Untold Stories to highlight civil rights era

Copntributed Report

Untold Stories will highlight shared experiences of the civil rights era.

Untold Stories, a program of oral histories, will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 at Patrick Henry High School, Ashland. The theme is Shared Experiences from the Civil Rights Era.

This year’s storytellers are Rebecca Doggett Bray, Mary Jane Davenport Ghee, Patricia Leonard Higgins, Malcolm King, Matthew G. Lewis and Steve Trivett. They are all graduates of Hanover County Public Schools in the late 1960s and early 1970s and will share their experiences. The moderator will be Anthony Keitt, and Dr. Jamelle Wilson will be the wrap-up speaker. The Community Gospel Choir, directed by Tyler Spurlock, will close out the program with two selections.

Since 2014, Untold Stories has been sponsored jointly by The Center, The Hanover County Black Heritage Society, the Ashland Museum and Downtown shown clockwise from left: Matthew G. Lewis, rebecca doggett bray, Patricia Leonard Higgins, Mary Jane davenport Ghee, steve Trivett and Malcolm King are this year’s storytellers.

Ashland Association. The program is free and open to the public. Come listen to these first-hand stories about Hanover County during the Civil Rights era. For more information, visit ashlandmuseum.org or call 804368-7314.

Feb. 14, 6:30 — 8:30 p.m. Ages 5-18. Would you like to participate in planning community service events and hone your expressive arts skills? At our meetings, you can learn how to get involved in community and public affairs, how to be a good role model, how to give back to your community and how to use time management skills to enjoy every part of your life.

Searching Family Histories at the Ashland Branch Library, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1 — 2 p.m. Ages 18 and up. Interested in engaging in genealogy research but don’t know where to begin? FamilySearch.org is the world’s largest collector and disseminator of genealogical records. Jody Raab, FamilySearch volunteer, will offer a hands-on experience on Family Search.org. We will learn how to build a tree and search records available on this database. In preparation, please create a free account and bring your user name and password with you to the program. Laptop computers will be provided for use during the workshop, or feel free to bring your own.

Reading Olympics Game Play at the Ashland Branch Library, Thursday, Feb. 16, 3:30 — 4:30 p.m. Grades 4-5. For participants in Hanover County Schools Reading Olympics. Practice your knowledge of When Life Gives You O.J. with a challenging game. Come alone or bring your team.

Among Us Game Night at the Ashland Branch Library, Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30 — 8 p.m. Ages 12-18. Quit acting sus and come join us for a few rounds of Among Us. Bring your smartphone, tablet or laptop and be ready to play. We recommend pre-installing the app before the event.

Morning Book Club at the Ashland Branch Library, Friday, Feb. 17, 10:15 — 11:15 a.m. Ages 18 and up. Read our book of the month and engage in a lively discussion about it. Share views about the book and author and share reading recommendations.

What’s in Poe’s Trunk? at the Ashland Branch Library, Saturday, Feb. 18, Noon — 1 p.m. and 1 – 2 p.m. On Oct. 3, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe, was found delirious in Baltimore, Maryland, “in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance.” At the time, Poe was only in possession of his trunk. Representatives from the Poe Museum will host an interactive program involving artifacts from the museum and will allow participants to come up with their own story based on artifacts found in their trunks. Registration required for the noon – 1 p.m. slot at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/ event/9731809 or 1 — 2 p.m. at https://pamunkeylibrary. libcal.com/event/9779688.

Afternoon Book Club at the Ashland Branch Library, Monday, Feb. 20, 1 – 2 p.m. Ages 18 and up. Read our book of the month and engage in a lively discussion about it. Share views about the book and author and share reading recommendations.

Improv Night! at the Ashland Branch Library, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 7 — 8:30 p.m. Teens and adults welcome! Through a variety of fun exercises and games, participants will learn about improvisation. Improv is built on the foundation of YES, and; accepting offers; and teamwork. Have fun and have a laugh — no scripts needed! This is a great opportunity to develop other skills such as communication, collaboration and more in a very supportive environment to learn more about the craft of improv. Learn with James Wasilewski (honing the art for over 20 years — on stage and off stage — in real life and in classes as an instructor and participant).

From the Heart Stitchers at the Ashland Branch Library. Thursdays, Feb. 23, noon to 4 p.m. From the Heart Stitchers began in 2001 making chemo hats for the Massey Cancer Center and today has over 1,899 stitchers making thousands of items for service groups across the Commonwealth. Sew, knit, crochet or loom anything from blankets to shawls and everything in between. Bring a sewing machine, knitting needles, etc. and supplies, and make items for From the Heart every fourth Thursday. See https://fromtheheartstichers.org/ for more information about this organization.

A Look into the Hanover County Archives 1734-1859 at the Ashland Branch Library, Thursday, Feb. 23, 7 — 8 p.m. Through the presentation of images of historic plats, court orders, pleadings, exhibits and other documents filed in Hanover County from its earliest days in the 1700s to the time immediately preceding the Civil War, Circuit Court Clerk Frank D. Hargrove Jr. provide unique insight into the early history of Hanover County. He also will share information about ongoing efforts to conserve and digitize the County’s historical records.

Hanover Branch Library

Call 804-365-6210 or visit the library at 7527 Library Drive for more information. Make Your Own Valentines at the Hanover Branch Library, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 4-5 p.m., Hey kids! Get creative and share a little love as you make your own handcrafted cards., DIY Heart Sharpie Mugs at the Hanover Branch

Please see LIBRARIES, Page 17