SCHOOLHOUSE

continued from cover

“There was this need to proselytize and to bring salvation while still not doing anything to destabilize the institution of slavery,” Lee said. “Save the soul, but continue to enslave the body. It was the here versus the hereafter.”

It was a brand of duplicity that fit easily into the larger contradictions of the country’s founding, when the Democracy being forged explicitly denied rights and freedoms to many of its people.

Williamsburg is less than 10 miles from Jamestown, which England established in 1607. The colony was supplied with enslaved Africans for labor just a dozen years later. A century and half after that, Black people, most of them still enslaved, represented just over half of Williamsburg’s 2,000 people.

The Bray School was established in 1760 at the recommendation of Benjamin

F r anklin, chairman of a London-based Anglican charity named after philanthropist Reverend Thomas Bray. The charity also set up schools in other cities, including New York and Philadelphia.

The curriculum ranged from spellers to the Book of Common Prayer. But even within the schools’ paternalistic framework, the educa - tion could still be empowering, perhaps even subversive.

“I was going through a facsimile of one of the books, and there are words like `liberty,”’ Lee said. “What did learning those words do to expand these children’s sense of themselves? Their sense of the world?”

Isaac Bee, a Bray School student, would run away as an adult from a slave owner named Lewis Burwell. An ad that Burwell placed in The Virginia Gazette in 1774 offered a cash bounty for his return and warned that Bee could read.

The white teacher, a widow named Ann Wager, lived

Vaccine Litigation

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The Defense Department denied the process was onerous and said the Navy has a compelling interest in requiring vaccinations for personnel who often operate for long periods in “confined spaces that are ripe breeding grounds for respiratory illnesses.”

On Monday, Heather Hacker, an attorney for the Navy personnel, said the situation could be seen as worse now for them now that the older mandate policy has been rescinded, because current policy does not provide for a sailor’s religious objections to the vaccine to be consi- dered when deployment or assignment decisions are made.

“We’re going from a 50-step process to a zero-step process?” Duncan asked.

“Exactly, your honor,” Hacker replied.

In January of last year, a federal judge in Texas barred the Navy from taking any action against the Navy plaintiffs for being unvaccinated. A 5th Circuit panel rejected the Biden administration’s request to block the judge’s order.

But the administration won

PCL BLACK CONTRACTORS:

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The journey of The NBCA has been one of standing on the shoulders of those who sacrificed and came through great strides to overcome systemic barriers to economic participation. “It is a form of reparations. It has afforded us the opportunity to get on jobs without having to take a number and stand in line. It puts us at the front of the bus, and not the back,” he explains.

As I walked with Hameed down the halls of the NBCA headquarters, where influential people such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Alexis Herman, athletic leaders such as Jim Brown, and many Hollywood luminaries have also walked, I made note of the historical photos displayed on the walls. It was the beginning of a museum – one that documented the history of Black construction leaders and their companies in San Diego. For Hameed, who recently announced he would be stepping down as presi - upstairs at the school, and taught an estimated 300 to 400 students, whose ages ranged from 3 to 10, according to surviving records.

The Williamsburg Bray School operated until 1774; only Philadelphia’s reopened after the Revolutionary War. The structure became a private home for many years before it was incorporated into William & Mary’s campus.

The former schoolhouse eventually was moved from its original spot to make way for a dormitory. The original structure had 1.5 stories, with a small upstairs. It was expanded over the years to include two full stories, and was last used as an office for ROTC, the college program that prepares military officers. Historians believed they had identified the original Bray School building, but it wasn’t confirmed until 2021, through the use of dendrochronology, a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber to determine the wood’s harvest date.

“This is a remarkable story of survival,” said Matthew Webster, Colonial Williamsburg’s executive director of architectural preservation and research. “And for us, it’s so important to put it back (to its original state) and tell the full and true story.”

The Bray School was exceptional: Although Virginia waited until the 1800s to impose anti-literacy laws, white leaders across much of Colonial America forbid educating enslaved people, fearing literacy would encourage their liberty. South Carolina criminalized teaching slaves to write English in 1740.

Inside the schoolhouse, the original post at the bottom of the walnut staircase still stands, its square top rounded and nicked from centuries of use, Webster said, adding that it’s a “very powerful piece for a lot of people.”

For Tonia Merideth, the

Bray School Lab’s oral historian, the building stirred up many emotions upon her first visit. It was material proof against the narrative that her ancestors were illiterate and dumb.

“Everything that I learned about my ancestors was wrong,” she said. “They could learn. They did learn. They were able.”

Merideth added: “Regardless of the intentions of the school, the children were still taking that education and possibly serving it for their own good and aiding in their community.”

Merideth can trace her roots to the Armistead family, which enslaved people in the Williamsburg area and is known to have sent at least one child, named Locust, to the Bray School. But only three years of student lists have survived.

The moving of the Bray School is part of Colonial Williamsburg’s ongoing reckoning over its past storytelling of Black history and the nation’s origin story. The museum was founded in 1926 but did not tell Black stories until 1979.

In 2021, it uncovered the brick foundation of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches. Last year, archeologists began to excavate graves at the site.

The Bray School’s new location is right next door.

“We’re going back and we’re getting that school and we’re getting that legacy,” Merideth said. “And we’re bringing it back to the historic area.” at least a temporary, partial victory last March when the Supreme Court approved a “partial stay.” The order allowed the Navy to consider the sailors’ vaccination status in making decisions on deployment, assignment and other operational issues while the case plays out. There was no indication when the judges would rule. Monday’s arguments were heard by Duncan and Ho, both nominated to the 5th Circuit by President Donald Trump, and James Graves, a nominee of President Barack Obama. dent of the local BCA chapter, honoring their history and contributions is an important extension of his life’s work. “The people have had no voice and no representation,” he says. “I look at people like the late Norman Baynard Mansour, who was a great photographer capturing images of moments in history that remind me of photos taken of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His legacy and his imagery are what inspire future generations. Pictures are worth thousands of words.”

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

Limited Order Of The Health Officer

(Effective June 15, 2021)

On June 15, 2021, the Blueprint for a Safer Economy will be rescinded. Persons and entities may still be subject to Cal OSHA and California Department of Public Health guidelines and standards with limited public health restrictions, including face coverings, school based guidance, and guidance for mega events. The California Public Health Officer has issued an order to be effective June 15, 2021, and available here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/ CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Order-ofthe-State-Public-Health-Officer-BeyondBlueprint.aspx. The California Public Health Officer has also issued updated face covering guidance effective June 15, 2021, and available here: https://www. cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/ COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings. aspx#June15guidance.

In San Diego County, persons who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or who are likely to have COVID-19, will be subject to the Order of the Health Officer titled: “Isolation of All Persons with or Likely to have COVID-19,” or as subsequently amended. Persons who have a close contact with a person who either has COVID19, or is likely to have COVID-19, will be subject to the Order of the Health Officer titled: “Quarantine of Persons Exposed to COVID-19,” or as subsequently amended. Both orders are available at: https://www. sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/ programs/phs/community_epidemiology/ dc/2019-nCoV/health-order.html.

Subsequent Health Officer Orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic may be issued in San Diego County as conditions warrant. Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code sections 101040, 120175, and 120175.5 (b), the Health Officer of the County of San Diego (Health Officer) ORDERS AS FOLLOWS:

1. Effective June 15, 2021, the Order of the Health Officer and Emergency Regulations, dated May 6, 2021, and any other Health Officer orders related to COVID-19 shall expire, with the exception of the following: a.“Isolation of All Persons with or Likely to have COVID-19,” dated December 24, 2020. b.“Quarantine of Persons Exposed to COVID-19,” dated April 5, 2021. c. Any quarantine or isolation order issued to an individual that is currently in effect.

2. Pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 120175.5 (b), all governmental entities in the county shall continue to take necessary measures within the governmental entity’s control to ensure compliance with State and local laws, regulations, and orders related to the control of COVID-19.

IT IS SO ORDERED:

Date: June 14, 2021

WILMA J. WOOTEN, M.D., M.P.H. Public Health Officer County of San Diego

EXPIRATION OF EMERGENCY REGULATIONS

As Director of Emergency Services for the County of San Diego, I am authorized to promulgate regulations for the protection of life and property pursuant to Government Code Section 8634 and San Diego County Code section 31.103. The Health Officer Order and Emergency Regulations, dated May 6, 2021, shall expire as a regulation for the protection of life and property, on June 15, 2021.

Date: June 14, 2021

HELEN ROBBINS-MEYER Chief Administrative Officer Director of Emergency Services County of San Diego

2023-2024 Notice is hereby given that the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the County of San Diego will hold a public hearing on April 5, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 310 of the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA. Public testimony can be heard on the proposed Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 20232024, Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy, and Housing Choice Voucher

Section 8 Administrative Plan.

On February 17, 2023, the referenced Plans are being released for a 45-day public review and comment period.

Public testimony can be heard on the proposed Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy, and Housing Choice

Voucher Section 8 Administrative Plan. The Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan is a comprehensive guide to a PHA's policies, programs, operations, and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. The Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy and Section 8 Administrative Plan are the governing documents for the PHA's administration of its public housing program and Section 8 program. In lieu of in-person attendance, members of the public are strongly encouraged to submit their comments on the proposed Public Housing Agency Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy, and Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 Administrative Plan via e-mail at publiccomment@sdcounty.ca. gov. All comments submitted are sent to the members of the Board of Commissioners and the Chief Administrative Officer for their consideration. Comments will be accepted until the end of the meeting.

Beginning February 17, 2023, the referenced documents and supporting documents can be accessed immediately at www.sdhcd.org and will be available for review at the following locations: County of San Diego Melrose Manor Apartments Housing and Community Development Services 1678 Melrose Ave., Apt.13 3989 Ruffin Road Chula Vista, CA 91911 San Diego, CA 92123 Towncentre Manor Apartments L St. Manor Apartments 434 F St., Apt. 101 584 L St., Apt. F Chula Vista, CA 91911 Chula Vista, CA 91911 Dorothy St. Manor Apartments 778 Dorothy St., Apt. A Chula Vista, CA 91911 Housing and Community Development Services Website: www.sdhcd.org Written comments may be submitted prior to the public hearing and during the 45-day comment period ending on April 5, 2023, to: County of San Diego Housing and Community Development Services Attn: Monique Mercier 3989 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123 2/16/23 CNS-3669496# VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWS