If you’ve been paying attention at all, you know that the United States has a problem with facing the reality of the past when it comes to issues of race. Arguments abound over what to teach in school about slavery, Jim Crow, and the systemic racism that continues to hold Americans hostage to a set of odious beliefs. It’s easy to throw up your hands and say “there’s nothing I can do.” This story shows what a community CAN do in the face of a huge problem.
The article focuses on an event that happened last Saturday at Jamestown Beach (a little over three miles from my house). This event, called “Heal the Community Day,” drew dozens of people to the lawn of Ambler House, a 19th-century home that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is being restored by James City County. This event, begun in 2020, is intended to bring local leaders together to discuss what their organizations were doing to facilitate racial healing during a climate of national social unrest.
The event included arts and crafts, rock painting, and storytelling. The afternoon also featured community discussions focused on local history, mental health, parenting, and tools to have civil conversations about race. The event was organized by Laura Hill, founder and director of the group “Coming to the Table—Historic Triangle.” This group was formed in 2020 in response to a declaration by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam that 2019 would be a “Year of Reconciliation and Civility” as the state and nation commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the First Africans to Virginia in 1619.
The group has been active over the past several years. Most recently, in June of 2022, it launched the Virginia Racial Healing Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization intended to “expand our table” by offering trauma, educational, and faith-based racial reconciliation programs. The group is open to everyone and meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. It is currently meeting via Zoom. As a result of this article, I joined this local chapter of “Coming to the Table” and hope to be able to play a small role in addressing this huge problem.
Think globally, act locally. Here’s the website if you want to know more. https://comingtothetable.org/organizer/williamsburg/
More good stuff. Thanks.