1619 Traveling Exhibit Returns

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

August 12, 2024

Contact: 
Rev Mrk Hughes
[email protected]

Vermont Racial Justice Alliance Announces Return of 1619 Traveling Exhibit  

(Burlington, VT) — Today the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) is announcing the return of the 1619 Traveling Exhibit.  

The exhibit will open to the public at the Richard Kemp Center on Tuesday, August 13th at 11:00 PM. The exhibit will remain on display at the Richard Kemp Center through First African Landing Day,  Viewing times are from 11:00 PM till 4:00 PM Tuesday – Friday.  Contact [email protected] for more details.

Drawing on the latest research, this exhibit tells the story of the Africans’ home in Angola, how they came to be enslaved aboard a Spanish slave ship San Juan Bautista, the terrible 10,000 nautical mile voyage that brought them to Virginia, and their lives on the farms and plantations in the new colony.  “This is a history class and we teach it every year”,  said Rev Mark Hughes, Executive Director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance. 

The 1619 Traveling Exhibit compliments First African Landing Day which was inspired by the creation of the 400 Year African American History Commission and the 1619 Project.  First African Landing Day was established by the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had [have] on the United States; and to educate the public about the arrival of Africans in the United States.  The 2024 theme is  “Stay The Course.”   

Tickets for the August 24th event are available and free. 

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About the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

Through Black leadership the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance addresses the root causes and impact of systemic racism with a data-driven approach that includes solutions ranging from platforms and initiatives; outreach and education; community engagement and support; and, cultural empowerment programming.

The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance’s work spans a broad range of activities to ensure the accomplishment of the mission: To secure sustainable power, ensure agency, and provide security for American Descendants of Slavery, while embracing our history and preserving their culture. 

About the 400 Years African American History Commission:

The 400 Years of African American History Commission is a federally appointed committee, operating independently as established by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and administered by the National Park Service. The 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, signed into law January 8, 2018, established this 15-member commission to coordinate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies on August 20, 1619, when 20 enslaved Africans were brought to Point Comfort in the English colony of Virginia (now part of Fort Monroe National Monument).

The 400 Years of African-American History Commission (the “Commission”) is developing and facilitate activities throughout the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619, recognizing and highlighting the resilience and contributions of African Americans from that seminal moment forward, while simultaneously acknowledging the painful impact of slavery, racial discrimination, and racism on our Nation.

About the 1619 Project:

The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.

1619 and American History | The 1619 Project Book