Two hundred fifty years ago, enslaved Baptists founded a church. This month, Colonial Williamsburg gave them their building back. In 1776, on the outskirts of Williamsburg, free and enslaved Black Virginians began congregating for worship in defiance of laws that restricted such…
Historic Williamsburg church marks 250th year with celebration
Generations have passed through Historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, Va., over more than two centuries, but its calling as a witness to the contributions of Black people in American history has remained unchanged, Pastor Reginald F. Davis said. The…
Celebrating Religious Liberty at Colonial Williamsburg
I’ve often mentioned Patrick Henry in presentations about Christian Nationalism and religious liberty. But a recent conference at Colonial Williamsburg marked the first time I’ve shared the stage with him — or, at least with a Henry impersonator.
Archaeologists confirm grave sites are related to one of the oldest Black Baptist churches in America
Archaeologists and scientists have confirmed the remains of three individuals buried in the Historical Area of Colonial Williamsburg are early 19th-century ancestors of First Baptist Church, one of the oldest Black congregations in the United States. DNA and bone analysis…
Seeing whitewashed history for the pale reality it is
On a recent trip to Colonial Williamsburg and Richmond, Va., I saw things from a different point of view. As I looked into racial minority issues, predominantly those of Africans, I was shocked at how melanin became evil. It is…
How we’re learning to see and hear the Black experience at Colonial Williamsburg
Last week, when I left Williamsburg to drive to Peace Hill, my cousin’s farm in the next county, I could hear my uncle’s instructions over the phone during our first trip to Williamsburg in 1997. “Take the road to Jamestown…