The 1619 Traveling Exhibit displayed at the Fletcher Free Library
The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and the Richard Kemp Center presents the 1619 Traveling Exhibit from the Hampton History Museum (VA). The exhibit will open to the public at the Richard Kemp Center on August 1st at 5:00 PM. The exhibit will remain on display at the Richard Kemp Center to and through First African Landing Day, August 22, 2026. Future viewing times are pending. Contact info@vtracialjusticealliance.org for more details.
Drawing on the latest research, this exhibit tells the story of the Africans’ home in Angola, how they came to be enslaved aboard a Spanish slave ship San Juan Bautista, the terrible 10,000 nautical mile voyage that brought them to Virginia, and their lives on the farms and plantations in the new colony. “This is a history class and we teach it every year”, said Rev Mark Hughes, Executive Director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance.
The 1619 Traveling Exhibit compliments First African Landing Day which was inspired by the creation of the 400 Year African American History Commission and the 1619 Project. First African Landing Day was established by the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had [have] on the United States; and to educate the public about the arrival of Africans in the United States. The 2026 theme is “Press On.”
The Traveling Exhibit
In commemoration of the 1619 arrival of the first Africans in English North America, the Hampton History Museum has two pop-up versions of its exhibit “1619: Arrival of the First Africans” available for community groups, schools, churches, libraries, events, and other uses. Consisting of 6 retractable banners that can easily be transported in most vehicles. We’re happy to be able to bring it to Vermont.
This report aims to provide a clear, comprehensive overview of what facts are available, what scholars believe and why, and what remains unknown. This report brings together surviving documents and the latest scholarly research in one place for everyone to use. You can find more FAQ’s about the 1619 landing here.
Go here for details on how you can support or sponsor.
About August 1619
As recorded by English colonist John Rolfe, the arrival of “20 and odd” African men and women in late August 1619, was a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. These Africans were stolen by English privateers from a Spanish slave ship and brought to Point Comfort on a ship called the White Lion. Though the Commemoration of these events does not celebrate the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the first Africans to our shores, it serves as a marker in history that shines a light on the incredibly powerful 400 year journey, and offers some hope in the continued struggle to dismantle the systems of oppression created by the original sin.
400 Years of African American History Commission
The 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, signed into law January 8, 2018, established a 15-member commission to coordinate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies. The Commission’s purpose is to plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities throughout the United States that
- recognize and highlight the resilience and cultural contributions of Africans and African Americans over 400 years;
- acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States, and more..
This is a time for Vermont to join the global commemoration to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619 as we reflect upon one of the historical events that forever changed what would become the the United States and the planet as we know it!