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Tag: Black History

  • A World War II Camp Hill Mystery…

    • Black History
    • Collections
    • Hampton Roads History
    • Military

    Discovering the history of Camp Hill, a staging camp in Newport News for black troops.

  • Hampton Roads During WWII: USO Clubs

    • Black History
    • Military
    • Photography

    USO clubs helped soldiers feel at home and gave them the opportunity to step away from the job and the realities of war. They provided leisure, like dances, ping pong tables, and other games; entertainment, sometimes local bands or even Hollywood celebrities would make an appearance (!); and they often had a snack bar, too, selling sandwiches, smokes and soda (but not liquor!) to service people.

  • African American US Medal Of Honor Recipients During The Civil War – Part I: US Navy

    • Black History
    • Military

    Many African American sailors served with distinction throughout the war, continuously demonstrating their skill and bravery during numerous engagements.

  • Matthew Henson: An Arctic Explorer

    • Black History
    • Collections
    • Exploration

    Matthew Henson was a black explorer who sailed many expeditions, including one to the North Pole!

  • Dr. Gladys B. West: The woman who reshaped the modern world

    • Black History
    • Collections
    • Science
    • Technology
    • Women's History

    Dr. West has had an incredibly accomplished career in mathematics over her 42 years of service! After starting her career with the Navy, Dr. West focused her work on astronomical studies in an effort to understand how Pluto and Neptune moved in relation to each other in the 1960s.

  • Virginia Waterways and the Underground Rail Road

    From 1830 to 1860, the City of Norfolk was the center of maritime activities in Hampton Roads as the Port of Virginia. These waterways transported goods to points North and enslaved human beings to the Lower South to work on cotton plantations. Yet, these same waterways that condemned so many to hard labor, separating families and causing so much pain, were also used to secure freedom for thousands through a locally autonomous system that fed into a national underground railroad network.

  • Celebrating Black History Month

    From the individual hidden voices that are now being heard to the ancient kingdoms that populated the African continent, Black and African history is intertwined with incredible stories that illustrate both adversity and diversity.

  • The Emancipation Proclamation: What did it actually say and mean for African Americans in the 1860s?

    • Black History
    • Collections

    The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all enslaved African Americans but it was a start in that direction. It would be another two years before the war ended and with it, the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished the institution of slavery in the United States forever.

  • Battle of Port Royal Sound

    • Black History
    • Civil War
    • Military Conflict

    The Civil War’s second major amphibious operation was the capture of Port Royal Sound on November 7, 1861.

  • Maritime History: It’s Still Happening!

    • Black History
    • Military
    • Women's History

    On July 31, 2020, Lt. j. g. Madeline Swegle became the first female African-American tactical air pilot in the US Navy.

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