Black Travel: Find African-American Heritage & Fun at Colonial Williamsburg

1. I have been to Colonial Williamsburg years ago ,however until reading tis aricle, I didn't realize the rich history of my ancestors that I missed . I do plan to travel to Williamsburg area again , but instead of the parks and virginai beach which is what I did previously , I will go for historical reasons an d to find out more about my heriage and ancestors. It'
excellent to have so much history so close by. I fel this would be a great opportunity for chool outings and church
weekend trips .

JACQUELINE GARRETT at 12:48PM on Jul 25th 2008

2. I found this to be a true enlightening artical for me, I've visited Colonial Williamsburg, years agon and didn't even realize all the ancestral history there. I do plan on taking my grandsons oneday and will make sure to take advantage of all the rich anceteral history there. I have shared this article with some of my friends becasue I think this would be an excellent weekend getaway for church groups and schools.

JACQUELINE GARRETT at 12:53PM on Jul 25th 2008

3. Beautiful. As a former social studies teacher, your article made me feel so proud that you have undertaken the opportunity to see Colonial Williamsburg (a great place) and write about your experience. Williamsburg is steeped in our history and the preservation of African American History is astounding. Our history comes to life. We own a time share there and always enjoy going to rest and wander through the sites. Because of Uncle Bobby's illness, we did not go this year...or at least not yet. Thanks for sharing. You write beautifully.

Alice Garrett at 12:38PM on Jul 26th 2008

4. I very happy to read articles like this one. I want to read more Black Travel articles. I do believe there are places that are apart of Black History that I would love to see for myself. Reading this article, make me want to plan a trip. Well done.

Ellis Peters at 6:04PM on Jul 26th 2008

5. What I see is a Revolution of white history and the only revolution of black history were those tree's planted in a row, from black hands, that’s the only Revolution I see. Yes some area's seem peaceful now, there are no slaves there. Why would a white woman depict what slaves did, again confusing history to make whites look good, when it wasn't good of whites to do what they did, take those shoes off and that nice dress, and put a black person with a cotton sac on, or a dirty dress, there is the truth of how blacks lived then. The real picture for blacks was the brother hoeing the tobacco, but his clothes were to clean. The disappointing thing is that in these places we that are being shown is where black women were rapped, men beat, blacks were killed and hung, children taken away from their parents sold as animals to other white slave owners, also where the Willie Lynch mentality started and some black person to take the pain away from our history down plays it and sees what she only wants to see. I am sure there are spirits that still wonder that land who were treated horrible, they didn't take you to those places did they? hell to the no they didn't. Yes, the chop up fire wood fence was build from scratch by black hands that worked there free. The bed with the hole under it had such a negative spirit. Yes, I knew slaves were allowed to grow their own food so the master could come and take it at his whelm and take their dignity. That’s right that bucket is hard to carry and if you didn't carry it you would have been beat almost to death. I can't stand this person who is telling this story because she talks to us as black people being ignorant of our past, she was the ignorant one, just finding out and refuses to see where blacks worked for free and never got paid and one or two got their 40 acer’s and their mule, the one house left to a black female slave out of a million people, and! I didn't like her story at all.

thismustbesaid at 8:08AM on Jul 27th 2008

6. THANK YOU!! As a "child" of Virginia, and a product of Virginia State University, I am aware of our history and take pride in it!!

Marie Pearson Shockley at 1:46PM on Jul 27th 2008

7. dont believe them .....that my voice

james at 3:41PM on Jul 27th 2008

8. Between me and my wife we have been to Colonial Williamsburg a combined 6 times. She has been going since she was young and loves it, I get frustrated and disguted with the tours and slavery exhibits every time I've gone. I much more enjoy the water park, Busch Gardens and strip with all the stores, go-carts, and mini-golf.

It is a great family vacation spot because of the many options for activities and the staff are great everywhere but I can't stomach another one of those freakin tours in the "colonial Town" or watch Black people play the role of slaves at the exhibits.

Outside of my personal feelings let me say it is a great vacation spot with great pricing and packages for families and groups. We usually go for a week and it cost us (a family of 5) $1,700. This is pretty much all-inclusive (parks, events at the resort, tours, etc) though we had to pay for food on our own. I would recommend it eventhough I can't do the slavery rehashing stuff.

Lorenzo Jones at 11:17PM on Jul 27th 2008

9. I agree with this must be said.Although there is still a struggle to be reconized.

chuck at 11:38PM on Jul 27th 2008

10. Places like williamsburg cannot and will not show the true horrors inflicted on Black people. How can they depict rape and sodomy, murder, disrespect and inhumanity. This site is a good place to start for children and adults with little or no knowledge of black history AT ALL. But like Black history taught to us in American schools, it MUST be supplemented with truth!!! Other wise, we allow the perpetrators to dispict how they behaved toward the victims, which we know will always be shown in the light most favorable to them(whites).

zroiand at 11:40PM on Jul 27th 2008

11. I suppose plans should be in the work for an entertaining Native American or Jewish Holocaust Resort, which would show their industriousness and human qualities, in spite of their inhumane treatment by the dominant society.

Charles Brooks at 11:49PM on Jul 27th 2008

12. Although I appreciate what the contributing witting had to say.
I like so many others, have also made the trip.Some how I missed the positive reception that was experienced by the writer. To allow slavery to be presented as positive in any way, suggest acceptance.
How sad to gain some type of self awareness from visiting such a place as Williams burg, surly the blood of the many Native and African Americans who died there still cry out for justice!
Looking for sense of black pride try the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis Tennessee. Need to reconnect to your Native American heritage try a Pow Wow.Want to re-live the shame and horror of a wonderful people try the National Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.

Regina at 12:05AM on Jul 28th 2008

13. I have taken many groups to Colonial Williamsburg for the African American perspective many times. One of the highlights was Carter's Grove Plantation, but I have recently learned that it was sold to a private person whose family will live there now. After learning that, I became a little disenchanted. But after reading about other plantations in the Williamsburg area, my hopes are renewed. Additionally, I am impressed with the new attention to Africans in Jamestown. I went with a class to Jamestown only once, and we were terribly disappointed. There was nothing to connect us to the colonists but a mere reference by the tour guide and a small black placard on the roadway outside the settlement then. It appears our outrage and outspoken behavior about the lack of attention to Africans in the settlement may have been heard loud and clear.

Rose Monroe at 2:25AM on Jul 28th 2008

14. Hello. This is the author of the story. I think that the stories of the rape, torture, humiliation, and disgusting forced severance of family ties, in addition to not getting paid and being constantly abused to the point at time of death -- these are the elements of the past that we as black people often know a lot about. Far from believing that we should forget them or that any museum experience could erase them from our memory, I think that the experience at Williamsburg shows that DESPITE such treacherous surroundings, our ancestors survived, thrived and contributed greatly to the foundations of this country. Also, the black slave interpreters of history do in fact tell a mostly white audience about the rapes, tortures, humiliations, and selling off of clan and kin. Many times, this is the first time that whites are hearing these stories, and it gives them an understanding for the first time about slavery's horrible abuses. This is one of the most sensitive aspects of the program, and it is addressed. They even held a live re-enactment of a slave auction near the start of the program, that was controversial to both whites and blacks, but it was done so that the history could be truthfully told.

Alexis Stodghill at 11:04AM on Jul 28th 2008

15. I've been there and seen the programs. They tell both sides. When they attempt to get deep many of us can't handle it - like when they re-enacted the horror of a slave auction people thought they were wrong but if things are too nice, people don't like that either. They talk about the brutality but they also talk about the triumphs and they are leading the way in terms of other museums. I saw an African American interpreter show a child interpreter a broken piece of mirror and say, "This is your face." It made the audience realize that people then were stripped of the basic things we take for granted, like looking in the mirror and knowing what we look like. They base their interpretation on real events. When a woman ran away to fight for the British and gained her freedom, they tell that. When another woman is brought back from the tribe of the indian man she married and forced back into slavery, they tell that too. When they show how to cultivate tobacco, every audience member has to hoe for the same amount of time because back in the day the slaves would not have been able to stop if they were tired. And those interpreting in the fields are dirty because they are really working out there. If you have been there and know differently, fine. But I have been there recently, spent a lot of time and all the above is what I found. I'm glad I went and we should give it a chance.

beegreenie at 3:05PM on Jul 30th 2008