VIEW THE 2016 EVENT PROGRAM

Dear ASALH Members and Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to extend you a personal invitation to join me and the ASALH Executive Council in Richmond, Virginia, October 5-9 at the Richmond Marriott Hotel. At the dawn of ASALH’s second century, the 101st annual meeting provides a historic occasion for teachers, branch members across this nation, scholars, and indeed for people of all ages and all communities to gather and explore the 2016 Black History theme “Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories.”

I invite you to partake of a unique variety of exciting activities.You will find the more than 200 sessions and the free Film Festival to be richly informative and inspiring. In our Opening Plenary on October 5th with representatives from the National Park Service [no cost], you will hear about many hallowed places in Black history. In Presidential Sessions devoted to Sites of the Black Freedom Struggle, you will hear from civil rights icons, like Courtland Cox of SNCC.

You will also hear from outstanding ASALH branch leaders around the county who are actively involved in preserving and disseminating the knowledge of such sites of struggle every day. Come to the 101st annual conference, and you will listen to amazing keynote presentations at our luncheons and banquet—from a conversation between two prominent social critics of our time, namely, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jelani Cobb, to the equal justice message of the lawyer Bryan Stevenson, a stalwart voice for the incarcerated in America.In the historic city of Richmond, there is no better way to appreciate African American sites of memory than the ASALH Black History Tours.

We know Richmond as the seat of the Confederacy; you will see firsthand locations of slave importation and trading. But more importantly we should remember Richmond as the site of resistance to black oppression via the churches, schools, theaters and African people’s agency. You will see lasting historic physical treasures in Richmond; and you will learn about African Americans, such as Maggie Lena Walker, who helped create these cherished memories.

Please join us for other special tours in Virginia, such as historic Petersburg including a visit to Pocahontas Island and the Pocahontas Island Black History Museum.

Do join us also for a tour of historic Jamestown, which will focus on the story of the culture of the Kongo-Angolan peoples’ arrival to the colony in 1619, and the development of African enslavement in Virginia.

Register right away for our 101st ASALH annual conference.

(Please note that the Early Bird Registration [for economy rates] ended on August 20th.)

I will look forward to seeing you in Richmond!

Sincerely,
Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham
President
Association for the Study of African American Life and History