Deep Roots
In Portsmouth
Black History Month has always been an important celebration in Portsmouth, where African Americans have made significant contributions throughout the region’s history. From local military heroes William Flora and Lieutenant General Alonzo E. Short, Jr, to marine entrepreneurs like John Mallory Phillips and Donald Mills, Black workers have always been breaking boundaries and making history in Hampton Roads.
It's
Now.
Now.
Not Just One Month.
The City of Portsmouth Museums has made continuing this tradition part of its mission, with a commitment to educate everyone of the accomplishments that African Americans in Portsmouth have achieved, the hardships some endured, and the continuing contributions still made for our city, state, and great nation.
Black History Now
So important are these contributions in Portsmouth that the City has dedicated itself to presenting “Black History Now” programming. These special events offer an amazing lineup of activities, workshops, guided discussions, scholar presentations and much more, and will better educate everyone about the great contributions African Americans have made throughout history.
Pride
Perseverance &
A SPIRIT THAT COULDN’T BE SUPPRESSED. A LEGACY THAT CAN’T BE DENIED.
A History of
Black Labor
Forged in Hampton Roads:
This exhibit delves into the struggles and triumphs of the African American workers who built and sustained Hampton Roads, from the colonial era through the present
Photo Sources:
1.) Mississippi Delta, on Mississippi Highway No. 1 between Greenville and Clarksdale. Negro
Laborer’s Family Being Moved from Arkansas to Mississippi by White Tenant, c. 1938 (Courtesy
of the New York Public Library) 2.) Local Farmer Thelonius Cook Poses for a Photo, c. 2024 (Courtesy
of Thelonius Cook) 3.) The Public Gaol in Williamsburg, Virginia, c. 2024 (Courtesy of Ron Cogswell)
4.) Striking Memphis Sanitation Workers March By National Guardsmen, c. 1968 (Courtesy of the
University of Memphis Special Collections)