In April 1865, after four years at the heart of the Civil War, Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy finally fell. The Confederate government evacuated and Union army units, including United States Colored Troops, entered the city and arrived at the Capitol. That moment foreshadowed the reunification of the United States, the end of 250 years of American slavery, and the beginning of an uncertain journey into freedom for African-Americans here and across the country. From April 1 through April 4, 2015, Richmond will commemorate this momentous event in American history through a powerful and inclusive four-day series of programs.
Wednesday, April 1, 7:00pm to 8:30pm Christian Perspectives on Faith, Then and Now at 2nd Presbyterian Church, 5 North 5th Street.
See http://www.RichmondsJourney.org for a complete list of events throughout the four-day commemoration.
April 3rd, 4pm – 11:30pm- Self-Determination: An evening program to observe the 150th anniversary of emancipation in Richmond and to pay ancestral homage. From the calling out of names to a new musical work, film, and a drama about the very African presence in the war, the evening will offer a powerful series of experiences to honor the Africans brought here in bondage, to remember their contributions and their forfeitures, and to empower modern generations with social reflection and action.
Dance, music, film, rituals and declarations of liberation happening in Shockoe Bottom
Bound: Africans vs. African-Americans
9:45 p.m.
A documentary by Kenyan director Peres Owino with production, in part, by actor Isaiah Washington, that connects enslavement and colonialism with contemporary self-view, world view and relations between continental Africans and African-Americans. A talk-back to follow, possibly with the filmmaker.
Saturday, April 4, a full day of programs at the Virginia Capitol, hosted by the partner organizations of Future of Richmond’s Past, will commemorate the immense changes that happened in Richmond 150 years ago, and the reverberations of those events in our city today. The day of programs is part of “Richmond’s Journey” – commemorating the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery in Richmond, April 1-4, 2015.The full schedule will be available http://www.OnToRichmond.com and http://www.RichmondsJourney.org.
