Forged In
Hampton Roads
A History of Black Labor
Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum
Explore the transformative impact of African American labor and how it profoundly shaped the character and lifestyle of the Hampton Roads region. Learn about John Mallory Phillips, who created one of the region's first Black resorts and hotels in Hampton. Read about Aaron, a former enslaved person who developed a unique style of canoe used by watermen on the James and Elizabeth Rivers to make their livelihood. Forged in Hampton Roads examines the lives and experiences of some of the region's most important workers, laborers, and entrepreneurs.
VISIT OUR FORGED IN HAMPTON ROADS EXHIBIT AND MEET THE BLACK LABORERS overcame difficult circumstance AND BUILT AN IMPRESSIVE LEGACY.
Plan Your Visit
Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum
904 Elm Avenue Portsmouth VA, 23704
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday
a history of african american labor
1619 and “the 20 and odd angolans”
resistance to enslavement
sharecropping and industrialized agriculture
black agriculture today
The Open Water
maritime entrepreneurs
The American Revolution
a war for abolition
A World At War
integration and progress
black labor in america’s shipyard
george teamoh and black resilience
