Dear Fellow Dems and Charlottesvillians--

Here's a thought: as I've mentioned I think renaming 10th Street and 9/10th Street realignment Hemings Something (street, Way, whatever) is fitting. But obviously it's just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the lack of recognition that black history has had in our town. Anyone who will take the trouble to read such titles as our own Ervin Jordan's "Afro-Yankees and Black-Confederates in Civil War Virginia", Annette Gordon-Reed's "Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: An American Controversy," Lassiter and Lewis's "The Moderates Dilemma: Massive Resistance to School Desegregation in Virginia," "Free Blacks in Norfolk Virginia, 1790-1860: The Dark Side of Freedom," by Tommy Bogger (all published by the University Press of Virginia here in Charlottesville) will know that the history of the African-Americans of the Commonwealth is long and rich and varied.

As you may know there are moves afoot here in town to start a Lewis and Clark Museum, again cashing in on the Jefferson connection, again an episode in American history which has been mythologized, but which has another side ie the impact their remarkable voyage had on native peoples, not to mention the lack of recognition of their native assistants like Sacajewa. Well I say there should be an African-American Museum in Charlottesville and it should be, where else? In the old Jefferson (!) school, hardby Vinegar Hill. Maybe we could rename that! The history is right, the time is right and I think we should form a board to seek the funding.

All best,

Mary MacNeil (electronic mail, May 16, 2000)