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Reclaiming Our Time

Dr. Paula D. Royster, an expert on the history and culture of the African diaspora, will discuss the Reclaiming Our Time Genealogy Project and the families in the historic Blackwell Community. This project was supported by the City of Richmond Office of Aging and Disability Services, following the success of genealogy projects in other areas of the City. 

Paula Royster, PhD, is the founder of The Center of African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI), a two-time Fulbright Scholar grantee, and the author of three books, including: African Abolitionist T.J. Alexander on the Ohio and Indiana Underground Railroads; Decolonizing Arts-Based Methodologies: Researching the African Diaspora; and I. AM. ARAPI: The Journey of Akan Israelites in the Islamic Slave Trade. 

Date:
Friday, February 27, 2026
Time:
11:00am - 12:30pm
Location:
Hull Street Meeting Room
Categories:
Black History Month Local History/Genealogy Lectures & Talks
Audience:
Adults Seniors Teen (ages 13-18) Tween (ages 10-13)

Event Organizer

Profile photo of Meldon Jenkins-Jones
Meldon Jenkins-Jones

Meldon Jenkins-Jones is the Richmond Public Library / Community Services Manager at Hull Street Branch Library. 

Meldon also chairs the Get Lit Advisory Committee which supports the Richmond Public Library Get Lit Reading Initiatives including the Black Male Emergent Readers (BMER) program and the Lit Chicks Read book clubs.

Meldon is a graduate of the Leadership Metro Richmond Class of 2022. She was the first recipient of the Virginia Library Association (VLA) Librarians of Color Forum Award in 2021 and is an active member of VLA. She presented “Libraries Bringing Community Together” at the 2023 VLA Annual Conference.

In 2011, Meldon received her Master of Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law—Newark and practiced law in New Jersey until her retirement in 2003. Meldon received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she studied African American Studies and Russian Civilization.

A Metro Richmond resident, Meldon is the mother of two adult children and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.

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