Courtesy, AMMD Pine Grove

Community members are invited to uncover “hidden gems of history” and hear local voices inspire future generations with “There’s No Mystery in Oral History.”

The AMMD Pine Grove Project, a descendant-led nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pine Grove School and other Rosenwald-era educational sites, will host the special event at the Tearwallet Baptist Church on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. It promises to be a blend of reflection, education and celebration, exploring the power of using oral history to preserve Black heritage.

“Oral history is how we bridge generations. It is how we ensure the wisdom and witness of our elders are not lost,” said Sonja Branch-Wilson, AMMDPGP’s president. “This gathering is part reunion, part revival and all about legacy.”

Featuring a conversation with the Matthews Sisters, daughters of Cumberland and alumni of Pine Grove and Luther P. Jackson High School, the program will be moderated by Justin Reid, an organizer and public historian specializing in rural movement building and cultural right, memory and sustainability. He is known for his advocacy in documenting African American history across Virginia and beyond.

Attendees can expect a program infused with music, memory and mission. They will also learn more about Getting Word – the African American history department at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home. Their oral history project seeks to record and preserve the family histories of Monticello’s enslaved community and its descendants in order to help shape programming and share a more honest history of the United States.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

To register, visit:  https://tinyurl.com/ammdpgpeventsreg