NEWS & EVENTS
2009 African American Trailblazers Student Essay Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 African American Trailblazers Student Essay Contest Winners, sponsored by the Library of Virginia, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Comcast. The first place winners were recognized at the Trailblazers reception on February 26, 2009 at the Library of Virginia. To see copies of the winning entries, click here.
| Grades 3-4 First Place: Nicholas DeLaPena Hopkins Road Elementary Mrs. Cheatham, 4th Grade Second Place: Brianna Dudley Johnson Elementary Ms. Lovett, 3rd Grade Third Place: Camille Perry Johnson Elementary Ms. Lovett, 3rd Grade |
Grades 5-6 First Place: Imani Brooks South Boston Elementary Ms. Davis, 5th Grade Second Place: Taylor Burrell Grafton Bethel Elementary Ms. Greene, 5th Grade Third Place: Terence Hardy Clarksville Elementary Ms. Turner, 5th Grade |
Grades 7-8 First Place: Jessica Moniz West Point Public Schools Mrs. Rice, 8th Grade Second Place: Annesha Sengupta Manchester Middle School Ms. Sanders, 7th Grade Third Place: Marisela Ochoa Richmond County Intermediate School Mr. Strong, 8th Grade |
“Piedmont Blues with Wiggins and Friends: A Tribute to John Cephas”
Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Capital Ale House, 623 E. Main Street, Richmond, Virginia
The River City Blues Society and the Library of Virginia will sponsor a special tribute concert, “Piedmont Blues with Wiggins and Friends: A Tribute to John Cephas,” at the Capital Ale House. Phil Wiggins, a long-time recording and performing partner of Cephas, will be joined by other notable blues players Rick Franklin, Mike Baytop, and Gregg Kimball, to honor Cephas and the Piedmont Blues tradition. Tickets for the event are $5.00. Visit http://wegotblues.com for more details.
“From Lynchburg to Launch Pad: Astronaut Leland Melvin”
Thursday, February 26, 2009, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Location: The Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that Leland Melvin, Trailblazer honoree and Virginian astronaut, will be visiting the Library in order to speak with school children about his career as an astronaut. Mr. Melvin is currently in training to go back into space and is assigned to the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s planned mission for October 2009. This program is open to students K–12. In addition to Leland Melvin’s visit, the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton will be conducting hands-on educational programs for students. Program is full.
“Piedmont Blues with Wiggins and Friends: A Tribute to John Cephas”
Blues in the Classroom Program
Thursday, February 26, 2009, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Location: Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
Wiggins and Friends will perform a special program celebrating John Cephas’ legacy at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. The event is part of the River City Blues Society’s “Blues in the Schools” initiative and is being co-sponsored by the Library of Virginia.
2009 Ceremony and Reception
The Library of Virginia invites you to celebrate African American History Month by honoring men and women who have played an integral part in Virginia’s history. The 2009 African American Trailblazers in Virginia History reception will be held at the Library of Virginia on Thursday, February 26, 2009, from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Daphne Maxwell Reid, actress and film producer, is the host for the evening. Event is free but you must call 804–692–3900 or register online by February 20, 2009, to reserve your seat.
“Colonial Hearths, Country Cookstoves: Exploring the Culinary Legacies of Mary Randolph and Edna Lewis”
A Special Culinary Program celebrating “Virginia Women in History” and “African American Trailblazers in Virginia History,” sponsored by the Library of Virginia and the University of Richmond’s Center for Culinary Arts
Friday, March 6, 2009, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: University of Richmond, Center for Culinary Arts, 9722 Gayton Road, Richmond, Virginia
Explore the culinary legacies of Mary Randolph and Edna Lewis. This is a special culinary program celebrating "Virginia Women in History" and "African American Trailblazers in Virginia History", sponsored by the Library of Virginia and the University of Richmond. Join food historians Nancy Carter Crump, author of Hearthside Cooking: Early American Southern Cuisine Updated for Today's Hearth and Cookstove, and Leni Sorensen, African American Research Historian for the Monticello Foundation, as they discuss the work of both Randolph and Lewis, while recreating recipes from each of their cookbooks. This course will include lectures by both Nancy and Leni, cooking demonstrations, and samples of all the food prepared. To register, call the School of Continuing Studies at 289-8133, email sbowlin@richmond.edu or register online at http://activenet.active.com/thinkagain/.
Traveling Exhibition Schedule
The 2009 African American Trailblazers in Virginia History exhibition might be coming to your area. Below is the Trailblazer exhibition schedule for 2009:
| Date | Venue |
| 3/2/2009-4/11/2009 | Reynolds Homestead 463 Homestead Lane Critz, VA 24082-3044 |
| 4/13/2009-5/23/2009 | Black History Museum & Cultural Center 00 Clay Street Richmond, VA 23219 |
| 5/25/2009-7/4/2009 | Dumbarton Area Library County of Henrico Public Library 6800 Staples Mill Road Henrico, VA 23228 |
| 7/6/2009-8/15/2009 | Northumberland Public Library 7204 Northumberland Highway Heathsville, VA 22473 |
| 8/17/2009-9/26/2009 | Collinsville Branch Blue Ridge Regional Library 2540 Virginia Avenue Collinsville, VA 24078 |
| 9/28/2009-11/7/2009 | Central Rappahannock Regional Library 1201 Caroline Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 |
| 11/9/2009-12/19/2009 | Newsome House 2803 Oak Avenue Newport News, VA |
| 12/21/2009-1/30/2010 | Blackwater Regional Library Ruth CampCampbell Branch 280 North College Drive Franklin, Virginia 23851 (The exhibition will show at two branches) |
