FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:
March 16, 2015
Contact:
Janine Bell
[email protected]
804.644.3900
Three Signature Events Commemorate 150 Years After the End of Slavery
-- April, 1865-2015 -Self Determination • The Blue Coats Parade • The Future Is Now
as part of
Richmond's Journey from the End of Slavery and Civil War to Today
Richmond, VA • As a part of Richmond's Journey from the End of Slavery and Civil War to
Today, the sesquicentennial commemoration of the fall of Richmond as the Confederate Capital and
the beginning of emancipation for Africans enslaved throughout the nation, the public is invited to
participate in Three Signature Events on April 3 and 4, 2015 that shed light on occurrences that
liberated Richmond, that pay homage to African ancestors and that showcase cultural expression
with a focus on self determination. World-class music and dance, film, ceremonies, a parade,
theatre, food and art, designed to uplift and provoke thought, raise the questions, "Who are we
now? Where are we now?" according to organizers. Event coordinators, Janine Bell and Dr. Ram
Bhagat said, "Commemorating this history and seeing it clearly instructs the present. Our clarity is
our liberation. It is difficult for many to relate the truth of history with repeating occurrences in
contemporary life. In light of black accomplishments and in light of the myriad of socio-economic
disparities and violent aggression that are a part of everyday black life in 2015, these programs
underscore that black lives mattered then, and they matter now." These Three Signature Events
collectively called, Self Determination, will happen at Richmond's African Burial Ground, 1500
block of East Broad Street, in nearby Shockoe Bottom and at the state Capitol. All are suitable for
families and free to attend.
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The organizers state, "Standing on the shoulders of our African Ancestors, we are speaking our
truth. This is an honest acknowledgement of the history that affects us all. Africans enslaved in
America had names. They had spirit, they had intellect, they had dignity. We are because they
were. We come from cultured and technical societies. They envisioned a future, and we are here.
They resisted enslavement and fought for freedom from the beginning. They are empowering this
moment. Today opens the way to tomorrow. Together we are elevating in Self Determination."
Friday, April 3rd's, programming, Self-Determination, takes its name from the event's title, and
will begin at 4 p.m. with Waking Up Tomorrow: Resistance & Liberation in Shockoe Bottom, at the site
of the Devil's Half Acre, aka Lumpkin's Jail, with a procession marking important historical sites
related to the trade, in Shockoe Bottom, of Africans enslaved and symbolically delineating a Sacred
Ground Memorial Park. Waking Up Tomorrow: Declarations of Suffering, Resistance & Liberation,
affirmations of history, courage and commitment, continues at the procession's end near the African
Burial Ground. The Sacred Ground Reclamation Project will lead these programs.
At 5:45 p.m., an Opening the Door ceremony at the entry to the African Burial Ground will be
facilitated by the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia. It will engage attendees in
the concepts of portals and passage, where culture stolen, and practically lost, is represented.
Attendees pass through The Portal thoughtfully into a sacred ancestral space.
At 6:15 p.m., at the African Burial Ground, jazz musician and teacher Ashby Anderson and his
Afrikan Arkestra will perform a new, original composition, Undertones: Aural Memorial for the
African Burial Ground, connecting the memories of Africa in the Diaspora across the generations,
portraying loss, renewal and triumph.
This performance will be followed at 7:15 by an interactive candlelight procession naming and
honoring the lives of Africans enslaved in Virginia, based on the Virginia Historical Society's
Unknown No Longer database.
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At 7:45 p.m., Elegba Folklore Society will present African American Reflections on the Civil War,
an original dramatic performance portraying people of African descent both in captivity and in
emancipation. A discussion with the audience will follow.
The evening will conclude with a showing of the film Bound: Africans vs. African Americans. The
film explores relations between continental Africans and African Americans. It will be followed by a
discussion with its Kenyan director, Peres Owino.
Food and beverages will be available.
On Saturday, April 4, events begin at 9:30 a.m. with The Blue Coats Parade, a commemorative
procession along East Main and Bank Streets from Rockett's Landing to the State Capitol to follow
the route of the United States Colored Troops who led the Union Army in shutting down
Confederate Richmond, will be led now by USCT re-enactors. Contemporary military units will
join to honor the thousands of USCTs who participated along with marchers who will represent the
soon to be emancipated Africans of Richmond and others who celebrate the day. At 11:00 a.m. the
procession will convene at the Capitol for a recognition ceremony to include the Virginia Union
University Choir, greetings by Governor Terry McAuliffe and more. Programs will continue at the
Capitol throughout the day. The public is invited to participate in the parade or line the streets.
Richmond's Journey will culminate with The Future is Now on Saturday evening. From 6 p.m.
until midnight, programming returns to the African Burial Ground.
The organizers state, "In culminating this historic recognition of Richmond's Journey, we are
joyful, yet wistful. In celebrating our ancestors' ultimate victory, we maintain a vision that, in the
future, the next generation will realize full emancipation. We are acknowledging the contributions
and forfeitures of our ancestors, awakening the power of self-determination and affirming the path
to conciliation. In this lively expression of spirit, culture and creativity, The Future is Now."
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At 6:00 p.m., indigenous powwow drumming greets and energizes attendees as they pass again
through The Portal.
At 6:30 p.m., in a vocal music performance laced with dance, Red Crooked Sky expresses the
indomitable spirit of Virginia's native people. They remind us that the sky expresses the depths of
the cosmos. In the red crooked sky, there is neither beginning nor ending.
An African inspired libation ceremony follows at 7:15 p.m. and features West African
masquerades that symbolize the oneness of spirit with the physical world. At 7:45 p.m., singersongwriter, Boo Hanks, performs Piedmont Blues from the North Carolina tobacco fields. A
descendent of Abraham Lincoln on his mother’s side, he made his first recording at age 79.
Elegba Folklore Society's African dancers, singers and drummers will appear at 8:45 p.m. in an
expression of African traditions maintained in America, and at 9:45 p.m., Maimouna Youssef, a
fresh blend between Nina Simone and Lauryn Hill, is a Grammy nominated singer and songwriter
whose lush spirit filled vocals can bring tears. "Mumu Fresh” will still spit raps with the top emcees
in the game.
At 11:00 p.m., Drums No Guns presents Wake Up America - The Time Has Come. A
collaboration of world rhythm music and performance artists and diverse genres, it is based on two
poetic selections created by Ram Bhagat. This rendition was produced for the 150th anniversary of
Emancipation from Slavery and the end of the Civil War.
The Future Is Now closes will an interactive finale. Throughout the evening food and beverages
will be available for purchase along with an art market. There will be special activities for children,
and the stage will feature socio-cultural commentaries, also interactive.
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Three Signature Events • Self Determination! The Future Is Now! are made possible by an
artistic and cultural collaboration including Afrikan Arkestra, Afrikana Film Festival, The Beloved
Unseen for #untoldrva, The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, The Sacred
Ground Historical Reclamation Project, Drums No Guns, Elegba Folklore Society and Rise Up.
The collaboration thanks its partners, the Future of Richmond's Past, VentureRichmond, Richmond Region Tourism, Robins Foundation, the City of Richmond's Tourism office, Richmond Peace Education Center and The Conciliation Project. The Sacred Ground Historical
Reclamation Project is supported solely by the Future of Richmond's Past. More details about Three Signature Events • Self Determination! The Future Is Now! are available
at http://efsinc.org/150-years, including directions, parking and host hotel. Additional questions
can be referred to 804.644.3900 or [email protected]. A schedule of all the activities of Richmond's
Journey from the End of Slavery and Civil War to Today is at www.richmondsjourney.org.
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