2020 Richmond History Makers Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2020

Contact:
Eric Steigleder
Director of Communications
esteigleder@thevalentine.org

2020 Richmond History Makers Announced

The honorees for the Valentine’s 15th annual celebration represent a diverse range of experiences, expertise and engagement

RICHMOND – Today, the Valentine announced the six honorees that will be recognized at the 15th Annual Richmond History Makers & Community Update. This program promotes and celebrates the bold, innovative and often unsung work of individuals and organizations who strive to improve their communities.

On Tuesday, March 10th at Virginia Union University, the honorees will be celebrated in a room full of family, friends, local leaders, community advocates, non-profit representatives and more [tickets available HERE].

“After 15 years recognizing the best the Richmond Region has to offer, we are more excited than ever to celebrate our 2020 honorees,” said Valentine Director Bill Martin. “Our new partnership with the Community Foundation, our return to Virginia Union University and our incredible group of winners are all a part of the Valentine’s wider goal of supporting and strengthening this program through continued community engagement.”

The 15th anniversary of this program also marks the first time the Valentine has partnered with the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond to provide an update on the progress  being made across the region.

“Celebrating the Richmond History Makers honorees is a perfect way to reflect on the progress we’ve made as a city as well as the issues that continue to require unified effort,” said Community Foundation Chief Community Engagement Officer Scott Blackwell. “By providing an update on where we are as a region, we can celebrate the honorees while inspiring others in the community to take action.”

The honorees were nominated by members of the Richmond community according to six categories and chosen by a Selection Committee made up of Leadership Metro Richmond (LMR) graduates and former Richmond History Makers Honorees.

“We received nearly 100 nominations this year, and from that large pool of impressive candidates, six incredible honorees were chosen,” said Myra Goodman Smith of Leadership Metro Richmond. “LMR is honored be a part of this program for the 15th year in a row, and we look forward to joining with members of the Richmond community in recognizing these groundbreaking individuals and organizations.”

The 2020 Richmond History Makers and their categories include:

For Creating Quality Educational Opportunities:
ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation

For Championing Social Justice:
Tanya Gonzalez
The Sacred Heart Center

For Promoting Community Health:
Jeannette Cordor
Faces of HOPE

For Improving Regional Transportation:
Charles Rasnick

For Demonstrating Innovative Economic Solutions:
BLK RVA Action Team

For Advancing our Quality of Life:
Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia

Long-time Richmond History Makers sponsor Dominion Energy is returning as the event’s title sponsor. Lead sponsors include Altria, VCU Health and TowneBank.

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About the Valentine
The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for over a century. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region.

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“Voices from Richmond’s Hidden Epidemic” Puts Faces and Stories to Richmond’s HIV/AIDS Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2020

Contact:
Eric Steigleder
Director of Communications
esteigleder@thevalentine.org

Voices from Richmond’s Hidden Epidemic Puts Faces and Stories to Richmond’s HIV/AIDS Crisis

Valentine exhibition offers a nuanced look at Richmond’s HIV/AIDS epidemic through the stories of survivors, caregivers, activists and others on the front lines.

Rodney Lofton. August 2018. Photographed by Michael Simon for the Voices from Richmond’s Hidden Epidemic project.

RICHMOND —Voices from Richmond’s Hidden Epidemic, a new exhibition opening on January 23, will feature oral histories and black-and-white photographic portraits, focusing on the personal stories of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Richmond.

Richmond’s rate of HIV infection, currently ranked 19th nationally, is exacerbated by high concentrations of poverty, lack of sex education in public schools and the continuing opioid epidemic. Despite years of medical and social progress, misconceptions about HIV/AIDS persist today.

While Americans on average have a one-in-99 chance of contracting HIV over the course of their lifetime, the odds for a gay black man are one in two. Black women have a rate of HIV infection 17.6 times that of white women. In fact, in Richmond, women make up a quarter of new HIV diagnoses.

Laura Browder and Patricia Herrera, both professors at the University of Richmond, collected 30 oral histories in an effort to put faces to these surprising statistics.

“The process has transformed our understanding not only of the epidemic, but more broadly of the way people can turn what one assumes to be a life-destroying event into an opportunity for making change,” said Herrera. “Many of the people we met lived lives charged with purpose—including, most urgently, to prevent others from becoming infected with the virus.”

“Most people outside of the public health community think that HIV is a disease that primarily affects gay, white men. We learned how far from the reality that is,” Browder continued. “The people represented in the exhibition include great-grandmothers, undocumented immigrants, college professors, church deacons and transgendered people. They include public health officials, HIV educators, medical providers, activists, and those who have lost loved ones to HIV.”

Local photographer Michael Simon produced the black-and-white portraits that communicate the trials and triumphs of each person featured in Voices.

“These stories and these portraits are important to all of us,” said Simon. “These people are members of our community. They are friends and family and we need to remember that we are all in this fight together.”

“Featuring the powerful oral histories collected by Laura and Patricia and Michael’s phenomenal photography, we hope this exhibition contributes to an important ongoing discussion about the true impact of HIV/AIDS on the Richmond community,” Valentine Director Bill Martin said.

In coordination with the exhibition opening, Nationz Foundation, a local non-profit providing education, information and programming related to HIV, will be conducting free on-site HIV testing noon to 4 p. m. on Thursday, January 23 at the Valentine.

“Nationz Foundation is excited to partner with the Valentine Museum during the Voices exhibit!” said Nationz Foundation Executive Director Zakia McKensey. “It is extremely important to get tested. Knowing your status is one sure way to prevent the spread of the infection. We will be on site providing Rapid HIV testing for free, so please stop by and get your results in 60 seconds.”

Voices from Richmond’s Hidden Epidemic will be on display through May 25, 2020.

This project is funded in part by Virginia Humanities.

Support is also provided by University of Richmond, Office of the Provost and Dean’s Office, School of Arts & Sciences and the following generous sponsors. 

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About the Valentine
The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for over a century. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region.

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Explore the Past on the Pulse Brings Richmonders Closer to History

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2020

Contact:
Eric Steigleder
Director of Communications
esteigleder@thevalentine.org

Explore the Past on the Pulse Brings Richmonders Closer to History

Pulse riders are one scan away from experiencing Richmond history thanks to a partnership between the Valentine, GRTC and VCU

RICHMOND —Pulse riders can now experience Richmond History with a simple scan of their smartphone.

Thanks to an innovative partnership between the Valentine, GRTC and Virginia Commonwealth University, riders will be able to use QR codes at each of the 14 Pulse stops across the city to access easily-digestible Richmond stories.

Each QR code links riders to a web page showcasing nearby sites of interest, upcoming events and a brief history of the area, complete with archival photos.

“We’re so happy to be working with two such distinguished Richmond institutions,” GRTC Chief Executive Officer Julie Timm said. “GRTC is dedicated to serving the community, and this is another opportunity to help Richmonders navigate their city.”

The QR codes can be found on the glass map illustrations of each Pulse platform. The Valentine provided research support for the project, developing relevant, accessible content for each stop in a way that riders can easily interact with.

“Explore the Past on the Pulse is about engaging riders and providing opportunities for Richmonders to learn more about the spaces and the neighborhoods they frequent,” said Valentine Director Bill Martin. “This project makes Richmond history more accessible because you don’t have to go track this information down. Instead, the information comes to you, wherever you are.”

Dr. John Kneebone, VCU professor emeritus, was instrumental in developing Explore the Past on the Pulse and worked with graduate students to develop an early iteration of the project.

“This project appealed to me as a teacher because my History graduate students could apply their skills and abilities to coursework with an obvious real-world application,” Dr. Kneebone said. “I tested the project the summer before class and it was very feasible. As a class project, too, it enabled the students to both collaborate and work individually. At semester’s end, the students presented their work to the Valentine and GRTC. Today when I ride the Pulse, I find myself engaged historically with my whereabouts, and now other riders can, too.”

As part of their ongoing class project, VCU students also provided technical and content feedback on Explore the Past on the Pulse.

You too can Explore the Past on the Pulse at any of the 14 Pulse Stops across the city by using your phone to scan the QR codes available at each Pulse station or directly through the GRTC website.

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About the Valentine
The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for over a century. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region.

About the GRTC Pulse
GRTC Pulse is a modern, high quality, high capacity rapid transit system that serves a 7.6-mile route along Broad Street and Main Street, from Rocketts Landing in the City of Richmond to Willow Lawn in Henrico County. The Pulse earned a Bronze Standard BRT rating by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). GRTC Pulse is jointly sponsored by Bon Secours Richmond Health System and VCU Health System. The Pulse links to many exciting destinations, businesses, services and restaurants.

About VCU and VCU Health
Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students in 217 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Thirty-eight of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 11 schools and three colleges. 

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The Valentine First Freedom Center Hosts 2nd Annual Religious Freedom Day Celebration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2020

Contact:
Eric Steigleder
Director of Communications
esteigleder@thevalentine.org

The Valentine First Freedom Center Hosts 2nd Annual Religious Freedom Day Celebration

Event will address rising anti-Semitism, importance of interfaith dialogue

 

RICHMOND — The Valentine First Freedom Center will host the 2nd Annual Religious Freedom Day Celebration on Thursday, January 16 at 9 a.m. to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

Located in Shockoe Slip at the site where the statute was signed in 1786, the Valentine First Freedom Center will welcome museum guests, local religious leaders, members of the public and others for a morning of reflection and conversation about the enduring legacy of religious liberty.

Remarks will be provided by Rabbi Michael Knopf of Richmond’s Temple Beth-El. The event will also use the anniversary to address the recent rise in anti-Semitic violence and vandalism nationally, and how continued interfaith dialogue among Richmond’s faith community can help combat these threats to religious freedom.

“As we witness rising antisemitism, islamophobia and increasing religious hate crimes, it is imperative that we use the 234th anniversary to reassert the profound importance of freedom of conscience,” Valentine Director Bill Martin said. “We hope that the Valentine First Freedom Center can function as a site that not only educates about this foundational freedom, but also serves as a place where meaningful dialogue about this founding value can be realized.”

The morning will also include selected readings from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, a musical performance and light refreshments. RSVP HERE.

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About the Valentine
The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for over a century. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region.

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