Collective History as African Americans:  

A Three-Part Class with Paula Royster this February @ Main

Collective Memory is a term used to describe memories shared among members of a cultural group. 

Commemorative events, anniversaries, holidays, and memorial services are ways in which people gather to maintain collective memory.  This month at Richmond Public Library's Main Branch, Paula Royster will be leading a three-part exploration of our Collective Memory as African Americans.

Paula Royster is a renowned genealogist, cultural anthropologist, and academic lecturer.  She will lead a discussion of collective memories in the African American consciousness, a session on tracing the slave trade, and an interactive discussion of our Collective History culminating in the creation of a time capsule.  Participants are encouraged to share their memories of Richmond.

Here is a more detailed look at each of the sessions:

February 8, 3-5pm: Collective Memory
What is collective memory, and how do we remember events that shape our collective memory?  How does collective memory manifest in our political structure and government, in memorial sites such as the African Burial Ground National Monument in new york, in our memorializing of Civil Rights leaders, and in our experience of events affecting the African American culture during our lifetimes, such as the Trayvon Martin case?

February 15, 3-5pm:  Tracing the Slave Trade
Ms. Royster will discuss the Slave Trade from a cultural, historical and genealogical standpoint.   This discussion will include the oft-forgotten, oldest known slave trade: the Arab-Oriental Trade, which spanned 14 centuries and operated across the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas into Europe.  The class will examine the ethnic identities of various peoples from across the globe.

 February 22, 3-5 pm:  Collective History 
This class will cover events of historical significance to the African American culture, including the civil war, Juneteenth, and Sesquicentennial, as well as historical figures such as W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey.  Join us to create a time capsule that captures the essence of our community, reflects the social, economic and political aspects of our time, and preserves how we want to be remembered. 

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Paula Royster is the founder, President and CEO of the Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc/ (CAAGRI).  Ms. Royster is a guest lecturer at VCU, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Mary Washington, and a Fulbright Specialist.

Ms. Royster specializes in genealogy, Cultural Anthropology and the African Diaspora.  She chairs the Rappahannock Regional Juneteenth Committee and serves as an advisor to non-profit organizations related to her field. As a veteran genealogist, she has conducted seminars and workshops locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

The Remembering Project Presented by Dr. Michael Blakey, Anthropologist

As part of the African American Community Lecture Series at the Main Library, Dr. Michael Blakely is going to discuss the digital mapping project "The Remembering Project" on September 19 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. 

The Remembering Project 

The Remembering Slavery, Resistance and Freedom Project (the Remembering Project) was established to engage the community of  African descendants throughout Virginia to develop memorial events, exhibits and/or programs for the Sesquicentennial that honors the rich and complex lives, histories, contributions, innovations, and sacrifices of enslaved Africans and African Americans. 

One way the Project intends to memorialize the contributions of individuals of African descendants in Virginia, is by identifying the cemeteries of the people who were enslaved.  As the group approach the Sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, they recognized the deep significance of burials in remembering the contributions Africans and African Americans to Virginia and the nation as a whole.

The Remembering Project is developing a database of known cemetery sites.  Please join us at the Main Library to learn more about this exciting project and help disseminate information about this project.  Be sure that your family cemeteries are included in this database.

Dr. Michael Blakey

Dr. Michael Blakey is the Director of the Institute for Historical Biology at the College of William and Mary. He is a physical anthropologist known for analysis and interpretation of the important evidence uncovered at the 1991 African Burial Ground in Manhattan. Dr. Blakey, set the precedence and is world renowned for his scholarly work on this project. In 2012, he was recognized and celebrated for his contributions as one of the Library of Virginia African American Trailblazers. 


Click here for more information about the The Remembering Project.

Call 646-7223 for more details about the program.

African American Genealogy Workshop

Since the 1940 Census was made public several weeks ago, a lot of people have been using this resource for their genealogical research. There is some time left for those who are still interested in viewing this information. The 1940 Census can be accessed here: http://1940census.archives.gov/.

This Saturday at 1 pm, Genealogist Pat Clark will provide her services for a genealogy workshop. It is free and open to the public.

If you have questions and need answers, this is the perfect opportunity for you to attend this workshop.

UNPACKING THE 2010 CENSUS: New Realities of Race, Class, and Jurisdiction

Join us at the RPL Main Library on Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 - 8:30 for Unpacking the 2010 Census: New Realities of Race, Class, and Jurisdiction. This program will help us examine the dramatically changing landscape of human needs and what we must do collectively to address the plight of our neighborhoods and to build a just and inclusive community. The Unpacking the 2010 Census program was conceived, researched and designed by Dr. John V. Moeser, a renowned urban planning expert, Senior Fellow at the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond, and a member of the Hope in the Cities Council.

In March of 2011, Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones launched his anti-poverty commission to focus on employment, education, transportation, and health.  Heroic efforts are being made by countless volunteers to address the consequences of our unequal systems, but as yet there has been no deliberate attempt to educate people on the underlying causes and alter the basic structures that would enable Richmond area residents to move out of poverty.

The Census project is presented in partnership with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and is supported by a grant from The Community Foundation.

The project aims to:

-Provoke long-needed discussion about new policy options to address poverty and structural inequity in the region. The disparities in public education, access to transportation, healthcare, and affordable housing are rooted in the structures of our economic and political systems, and their historical context.

-Educate people on the underlying causes. This approach is unique in that it highlights the role that history has played in the current situation, and how we all have the power to make history ourselves, by taking action now to alter the basic structures that would enable Richmond area residents to move out of poverty.

-Create a grassroots domino effect where those who have taken part in a facilitated discussion will be empowered to share what they have learned with others in the community.

We want as many voices as possible in these discussions! Please call and reserve a space for what promises to be a rigorous and enlightening evening: 804-646-7223

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Meeting at the Main Library

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) will be having their meeting Saturday, March 31, 2012, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Main (Special Collections). The topic for discussion is the 1940 Census: Countdown to April 2, 2012. The 1940 U.S. census will become available to the public for the entire month of April 2012. For anyone who attends, question can be answered on how to use this resource for their genealogical research.

There will also be a guest speaker, Brent Morgan, for the meeting. Brent Morgan serves as president of the Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia (GRIVA), as treasurer of the Virginia Genealogical Society, and as State Registrar for the Sons of the American Revolution. A genealogist for more than twenty-five years, he is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild.