“The Rally – Covenant Phase 2,” held in Colonial Williamsburg in June just 16 days after George Floyd’s death in the custody of Minneapolis police officers, created momentum among those in the area seeking “to work in collaboration and transparency to resolve injustice and racial disparities.”
More than 800 attending the gathering in front of the Colonial Williamsburg Capitol peacefully listened as members of the faith community, students, and political and law enforcement leaders spoke about fostering “an atmosphere of unity, respect, understanding and cooperation.”
The question thereafter, says Leslie Revilock, a clerk of Williamsburg’s Christian Science Church, was, “How do we continue the momentum of that rally? What focus do we take?”
The answer, it turns out is “Together in Hope: Multi-faith Gatherings for Community Transformation.” Together in Hope is a multi-part Zoom series that begins at 7 p.m. Monday with “9 Little Indians: Race and Education,” an approximately 75-minute presentation bringing together visual art, dance and conversation about racial inequity in schools — past and present.
The series was conceived by and is presented by HART (Historic Area Religions Together), a multi-faith group led Revilock, the Rev. Lisa Green of St. Martin Episcopal Church, the Rev. Robert Whitehead of New Zion Baptist, Pastor Corwin Hammond of CBC World Ministry in Toano and Rabbi David Katz of Temple Beth El.
Revilock says the focus for the first installment of the series solidified when HART spoke with Steve Prince, director of engagement and distinguished artist in residence at William & Mary’s Muscarelle Museum of Art. Prince, in turn, enlisted Leah Glenn, a professor of dance, and director of dance publicity and visibility at W&M.
Their specialties in art and dance will be the visual centerpiece of “9 Little Indians,” which highlights The Little Rock Nine, a group of nine Black students who enrolled at all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in September 1957. That historic event underscores the issue of racial inequities in schools still existent which HART wants to focus on in the first installment of the series.
“9 Little Indians is a collision of visual arts and dance that showcases ways we can commemorate the past and also evoke change in our current systems, particularly focusing on education,” Prince said.
Prince said he will talk about more than the nine students who integrated Central High and are highlighted in his image, and of the history of integration of public schools in America.
He’ll also refer to elements the image of other racial issues and figures that went on under that radar in 1950s: including Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were unknowingly taken from her and proved important in cancer research; and about the Tuskegee Experiment, an unethical study about untreated syphilis using Black men.
“As artists, we have this wonderful opportunity to (place) those issues in the light, so we as a people can continue to look at and not forget those different issues that are going on (in society),” he said. “We have to look through a large lens that sees the different repercussions of those issues that stem from the past and are still affecting us.
“What we can learn from (The Little Rock Nine) is that those people who went on the front lines to bring about integration of our schools were children. They were teenagers that stepped up to do something about the issues going on.
“Therefore, the charge that should be before us is that they did it (and) we should be dealing now with the issue affecting us. Then we must encourage the young, and generations to come, that if there is an injustice, we must lay it all on the line, must go to the front lines and we must be bold and brave.”
Following the display of Prince’s art and Glenn’s dance performance, a conversation will follow. Prince and Glenn will be joined by Aaron Butler, York County Schools director of administration, and Natoya Haskins of W&M’s School of Education as they discuss racial equality in education, then and now, with an eye toward the future.
Revilock hopes the discussion leads to a focus that will be the subject of the next installment of Together in Hope, which will likely be held at the beginning of next year. Possible subjects include law enforcement, protest, criminal justice and patriotism.
“The Covenant was an inspiring rally, but we don’t want it to be a just a one-off, feel-good service,” she said. “We want it to come up with something that (provides) tangible goals for the community.”
Rabbi Katz said, “HART has been working for a few years now to bring the community together and bring religious communities together.
“After George Floyd and what’s going on in our country, it’s vital for people of different backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to be willing to listen to each other with the facts.
“This is the kind of program that can help do that.”
Preregistration is required. To register for 9 Little Indians, go to: eventbrite.com/e/9-little-indians-race-and-educationtickets-123738387849.
