NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — We’re all connected by the water. That’s the mission of the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, and in honor of Black History Month, museum workers added some free online events and programming to share just how impactful Black history has been on our waterways and maritime communities.
“We’ve got programs about African waterways, African kingdoms which a lot of people just kind of think of Africa as one place instead of the hundreds of kingdoms and countries that were actually part of that continent,” said Lauren Furey, manager of visitor engagement at the Mariners’ Museum.
She said she is excited to expand programming the museum has online. In addition to African waterways and kingdoms, the museum is focused on hidden histories.
The goal is to put names to the faces of those who built the Mariners’ Museum and did other great things for the maritime community.
“We have all these photos and many of them, we have no names for them. So, Hidden Histories is one of those programs where we need our community’s help to help find their family members in these images.”
The programming will include Maritime Mondays, where books about maritime Black History will be read to children on Zoom. You will also find a lecture series highlighting the historic adversity and diversity for Africans and African Americans.
“For a long time, Black history has been kind of neglected or pushed aside and at the Mariners’ Museum and Park we really want to highlight how important that history is in the maritime world,” Furey said.
Furey also says several of these programs will continue to be offered year-round.
To participate in the Mariners’ Museum’s Black History programming you will need a personal Zoom account. The online events are free, but pre-registration is required. For an overview of the events, including dates and times, click here.
