Sites and Stories: African American History in Virginia

On February 14, 2008, Lauranett Lee delivered this Banner Lecture. Historic highway markers are beloved features of the Old Dominion's landscape. Through these signs, away from the high speed of interstates, the careful motorist can piece together major themes running through Virginia's past. One of the most important but sometimes neglected such strands is the story of African Americans. In Sites and Stories, Lauranett L. Lee mounted an exhibition to present the narratives told by these markers. Her lecture highlighted the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in Virginia from 1619 to the recent past. Dr. Lee is curator of African American history at the VHS. (Introduction by James C. Kelly) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.