Three neighborhood preservationists have been chosen for the 2025 African American Fellows Program at Preservation Virginia, an initiative designed to assist the examine and safety of African American historic websites throughout the state.
A part of the “Voices Remembered” initiative, the fellowship is now in its third 12 months. The chosen fellows will spend the summer season working with Preservation Virginia employees, partaking with mentors, and persevering with analysis initiatives in their very own communities.
This system, which launched in 2021, is guided by an advisory committee of Black leaders and students and funded by a grant from the Mellon Basis.
“Every year, it’s an increasing number of troublesome to make the number of summer season students; these three contributors within the third cohort have been chosen due to their earlier partnerships with Preservation Virginia and overwhelming dedication to their communities,” stated Lisa Winn Bryan, neighborhood outreach supervisor at Preservation Virginia.
Karice Luck-Brimmer, from Pittsylvania County, brings greater than 20 years of expertise as a genealogist and public historian, specializing in African American communities within the Dan River area.
She has served on the Virginia Board of Historic Sources and has been featured in The Washington Publish, Folks journal and 60 Minutes. Her fellowship work will deal with preserving sacred burial grounds, historic Black church buildings and oral traditions in Pittsylvania County, constructing on efforts such because the Danville Analysis Heart for African American Historical past and Tradition.
One other fellow is Sheila Okay. Wilson Elliott, of Capon, a tribal historian for the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia with greater than 40 years of expertise in pharmacy providers. She presently chairs the tribe’s nonprofit arm and has led its family tree committee. Her analysis will discover the intertwined histories of Nottoway Native People and African People, tracing lineages and highlighting the cultural survival shared between the teams.
The third fellow, Marlo Inexperienced, of Petersburg, is a licensed public accountant and director of monetary operations at Virginia State College who found the historical past of Pocahontas Island in 2021. Impressed by the island’s wealthy cultural heritage, she is researching the historic Jarratt Home as a part of her fellowship. She stated the chance permits her to contribute to preserving an vital a part of Petersburg’s historical past.
Voices Remembered elevates ignored Black voices and guarantee their tales are preserved and linked to up to date communities. Preservation Virginia is a nonprofit group that promotes stewardship of historic locations throughout the commonwealth by way of advocacy, schooling and revitalization efforts.
Extra data is on the market at preservationvirginia.org.
