Local Collaboration Announces Completion of Fulton Oral History Project
The Valentine Richmond History Center, the Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC), Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Greater Fulton’s Future Legacy Committee (GFF) are pleased to announce the completion of the Fulton Oral History Project. The project was made possible through a grant from Virginia LISC and is part of the Greater Fulton’s Future Plan.
The Valentine Richmond History Center, the Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC), Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Greater Fulton’s Future Legacy Committee (GFF) are pleased to announce the completion of the Fulton Oral History Project. The project was made possible through a grant from Virginia LISC and is part of the Greater Fulton’s Future Plan.
Started in 2011, the Fulton Oral History Project’s purpose is to educate, to raise awareness and to gain an understanding of life in the Historic Fulton community, located in the east end of Richmond, Va. Its need comes from a commitment to preserve the 20th century history of the neighborhood and its residents. This is being done through the compilation of the oral histories of historic Fulton residents, particularly those with strong ties to the Fulton community prior to the 1970s urban renewal plan.
Veronica Fleming, Senior Program Officer for Virginia LISC states “Virginia LISC is proud to have sponsored this project. It will be a model for other community documentation efforts throughout the country. Neighborhood revitalization is not just about bricks and mortar projects. It is also about preserving history and creating pride in communities.”
Throughout 2011 and 2012, Dr. Caroline Morris, assisted by project coordinator Corliss Freda Johnson, interviewed 32 current and former residents of Fulton.
“The Historic Fulton Oral History Project means so much to the people of the original Fulton community that was destroyed in the 1970’s. Finally we have a chance to share our story, which tells of the morals and values our forefathers placed upon us as a people and a community for our children’s children and their children…who will have something tangible to refer to, since we can no longer go home. The world will finally hear the truth out of the mouths of the babes of Fulton. Fulton is gone and this project will keep it alive,” reflects Corliss Freda Johnson, oral history coordinator and Greater Fulton’s Future Legacy Committee member. Johnson’s home was in the original Rocketts, which started from Williamsburg Avenue to the James River of Fulton.
Jason Sawyer, the Community Organizer with GFF and NRC said, “we are so grateful to have partnered with the community on this project to share and preserve the true history of Fulton from the people who experienced it. We are so thankful to the residents who led the way in getting this done, and the Valentine History Center who shared in its mission. Without them, this project would not have been possible.”
The Valentine Richmond History Center serves as the repository for the original Fulton oral history materials. To ensure wide access, copies of the Fulton Oral History Project have been distributed to various research institutions in the Richmond region.
“The Fulton Oral History Project will be an invaluable research tool as students and scholars begin to examine what happened in Fulton during the 1970s. Hearing firsthand accounts of living and working in this neighborhood brings Fulton to life,” stated Meg Hughes, Director of Collections and Interpretation for the Valentine Richmond History Center.
For more information, contact:
Jason Sawyer
Community Organizer
Greater Fulton’s Future Initiative at the Neighborhood Resource Center
(804) 864-5797
jason@nrccafe.org
Meg Hughes
Director of Collections and Interpretation
Valentine Richmond History Center
(804) 649-0711 x342
mhughes@richmondhistorycenter.com
Veronica Fleming
Senior Program Officer
Virginia LISC
(804) 358-7602 x12
vjemmott@lisc.org
