Superintendent's Memo #016-09

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Department of Education

January 23, 2009
TO: Division Superintendents
FROM: Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUBJECT: Educational Resources from the Library of Virginia: 2009 African American Trailblazers in Virginia History and 2009 Virginia Women in History Program

I am pleased to bring to your attention the recognition of February as African American History Month and March as Women’s History Month. To celebrate both occasions, the Library of Virginia, partnering with Dominion, Capital One, and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, has mailed to Virginia social studies teachers and history and social science chairpersons in elementary, middle, and high schools the 2009 African American Trailblazers in Virginia History posters and the 2009 Virginia Women in History posters. Posters highlight the state and national contributions of African Americans and Virginia women, including a short biography of each individual honored. The posters are supported by online educational resources suitable for teachers in grades K-12. These can be found at: http://lva.virginia.gov/trailblazers/ and http://lva.virginia.gov/vawomen/.

This year’s honorees are:

2009 African American Trailblazers in Virginia History

• Dangerfield Newby (1820-1859), Culpeper Co., member of John Brown’s Raiding Party;
• Amaza Lee Meredith (1895-1984), Lynchburg and Petersburg, artist and architect;
• Oliver White Hill (1907-2007), Richmond, attorney and civil rights leader;
• Edna Lewis (1916-2006), Orange Co., chef and author;
• Evelyn Thomas Butts (1924-1993), Norfolk, principal in a case to invalidate the poll tax;
• Claudia Alexander Whitworth (1927- ), Roanoke, newspaper publisher and humanitarian;
• John Cephas (1930- ), Caroline Co., bluesman and worldwide performer; and
• Leland Melvin (1964- ), Lynchburg, astronaut.

2009 Virginia Women in History

• Mary Randolph (1762-1828), Chesterfield County and Richmond, writer;
• Caroline Bradby Cook (born ca. 1839), King William County, Pamunkey leader and Unionist;
• Virginia Estelle Randolph (1874-1958), Henrico County, educator;
• Pauline Adams (1874-1957), Norfolk, suffragist;
• Drew Gilpin Faust (1947- ), Clarke County, historian and president of Harvard University;
• Mary Sue Terry (1947- ), Patrick County, attorney general;
• Joann Hess Grayson (1948- ), Harrisonburg, psychologist and advocate for abused children; and
• Claudia Emerson (1957- ), Fredericksburg, poet.

For more information about either the African American Trailblazers in Virginia History or the Virginia Women in History projects, please contact Tameka Hobbs at the Library of Virginia, by e-mail at tameka.hobbs@lva.virginia.gov or (804) 371-2126; or Betsy Barton, specialist for history and social science, by e-mail at Betsy.Barton@doe.virginia.gov or telephone at (804) 225-3454.

PIW/BSB/vdg