Group To Explore Historic Black Communities
Valley Heritage Project Participants Set First Meeting On Wednesday
Posted: February 19, 2013
HARRISONBURG — When Robin Lyttle started researching the former black community known as Zenda, she became hooked.
Lyttle, who lives close to Basye, is working on lighting design for a West African dance company in Washington, D.C., called Coyaba Dance Theater. The company is developing a piece involving Zenda’s story, which was the catalyst for Lyttle’s research along with Harrisonburg author Nancy Bondurant Jones’ book about the history of the community.
“I started doing some research and just realized that information about Zenda and the African-American community was scattered,” she said.
She’s hoping to centralize that information, starting with a meeting Wednesday evening.
Zenda, located in Rockingham County just a few miles northeast of Harrisonburg, was settled by former slaves after the Civil War.
Anyone interested in various African-American communities in the area, such as Zenda, Newtown or Arkton, is invited to attend the first get-together of what Lyttle’s calling the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project.
The project’s website — www.valleyblackheritage.org — says the group is exploring the black families who came to the central Valley after the Civil War and emancipation.
The first meeting is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center’s conference room.
Lyttle already has planned two additional meetings on March 28 and April 25, both from 4 to 7 p.m. in the computer room of the Simms Center.
A museum and heritage center has been planned for Long’s Chapel, a restored remnant of the once-thriving Zenda community.
While Lyttle is interested in seeing an African-American museum pop up in the area, she’s not sure this project will lead to that goal, or at least, not in the near future.
For now, she wants to network with people from the interest areas or those who have researched them. She’d also like to record memories from some who grew up in those neighborhoods.
“There are some citizens in [Harrisonburg’s] Northeast neighborhood that do know all the history,” she said. “I’m anxious to make sure we try to connect with them and get their stories recorded somehow.”
Contact Candace Sipos at 574-6275 or csipos@dnronline.com
Lyttle, who lives close to Basye, is working on lighting design for a West African dance company in Washington, D.C., called Coyaba Dance Theater. The company is developing a piece involving Zenda’s story, which was the catalyst for Lyttle’s research along with Harrisonburg author Nancy Bondurant Jones’ book about the history of the community.
“I started doing some research and just realized that information about Zenda and the African-American community was scattered,” she said.
She’s hoping to centralize that information, starting with a meeting Wednesday evening.
Zenda, located in Rockingham County just a few miles northeast of Harrisonburg, was settled by former slaves after the Civil War.
Anyone interested in various African-American communities in the area, such as Zenda, Newtown or Arkton, is invited to attend the first get-together of what Lyttle’s calling the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project.
The project’s website — www.valleyblackheritage.org — says the group is exploring the black families who came to the central Valley after the Civil War and emancipation.
The first meeting is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center’s conference room.
Lyttle already has planned two additional meetings on March 28 and April 25, both from 4 to 7 p.m. in the computer room of the Simms Center.
A museum and heritage center has been planned for Long’s Chapel, a restored remnant of the once-thriving Zenda community.
While Lyttle is interested in seeing an African-American museum pop up in the area, she’s not sure this project will lead to that goal, or at least, not in the near future.
For now, she wants to network with people from the interest areas or those who have researched them. She’d also like to record memories from some who grew up in those neighborhoods.
“There are some citizens in [Harrisonburg’s] Northeast neighborhood that do know all the history,” she said. “I’m anxious to make sure we try to connect with them and get their stories recorded somehow.”
Contact Candace Sipos at 574-6275 or csipos@dnronline.com