensing issues necessary to republish the media. term nature of the project. Jeanne served several years Pablo Julian Davis is leaving VFH after nearly Since joining EV in February, Matthew has concentrat- as a general assignment reporter for Charlottesville’s four years as Program Director of the South Atlantic ed on building a foundation for this process through Daily Progress, before working as a freelance editor for Humanities Center. Pablo and his family move in July long-term agreements with important partners, such many organizations. Jeanne is married to Nic Siler, to Memphis, Tennessee, where his wife, Elizabeth as the Virginia Historical Society. Matthew brings and together they have two daughters: Natalie, 23, Marcela Pettinaroli, will teach Colonial Latin Ameri- experience in graphic design and short fi lm production and Ginger, 20. She received an M.A. in anthropology can literature and Spanish language in the Modern to the Encyclopedia Virginia team. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2003. Jeanne can be Languages Department of Rhodes College. Pablo from Georgetown University in 2001 with a B.A. in reached at [email protected] or 434-243-5522.

VFH Bids Farewell to Two Outgoing Board Members and Welcomes Three More

Both Elaine Carter (Blacksburg) and Lydia Peale Foundation, and the Ohef Sholom Temple, among William. She has been the director or co-director of (Palmyra) were close friends and ardent supporters others. She was on the board of the Virginia Center nine VFH-funded grants. of VFH before joining the Board in 2000, and both for the Book before it relocated to VFH. were enthusiastic Board members. They are already Robin Traywick Williams missed. Joining the Board in 2007 are Jo Ann Cassandra Newby-Alex- is a former Commissioner Hofheimer (Virginia Beach), Cassandra Newby- ander is Associate Profes- and Chairman of the Virginia Alexander (Chesapeake), and Robin Traywick sor of History at Norfolk Racing Commission, Chief of Williams (Crozier). State University, where Staff and Legislative Liaison she has taught since 1992. for Virginia Lt. Governor Jo Ann Hofheimer is an Previously, she was a sec- John Hager, and an editor, author, free-lance writer, ondary teacher in Norfolk reporter, writer, and legisla- and master gardener. Public Schools. Cassandra tive assistant. She earned A.B. and M.A. degrees She earned B.S. and earned a B.A. degree from Hollins University. Robin writes a weekly col- M.A. degrees from Old from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. degree umn, “Bush Hogs and Other Swine,” for the Gooch- Dominion University. from the College of William and Mary. She is the land Courier and is the author of Chivalry, Thy Name Among her publications author of numerous publications and the director is Bubba (2000), a collection of her newspaper and is Annie Wood: A Portrait of the web-based “Race, Time, and Place: African magazine articles. Robin is a Founding Member of (1997). Jo Ann founded Americans in Tidewater Virginia.” Cassandra serves the Board of the Bank of Goochland (Virginia) and and co-owned J. M. Prince Books, a bookstore on the WHRO Community Advisory Board and the a Director of TransCommunity Financial Corporation. in Norfolk. She is a member of the board of the WHRO Foundation Board. In addition, she serves WHRO Foundation, a mentor at Seatack Elementary on the boards of the Historical Commission of the We look forward to working with these new mem- School, and former President of the Irene Leache Supreme Court of Virginia, the Norfolk Sister City bers in the years ahead. Memorial Foundation at the Chrysler Museum of Association, and the African American-Jewish Art. Jo Ann has been a member of the boards of Coalition and is a member of Multicultural Commit- The VFH Board of Directors meets four times a the Virginia Beach Library Foundation, the Norfolk tee for the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau. year. Nominations, including self-nomination, are Forum, the Norfolk Society of Arts, the Fred Heutte Cassandra lives in Chesapeake with her husband welcome anytime.

9 DONOR PROFILE Walter Jackson BY JEANNE SILER

hen Walter Jackson ffolkolk llifeife pprograms,rograms, mmakingaking fi lms,lms, packed up his fi les and and the Book Festival. You talk traveled north from wwithith tthesehese ppeopleeople ooverver ccoffoff eeee andand Chapel Hill, North aatt rreceptions.eceptions. IItt ddoesn’toesn’t eeatat uupp yyourour Carolina to set up a temporary working rresearchesearch ttime,ime, ddoesn’toesn’t ddivertivert yyou,ou, spaceW on the second-fl oor of the VFH in bbutut iitt pputsuts FFellowsellows iinn ccontactontact wwithith the early fall of 2002, the associate his- ootherther ppeopleeople aandnd ffeedseeds tthehe ddialogueialogue tory professor thought he would spend bbetweenetween sscholarscholars aandnd tthehe hhumani-umani- his fellowship working on a collection tties.ies. Th aatt jjustust ddoesn’toesn’t hhappenappen aatt aallll of essays. As a VFH Fellow, he would humanities centers.” have a semester to focus on research “Th e interdisciplinary con - and writing, away from the demands tact is very valuable,” he added. of teaching at North Carolina State “It allows you to see how your University. However, one of the essays work is received by the greater grabbed his attention and became the community.” focus for a new book. “Th ere’s a particular inti- Now nearing completion, Intoxicat- macy there that’s really very Walter and Rachida Jackson, with daughter Sarah. ing Honesty: Gunnar and Alva Myrdal mmemorable...[VFHemorable...[VFH PPresident]resident] RRobob in Sweden and America is Jackson’s joint [Vaughan] is interested in the work I do biography of the Swedish couple, both in civil rights—he participates intellectu- I’m an alum. I give an unrestricted gift of whom became Nobel Prize winners, ally in discussions in ways that might not because I’m not only interested in just but in separate years for diff erent awards. be expected of an administrator, and has the Fellowships,” and adds that he began “I’m focused on the period 1919 to 1945 with $25 and tries to increase the amount for the fi rst volume, which took a great of his gift each year. surge forward when I was at the Founda- Jackson notes that the connections tion. I probably wrote 100 to 150 pages,” “Th e interdisciplinary he made as a Fellow helped him organize said the former Fellow with interests in contact is very a recent conference at Shaw University U.S. history, civil rights, and other issues commemorating the founding of SNCC, of race, culture and the South. valuable...It allows the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Jackson notes how the Myrdals’ you to see how your Committee. Continuing to receive the own writings on American racial inequal- work is received VFH Views helps him stay in touch with ity and other social tensions from the friends in Charlottesville, and reinforces middle of the 1900s, coupled with “an by the greater his appreciation for public history. unbelievably detailed record of their community.” Jackson was recently appointed to correspondence” only recently made the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in available, has given historians “an extraor- American Studies at Uppsala University dinary window on the 20th century.” introduced me to people on the board in Sweden for the 2007-08 academic Jackson participated twice in the and UVa faculty members.” year. He, his wife Rachida—a humani- VFH Fellowship Program, fi rst in 1993, Jackson, a native of Tennessee, ties professor at Shaw University in and again for a second fall semester in earned his undergraduate degree from a Raleigh—and their daughter Sarah will 2002. North Carolina school (Duke University) leave July 1. “As a Fellow you have the privacy and his Ph.D. in Massachusetts (from needed to write, but you also meet very Harvard) but cheerfully admits “the Vir- We at the VFH are grateful for the Jacksons’ interesting people—just being in the ginia Foundation is my favorite charity.” ongoing fi nancial support and the camarade- same building with people involved with He donates to the VFH “because rie he has brought to the Fellowship program.

10 Spring 2007

Humanities Advocacy Day Planned Giving: Groundwork for the Future ravelers in Virginia are certain to see historic buildings containing centuries-old cor- nerstones planned by our forefathers who envisioned many of the buildings we still Tenjoy today. These cornerstones were placed by believers who seized the future and believed in the value of these important buildings. These founders had vision and imagina- tion, and recognized the importance of laying the groundwork for the future.

Like these builders of a bygone era, donors to the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities can also lay the groundwork for the next generation of new ideas and initiatives. By making a planned gift today, a VFH donor can ensure that a program that he or she is passionate about will continue to thrive. Through a planned gift, a benefactor can create a vision that will live on.

One type of planned gift is a charitable gift annuity, which may be established with a small investment ($5,000 minimum). It can be funded with either appreciated securities or cash. The donor receives an immediate income tax deduction and may also bypass or defer capital gains tax. In addition, a portion of the income may be tax-free.

The good news is that while deferred or planned gifts are providing benefi ts to future gen- VFH staff participated in Humanities Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on March 27 to demonstrate the erations of Virginians, they may also provide signifi cant advantages to you or your estate. breadth of the work for the humanities in Virginia and Consult your tax attorney or fi nancial planner for ways to reduce tax liability or increase to advocate for additional funding for the National income through planned gifts. Endowment for the Humanities. Pictured left to right are Phil Chase (Papers of George Washington), Sheryl For more information on charitable gift annuities and other types of planned gifts, contact Hayes (VFH), Lynn Rainville (American Association of Sheryl Hayes at 434-924-3296 or by email at [email protected]. Anthropologists [AAA] and Sweet Briar College), and Paul Nuti (AAA). Photograph courtesy of Paul Nuti.

Dear VFH friend, In the aftermath of the horrifi c violence and loss suff ered by members of the Virginia Tech family, we at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, like others, have again discovered in our own lives how much the humanities can off er those aff ected by tragedy—directly or indirectly. We wanted to share some things many of us on the VFH staff have found to be sources of comfort and insight. Poetry, refl ections, images, and other materials that might be of help to you, your family, or people you know, can be found at www.virginiafoundation.org/VT.html Th e VFH Violence and Survival program has served survivors in many diff erent countries over the last ten years; perhaps much of the wisdom gathered through that program is relevant to this time as well. Many materials online can also be had in hard copy at your request. Just send an email to the aaddressddress bbelow.elow. We welcome your suggestions of other, similar or diff erent materials that you think could be hhelpfulelpful iinn tthehe aaftermathftermath ooff tthishis ggrievousrievous lloss—andoss—and ttoo oothersthers wwhoho ssuffuff erer violentviolent lossloss inin diffdiff erenterent circumstances. Please let us know your thoughts at [email protected]. — From the staff of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities

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Virginia Foundation for the Humanities 2006 – 2007 Board of Directors

Brooks Miles Barnes Charles M. Guthridge Eastern Shore Public Library Charles M. Guthridge Associates Accomac, Virginia Richmond, Virginia

David Baldacci Ronald L. Heinemann David Baldacci Enterprises Hampden-Sydney College Reston, Virginia Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Peter Blake Jo Ann M. Hofheimer Virginia Community College System Virginia Beach, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Maurice A. Jones The Virginian-Pilot The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is pleased to Robert H. Brink Norfolk, Virginia General Assembly of Virginia Arlington, Virginia Anna L. Lawson provide a preview of the Encyclopedia Virginia home page, at Daleville, Virginia L. Preston Bryant, Jr. www.virginiafoundation.org/encyclopedia/preview/. Commonwealth of Virginia James D. Lott Richmond, Virginia Stuart Hall Staunton, Virginia When you go to the Audrey Davis Alexandria Black History Museum Cassandra Newby-Alexander online preview, move Alexandria, Virginia Norfolk State University Norfolk, Virginia your mouse around the Rhoda Dreyfus Charlottesville, Virginia Bittle W. Porterfi eld, III screen and the demon- Rice Management Johanna R. Drucker Roanoke, Virginia stration will highlight University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia W. Taylor Reveley, III areas that you can click College of William & Mary Williamsburg, Virginia John P. Fishwick, Jr. on to learn more about Lichtenstein, Fishwick & Johnson Robert C. Vaughan, III Roanoke, Virginia the various features Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Charlottesville, Virginia Barbara J. Fried and functionalities that Fried Companies, Inc. William C. Wiley Crozet, Virginia Ascential Equity EV will offer! Richmond, Virginia Michael J. Galgano James Madison University Robin Traywick Williams Harrisonburg, Virginia Crozier, Virginia