Orange County African
American Historical Society (OCAAHS )

The 2022 OCAAHS Juneteenth Celebration and Dedication of the Commemorative Park on June 19, 2022

The panel will focus on the power of oral histories and family stories. Panelists include Hannah Scruggs, Genealogy Reference Assistant, Robert F. Smith Family History Center, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Niya Bates, Ph.D. candidate, Department of History, Princeton University, and Justin Reid, Director of Community Initiatives, Virginia Humanities

This panel will discuss the power of place and why place matters. Panelists include Dr. Matthew Reeves, former Director of Archaeology at Montpelier, Terry Miller, Curator of Carver 4-County Museum, Charde Reid, Historical Archaeologist and PhD Candidate at William & Mary, and J. Bruce Monroe, President of the Orange County African American Historical Society, and Jordy Yager, Digital Humanities Fellow at Jefferson School African American Heritage Center.

This panel will focus on the meaning of Juneteenth, its role as an Independence day, how the celebration came to Virginia, and what Juneteenth will look like in the future. Panelists include Dr. Bettye Kearse author of The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a President’s Black Family, Zann Nelson, historian, columnist, and President of History Quest, and Audrey P. Davis, Director of the Alexandria Black History Museum.

History Quest Meets Right the Record with Zann Nelson What is OCAAHS? Interview with Rebecca Coleman, Darryle Crump and Bruce Monroe Inquiring minds want to know. To answer that question Zann Nelson interviews the three presidents of the organization spanning its 22 years: Rebecca Coleman co-founder and longest serving president; Rev. Darryle Crump the immediate past-president for 6 years and James “Bruce” Monroe, III the current president. Zann Nelson is a historian, researcher and writer. She is the president of History Quest and Right the Record and serves as Vice President of the Orange County African American Historical Society (OCAAHS). Under the umbrella of the Right the Record Project she will be conducting a series of interviews associated with OCAAHS and Juneteenth 2022.

A walk with the President of OCAAHS James Bruce Monroe, III in the Town of Orange. Sharing some of his childhood memories.