CHESTER and MIDLOTHIAN, Va. – Between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, the Rosenwald rural school building program proved to be a critical initiative in the effort to provide educational opportunities to African Americans in the South. More than 5,000 Rosenwald Schools, including 367 in Virginia, were built during that time. However, today, it is estimated only 10–12 percent of these buildings remain standing nationwide. For the third year in a row, John Tyler Community College and Preservation Virginia will bring together people from all over the Commonwealth who are interested in saving Virginia’s remaining Rosenwald buildings and their histories. Virginia’s Rosenwald Conference, taking place on February 19, 2016, will feature presentations about the history of Rosenwald Schools; restoration projects and how some Rosenwald buildings are being repurposed; partnerships in the preservation effort; collections of oral histories; getting the community engaged; and much more.
Rosenwald School alumni and their descendants; students; community members; historical groups; researchers; preservationists and anyone who would like to learn about these ongoing local- and state-level efforts are invited to participate in the Virginia’s Rosenwald Schools Conference, which will be held at Tyler’s Chester Campus, located at 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Admission is free, but those interested in participating must register in advance. To register or to learn more about the conference or the Rosenwald initiative, contact Dr. Alyce Miller, associate professor of history at John Tyler, at amiller@jtcc.edu or 804-897-4179, or Mr. Justin Sarafin, director of preservation initiatives and engagement at Preservation Virginia, at jsarafin@preservationvirginia.org or 804-648-1889 ext. 317.
Virginia’s Rosenwald Schools Conference is just one of the activities John Tyler Community College will hold in honor of Black History Month. Guests from around the area will join the College for lectures, discussions, documentaries and more. All Black History Month events are free and open to the community.
January 26
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Chester, Moyar Hall, Library, M218
Transcribe-a-thon of Documents from the African American Narrative
Presented by Library of Virginia
January 28
6:30 p.m.
Midlothian, Hamel Hall, H109
African American Registry of the U.S. Treasury: From Farmville to the White House
Presented by Mr. Darrell Tyler, Lecturer, Sociology, JTCC
February 1
1:00 p.m.
Chester, Bird Hall, B124
Marcus Garvey and the Legacies of Pan-Africanism
Presented by Dr. Adam Ewing, Assistant Professor, African American Studies, VCU
February 2
2:00 p.m.
Midlothian, Hamel Hall, H109
The Robert Russa Moton Museum: The Student Birthplace of America’s Civil Rights Revolution
Presented by Mr. Justin Reid, Associate Director for Museum Operations, Robert Russa Moton Museum
February 3
6:30 p.m.
Midlothian, Hamel Hall, H109
Documentary: White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books
February 4
12:30 p.m.
Midlothian, Hamel Hall, H109
Documentary: Negroes with Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power
February 9
2:00 p.m.
Midlothian, T Building, Theatre
Read-in
Led by Ms. Kerrigan Sullivan, Professor, Communication Studies and Theatre, JTCC
February 10
12:30 p.m.
Chester, Bird Hall, B124
Documentary: Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun
Discussion led by Ms. Saajida Chohan, Assistant Professor, English, JTCC
February 11
11:00 a.m.
Chester, Bird Hall, B124
Race or Ethnicity: A Dilemma for African Americans
Presented by Dr. James Williams, Professor, Sociology, JTCC
February 16
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Midlothian, Hamel Hall, Library, H202K
Transcribe-a-thon of Documents from the African American Narrative
Presented by Library of Virginia
February 17
5:30 p.m.
Chester, Bird Hall, B124
Documentary: Richard Wright: Black Boy
Discussion led by Ms. Janice Privott, Instructor, English, JTCC
For directions to the Chester or Midlothian campuses or for maps of each campus, visit www.jtcc.edu/locations. For more information about Black History Month activities at John Tyler, contact Dr. Miller at amiller@jtcc.edu or 804-897-4179.
John Tyler Community College is the fifth largest of the 23 community colleges in Virginia. With campuses in Chester and Midlothian and off-campus classrooms throughout the area, John Tyler offers quality and economical opportunities for students who want to earn a degree or certificate, transfer to a four-year college or university, train for the workforce, or switch careers. The College, which served nearly 13,800 students during the 2014-15 academic year, offers 20 associate degrees, six certificates, and 38 career studies certificates. The institution also serves more than 13,000 non-credit trainees and over 1,000 companies and government agencies annually through the Community College Workforce Alliance.