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"They Tried to Bury Us": Part 2 of The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

"They Tried to Bury Us": Part 2 of The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series

In partnership with the Library of Virginia and The JXN Project, RPL is pleased to present The JXN Project Summer Lecture Series.  The JXN Project's co-creators, Enjoli Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, seek to recontextualize and more accurately capture the role of Richmond, Virginia and Jackson Ward in the Black American experience.  Through a year-long celebration of Jackson Ward's 150th anniversary, a set of initiatives to rename the ward's streets after former residents, and a push to increase Black representation in Richmond's historical preservation bodies, The JXN Project will partner with community stakeholders to build a Richmond that honors Black excellence.

In this second lecture in a six-part series, Melody Short (Jackson Ward Collective) will moderate a panel talk between Ana Edwards (American Civil War Museum and the Sacred Ground Historical Recalamation Project), Shawn Utsey (Virginia Commonwealth University), and Free Bangura (Untold RVA).  Panelists will explore Richmond's complex history by uncovering lesser known stories about Jackson Ward, where Black Richmonders often juxtaposed enslavement and exploitation with entrepreneurship and enterprise.

The public is invited to attend these lectures, comment, and become part of the process of this historic justice initiative. 

Check our calendar for the forthcoming details for future talks in the lecture series!

Date:
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Time:
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Categories:
Virtual  
Registration has closed.

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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