WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary is launching a research initiative that’s focused on a school that educated enslaved and free Black children in the 18th century.
The university in Williamsburg said in a news release that the Bray School is likely the nation’s oldest surviving schoolhouse for African Americans.
The Bray School’s building is still on campus. William & Mary said it provides an opportunity to tell the stories of Black residents whose place in the historical narrative was overlooked.
The initiative to restore and research the building is a joint effort between William & Mary and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
The Bray School Lab will take into account the evolving roles and social perceptions of democracy and education as well as slavery.
