FindingBill

06/20/2025

A late share of this Father’s Day post by Hampton National Historic Site.

05/21/2025

“THE STORY OF HIRAM, James and Wallace Wilson is woven through with threads of folklore, given the sparse records kept at that time, particularly for people born into slavery.”

The stunning vessels from the H. Wilson & Company were forgotten for generations, only to gain new appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into them

03/08/2025

“…the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the black man. That will be the day of man as man.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

01/20/2025

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”MartinLutherKingJrDay

02/19/2024

He is an inspiration to us all.

'Finding Your Roots' host Henry Louis Gates Jr. explains to PEOPLE the inspiration behind his popular PBS docuseries, which has had a wide range of celebrity guests including Julia Roberts, Viola Davis, Carol Burnett and Kerry Washington over the course of 10 seasons

02/14/2024

Graveyards and Cemeteries are sacred. They should be preserved, giving respect and dignity to the ancestors buried there.

Experts and advocates say there could be hundreds of historic Black cemeteries that have fallen into disrepair or erased by development.

01/25/2024

This looks like a valuable workshop!

"What does that say?" Each year on we like to share our recorded workshop on Reading Old Handwriting. Originally created for participants of our Making History transcription events (www.virginiamemory.com/makinghistory/events), this video is very helpful for anyone trying to decipher historic handwritten documents to find an ancestor or research a topic. youtu.be/utZN0E4h0sw

11/26/2023

A great article on the renovation of slave quarters in Natchez and the importance of education on all aspects of our history. The Cosey family has provided a special way to learn about the history of enslaved people in Natchez. Joseph McGill of The Slave Dwelling Project also provides insight in the article.

“Why not talk about it? Why not give honor to those people that your ancestors enslaved? Is it that hurtful to you? Are you that embarrassed? And if you are, if you talk about it, I feel it’s good healing for your soul.” - Debbie Cosey

Natchez, Miss., is beginning to highlight the history of its enslaved people—including at a Black-owned bed and breakfast in former slave quarters.

09/19/2023

Great resource! Also, great library for genealogists. I was in the area back in May, but did not have time to stop by. I plan to attend this, and I hope to visit in the near future.

Join us for a FREE virtual program on Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m. EST!

09/17/2023

Black equestrians, past and present. A Kind of Freedom.

With these images, photographer Kennedi Carter smashes an age-old stereotype: Cowboys aren’t all white men on horses, battling Indigenous people.