On the eve of the American Civil War, around 60,000 Black men, women, and children lived free in the Commonwealth of Virginia, often alongside enslaved neighbors. Their lives were rich and full, although freedom did not mean equality. These Virginians were not enslaved, but they were by no means full citizens. Some stayed in Virginia, living, working, and thriving despite serious threats to their lives, some moved north or, further still, across the Atlantic to Liberia. However, their stories remain largely untold in the traditional rendering of Virginia’s history.
Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865, a new book and companion publication to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture’s latest exhibition, explores the lives of these Virginians, the challenges and injustices they faced as well as their achievements, revealing under-told and often inspirational stories of Virginia’s past.
Join Melvin Patrick Ely (The College of William & Mary), Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander (Norfolk State University), Stephen Rockenbach (Virginia State University), Sabrina G. Watson (Virginia State University), and Evanda S. Watts-Martinez (Richard Bland College of William & Mary) for a panel discussion moderated by the VMHC’s Un/Bound curator Elizabeth Klaczynski, about their essay contributions to the book and the importance of the experiences of free people of color to Black and Virginia history. The panel discussion will be followed by a reception with light refreshments.
Ticket Info:
VMHC Members – $28 Non-Members – $38
Program Notes:
Light refreshments will follow the program. The book, Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians 1619-1865, will be available for purchase on-site or at ShopVirginiaHistory.org.
