“The William & Mary Bray School Lab uncovers, documents, preserves, and shares broadly the history and legacies of the Williamsburg Bray School (1760-1774) and its students.”

The William & Mary Bray School Lab is a unit of W&M Strategic Cultural Partnerships

"SCP catalyzes W&M’s cultural and historic resources to generate new knowledge and advance understanding.  Through partnership we bridge divides and create common ground in order to build a more just world.

Strategic Cultural Partnerships transcends the boundaries between past and present, scholarship and practice, and campus and community to illuminate our diverse stories and imagine our collective future."

September 20, 2024 Edition

Dear Margaret,

Greetings from the William & Mary Bray School Lab, and welcome back to Bray School Bulletins! Happy Annual National HBCU Week!

We are very pleased to share the latest news and updates with you from Strategic Cultural Partnerships at William & Mary....

• NEW Bray School Oral Histories available!
• A Reasonable Progress Blog Update | Centering Community
• Rediscovering the Bray School | September, 24, 28
• Bray School Stories: Seeking Harry, John, and Mary Ashby | September 30
• Race, Religion, and Education: The Path Forward | October 23
• Tower Hill: A Plantation on the Edge | October 26
• SAVE THE DATE: Bray School Opening Ceremony | November 1

• The Language of Trees: Forest Thinking to Reimagine the World | October 1
• 2024 Virginia Tribal Education Consortium Conference | October 3-4
• Alumni Author Breakfast with Kathryn Erskine ’80 and Keith Henry Brown | October 19
• Playbook for Success with Stephanie Szostak ‘94 | October 24

We're very proud to announce that the next round of oral histories about the Williamsburg Bray School, led by Tonia Merideth, are now available on the W&M Libraries Digital Collection platform.

This new round features oral histories with Da-Veia Brown, Dr. Janise Parker, Patricia Chrenka, Aynide Martin, Cynthia Dianne Druitt, Rachel Hogue, and Stephen Seals.

We sincerely thank all of our narrators, and the team at Swem Library for their efforts to make these available for free in perpetuity.

The W&M Bray School Lab and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation are exploring the untold and ongoing story of the Williamsburg Bray School. The presentations are happening throughout September and are included with admission to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.

Each of the dates in September will feature a presentation between 1:00 - 1:45 PM. William & Mary students, faculty, and staff get free annual passes to Colonial Williamsburg!

The staff of the Bray School Lab are presenting on the following dates:

• Sept 24 - Maureen Elgersman Lee
• Sept 28 - Tonia Merideth

Photo is courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.

W&M Bray School Lab presents a monthly Zoom series by Genealogist Elizabeth Drembus, detailing her on-going search for the descendants of the Williamsburg Bray School.

In September, we return our focus to the scholars of the Williamsburg Bray School and Elizabeth details the search for Harry, John, and Mary Ashby.

The sessions are interactive, ensuring everyone has a chance to contribute. And while the focus is on the Bray School students, attendees will walk away with more: a sense of connection to history, a better grasp of genealogical research, and resources to explore their own family histories.

This event is free and open to members of the public, but advanced registration is required - click here to register!

After you've registered, catch up on previous episodes of Bray School Stories!

Dr. Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of the W&M Bray School Lab, will serve as a panelist on Race, Religion, and Education: The Path Forward.

This event is sponsored by Saint John Baptist Church and NAACP Religious Affairs.

Race, Religion, and Education: The Path Forward is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23 from 6:00 - 8:30 PM.

Register for this event here.

Flyer is courtesy of Saint John Baptist Church and NAACP Religion Affairs.

Saturday, October 26, 2024, the For 2026 conference will end with a keynote plenary address by renowned historian and author Alan Taylor, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair at the University of Virginia.

The plenary will start at 5:00 PM and will be held at the Glenn Close Theatre at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall on the campus of W&M.

The event is free and open to the public.

Taylor's address "Tower Hill: A Plantation on the Edge" will discuss the proximate causes of the locus of Nat Turner's attempted 1831 revolution in Southampton Co., VA.

Taylor is an award-winning author, notably including twice winning the Pulitzer Prize for History; first in 1996 and again in 2014, making him one of only five people to have won that award twice.

Mark your calendars to join us for what promises to be an extraordinary event!

Photo is courtesy of Dr. Alan Taylor.

Save the date! Join us on November 1 for the opening ceremony of the Williamsburg Bray School, the oldest surviving structure in the United State dedicated to the education of Black children.

There ceremony will begin at approximately 2:00 PM on the lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.

More information is forthcoming.

The Institute for Integrative Conservation and W&M Libraries welcome artist, activist, and best-selling author Katie Holten for two events in celebration of W&M Year of the Arts.

Katie will take us through an exploration of these questions and the importance of the human connection with the more-than-human world as we collectively face threats of biodiversity loss and climate breakdown.

Registration for the 2024 Virginia Tribal Education Consortium (VTEC) Conference is live. Reclaiming Identity: A Century of Resilience Since 1924 will explore the profound impact of the Virginia Racial Integrity Act of 1924 and the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.

This is a two day conference hosted by our friends at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Registration is offered at zero cost.

A very special shout-out to Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, Thomasina E. Jordan Director of the American Indian Resource Center at William & Mary, who will be presenting on Friday morning.

Learn more and register now.

Conference poster is courtesy of VTEC. Image used for posted is of Mollie Wade Holmes Adams, (1881-1973), Upper Mattaponi Tribe of VA.

Alumni Author Breakfast with Kathryn Erskine ’80 and Keith Henry Brown | October 19

SCP is proud to partner with W&M Libraries to let you know about this family friendly Homecoming event!

Join us for a dance party featuring the authors of My Dad is a DJ — Kathryn Erskine ’80 and Keith Henry Brown! Enjoy breakfast, hear from the authors and partake in fun activities. Free and family-friendly! The W&M Bookstore will be on-site with books for purchase, and the authors will be signing books following their talk.

SCP is proud to partner with W&M University Libraries to let you know about this event!

in us for an evening with W&M alumna, author and actress Stephanie Szostak ’94. She will share her experience as an international student at William & Mary, as well as her journey through the challenges of acting, overcoming rejection, and cultivating mental fitness and authenticity.

Stephanie will also discuss her book SELF!SH: Step Into a Journey of Self-Discovery to Revive Confidence, Joy, and Meaning, which offers an interactive template for readers to create a personal playbook for growth and mindset transformation. This event is sponsored by W&M Libraries and the W&M Reves Center for International Studies.

The W&M Bookstore will be on-site with books for purchase and Stephanie will be signing copies following the talk.

Catch up on past Bray School Bulletins newsletters by clicking here.

All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by Grace Helmick '22.

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