With the germination and courage with perseverance, programming was designed by her panelist tonight so we could tell the whole story of our community. Blending social history with public history to tell the africanamerican story had never been done before. And quite literally they were making history. This is the first of three panelist discussions that we will have this year. I would welcome you to come back on july 5 that focuses on africanamerican stories and on october 18 you will focus on the future, and are panelist of that discussion will be helping us think about how do we continue to tell the story. I know our panelists well and they have plenty to share with us. Let me begin the evening by introducing our moderator. He began his career as an interpreter. He is now evident of his own company. If you would join me in welcoming richard josie. It is interesting to come home after being in the cold minnesota for a while. To see the work thats being done here to see familiar faces and to see them have the opportunity to speak before you all and have a shared experience with you all to learn and revisit in some cases be reminded of it not being just 40 years, i would just say a long time. A lot of hard work. A lot of sharing, caring. Supporting. Let me start by introducing the folks on the panel, i begin by introducing dr. Fellow. [ applause ] kristi i think we had previous conversations, and we talk about for years which puts us back to 1979. However he heard something here that mitchell said earlier that there had been some work happening in the early 40s. Before we start getting into 79 and on. I will start an entire frame before that. At that point in time their part of the 40s. It was kind of interesting. About the 70s, and i dont think theres only been one African American of a to that point. Nonetheless, he was a drummer and later on theres more africanamericans with the piping drum. I think what he was speaking of is when i think in the 50s there is really an effort to look at africanAmerican History and how it can be interpreted. At that time theres been stories that had came on about people who were in the buildings. This is where they stayed, and they lived there so they put costumes on and went downstairs to interpret the condition the kitchen. That was something that i dont know how that came about. I dont know what they interpreted, but they interpreted the history down there, and it was in the kitchen. They would tell you, i am cooking. I am the blacksmith. They were more craftspeople than interpreting African American history. I think there was a need for a representative throughout the foundation. The focus wasnt through the africanAmerican History. And they were in costumes they still didnt want to talk about it, because they were craftsmen. They wanted to be very honest. You didnt want them to be. If you wanted ask a space could raise the questions it shot real quick. Unless you are hired and trained to interpret the history. They can take on that burden. There was always a knowledge that half the population in the 18th century and it was blocked. It was the right time when you started doing, you think about womens history, and when people are lucidly enough. You want to talk about the institution itself and for some reason you think thats a color issue. You understand color, because what we were trying to do. They represented the other half of the population during and to 18thcentury. The refers to you as blacksmiths. They dressed them that way, even though they were forceful, its interesting. In their hiring, many of them focused their attention on what they did , not who they were doing. But foundation understood that they had to have a representative when you we werent being hired to be per se a tradesman, we were hired to interpret one of the most an orthodox ways of interpreting it began to focus on they live in the with. Above. They go about doing his duties he was being used to represent something. That would come if you years later. Is for interpretation and a couple nation a lot of work on the. The americans met. There was still a large gap. Whether you interpret it or not, they are constantly addressing they had been working they do working so hard they were mastering the 18thcentury craft for skills they completely inappropriately, so that is the additional layer to fly with this mix of resistance from black people in some cases and in fact from other interpreters throughout the area this came about. Think there was an important social event that also shows why it was important in 79. It was the right time, and theres no better person to do it. They are speaking of people in the building and costume. You bring people on the streets, and had to come up with what you are now the research is different. Now, your achievements have to be different. Everything kind of changed. Now you people authentically addressed as black folks on the street. You know, because now the black cook is not just the way it black could cook wouldve dressed. When people see black folks on the street with a hat on the going to a kitchen and ask an appropriate question, that is the biggest question. Because they see a betrayal on the street than they say who are you . Theres actual print and theres a person who is actually the one at the shot. Theyre asking who are you . The visitor was also very interested in that person or that individual. That is where we got a great deal of anger from tradesman who really wanted to focus their attention on the trade. On the carpenter, whatever it was, they wanted to focus their attention on that. We want you to ask us about africanAmerican History. We will create these characters that focus their attention on letting you know what life was like for africanamericans during the 18thcentury. These characters fully research in many ways Research Department. Also put the Research Department on the map. They began to ask questions about objects and about material culture. They begin to ask questions about africanamericans in the 18thcentury. Its whom they were historians who had to in some way begin to fill in the blanks of what was going on within the African American community. They were seeing remains that were africanamerican. They were beginning to ask questions and beginning to find new questions to ask. About the 18thcentury. The social Historical Perspective that was coming out around the 80s and 90s. All that seemed to Work Together in a way that allowed us to do interpretive programs that we were very proud of . Maybe a question they wanted to have it on the street, but at the same time a man named peter came from the afternoon American History museum in dc. This was the very First Program that was ever done in historic area. The worst student ever. [ laughter ] he came to me on the first day of class and said, i know how to talk, can i just not do this class at all . He becomes one of my best friends. God only knows. I played the fight for extra credit. What happened was, this was the young man named the shop as a barber. I gave them a call to let her know that he was one of the first characters on the street. Because he was still here. He took a long hiatus. Is nice to see him with the shot. He was in here 40 years ago, but this was the first time people on the streets or through black music. If you ever see this photograph, carter was working in the bookshop. Theyre interested in helping us interpret history. I wrote them down. He was one of the first. Ruth was later. And, that in the beginning even shows that people were willing. Went to craftsmen that were willing to help. They dont want to sound like people didnt want. It just we didnt go through the training of the interpreters on how to, because they didnt have that kind of focus, but now they were getting the focus. They were meeting these people on the street. Also during this time is when children the came to the university and instead they wanted some of our actors. I actually was teaching an acting class at that point. And the chairman of the department called me into his office and said there someone in this office i would like you to listen to and he said he wanted some of our actors to audition to play the parts of slaves at colonial. You dont go to it and make a Statement Like that unless youre three beers short of a six pack, or your causes there. He said we want to begin to talk about the other half of the population. From the time i was a year agoyearold until he graduated from high school i never knew that half the population was black. Id williamsburg is a place where my nextdoor neighbor was the head chef at the old motor house. He was the housekeeper at the lodge. I had no idea that there is this kind of history. I said if youre going to do something positive, it was Darren Taylor and monty who were the first three African American interpreters, and then harvey who had begun the program , what was the name of this character . That was always in the jail in the pillory, and the crowd loved him, because it was a way of teaching history that used theater as a way of introducing and connecting audience to characters that were 18th century characters. While his character was a neer dowell who was always in jail, irresponsible, but the crowd loved him. The next year in 73 or 78, and 79 they fought enough in this new Living History Program that they asked him to hire six other people to help them create the Living History Program. You want to begin this program. In that first year it was pretty rough. Because he had this idea of us being in character never breaking character. But staying in character throughout. After about one week i said this is not going to work. I said this is not going to work. People are getting confused they dont know who we are, they think we are from eastern states. We cant do that, thats not my vision. This is a parttime job for me. I dont need this. We created a program that broke character. I would introduce the character. It was that Living History Program that had the extra burden of interpreting the comparable will history. I remember my grandmother telling me. I remember her telling me about how they rose and how they felt about williamsburg. She talked to me about how long before williamsburg was here a lot of folks are here, and how they were brought up, and how they were going to different places. And even when when i think about you all and i see early time, i dont think i can explain how the community wrote an article just about how your father felt. About williamsburg. My father said we passed by. I looked at a whole bunch of people on the capital. Why is it you never go to see that place . He said because that place points to slavery. I didnt think about it until that day. So, i came on the scene the summer of 1982. I also grew up in williamsburg, and a lot of those people that we are talking about they grew up with people who work in that area. We knew these people. For me, my dad was the sous chef and my uncle was the manager of the cascade. I came to williamsburg unlike them, i came a lot. Walking on the street me and my friends brought bikes. We would joke on the tourists, and all of that. So, the summer prior, i was riding my bike, and i saw my drama teacher from high school. Im proud to say that we had the state champion drama partnership at my high school. One of my classmates is right there. So, im on my bike and i saw them on the street prochain and winters. I stop and i was just memorized by what she was doing, and i thought i want to do that, you know . Back in class i said hey, so you know how can i get in on that . She said first of all, you are too young. They are only working with college age or older, and ive always been a little brass ear, so i dont member who on behalf , my parents called somebody to find out when the auditions might be for the African American programs. So, i went to the audition at 17. They didnt know i was 17. We didnt have applications. To bring our resume. I had my headshot, and i had all of my show stuff. I was good to go. I did it, and then they hired me. While my friends were working at mcdonalds for minimum wage, i thought it was great because i was making a whole lot more money comparatively. Is a few dollars more than anyone else. I was acting, and is getting people to preform. They were patient and they got me the historian to work with. They really came in and really mentored me in the words. Initially it was just an acting job. I didnt think about the power of what i would be doing. I always liked history as a kid and i always understood African American history because my parents were adamant about it when i was growing up. Whenever i had thats for sure report in history class, they would tell me why dont you write about this person . Why dont you write about this person . To share with your classmates, so thats what i did. I didnt have the same anxiety about talking about enslaved people. However, it didnt take long on the street for me to learn. We talked about this in the past. It was within the first week, and i was portraying someone my age, her name is rebecca and she belongs to the blair family. The storyline was that if you died whats going to happen to rebecca . Is she going to get sold off . She going to go off and live with and . It was a tearjerker and i milked it. And then i went out and sat on the barrel out waiting for the next cycling for them to go through, and a man walked up to me and asked me how does it feel to be an active plug maker . I was so taken back by it, but also i said hows it feel to play one, and i jumped up and i went straight to the James Anderson house to break room, and i said, his words of advice stuck with me. In the 37 years since i first started, i changed my life. I will always be grateful. He said to me i understand, we have all been there, i have to ask yourself the question, whether or not your Strong Enough to tell your ancestor stories that nobody else wants to. Or if you arent ready to do that, its okay you can go. You sit here and you think about that. As the interpreters came in and out, i sat there and i was like im doing this. , and i went back out, and i came back every summer. All the plants have been through and out the window. My parents wouldnt let me major in theater. I had during the summer during the summer the Marketing Department will decide this year. They decided they would grow a Department Store i think it was hindi. Big Department Store. In cleveland. They would put Colonial Williamsburg characters this year they would include African Americans in that group. Before they had someone on that floor, and they had a particular floor in the christmas area where they wanted africanamerican interpreters to be. I remember that night they had a large parade that was inside the store, and all of williamsburg characters would be beneficial we were to all parade down, and they will get to the middle of the store, the local williamsburg were there and they were the stars. We came in and we came to the middle of the room, then we would go up the escalators all the way up to the top floor which is where williamsburg was and they would fill in the floors with the other supernumerarys. There i am over in the cosmetics area. I dont know if you remember mary rozman, but she was a part of the group. I am over there, with the light. He had a banner here. He was looking good. Right beside him is mary wiseman. This gal was flowing all around. She was just looking important, but i looked at myself i looked pretty good. Could you come by my how to tell room and tell me why . You put on it and it makes you feel important. It inspires you. It makes you think that the 18th century was a sink went on of what it means to be an american. When i wear the clothes i wear, i feel like a slave. If i am responsible or want to get into my character, the more i get into my character, the worst i feel. To find your piece in it is what she did. She found her piece and that, but it was that day that they understood. I wanted to say this. We owned that. We dont that. We can see. We have no respect for them. They aint got that. We see that his its hard to try to steer advice to somebody who doesnt know that. You can take that that was 79. Thats what you had to have. We will be going to new jersey, they wanted get more tiles than here. We slept in our close. We were there for time. The objective was, we knew that there werent people who would come to waynesburg on their own. They would allow us to go to the community so they might see us and redefine what they thought Colonial Williamsburg represented. You get people to understand that theres a lot of streaks in history. If you will indulge me, i have to name those people in their honor. Who were in that struggle. Is a Storytelling Program we started to do a Storytelling Program, was that called now . We did that two or three years, and out would be a different Music Program every year that we would change up or switch up. The program, theres children using it, and k smith. To start a Performance Program, because the couldnt have children and programming and they werent in the Music Program. We understood the rankings developed a Performance Program where we would have children that would join the program, and they had to know the basic history and became a performer. Basic questions, how many did so and so have, what did soand so mean, that sort of thing. Made a request in his church if any children that are interested, we ended up with quite a few. There is no it could be debatable. For me, theres no greater program than that. You can go right down the list of every young person that i mentioned. They still got it. Weve got doctors thats whats up. We give our children what it is they needed, but they had this background and what we did. Thats important. There is a progr