HAMPTON, Va. — The 2019 Commemoration of the First African Landing will be a multi-day event in Hampton, Virginia.
The event is centered around the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first enslaved Africans in English-occupied North America at Point Comfort in 1619.
English colonist John Rolfe recorded the arrival of “20 and odd” African men and women at Point Comfort in late August 1619. It was a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.
The events form August 23-25 will feature a commemorative ceremony, a preview of the new Fort Monroe Visitor and Education Center, a healing day, Black Cultural tours, living history demonstrations, storytelling, and youth and musical performances.
Here's a breakdown of events for the commemoration:
Friday, August 23
- 9:30 am-10:30 am – Tucker Family Cemetery Reflection and Commemoration
- 12:00 pm-3:00 pm – African-American Political Firsts Luncheon and Panel Discussion at the Hampton Convention Center (Paid Ticketed Event)
- 6:00 pm-8:00 pm – “Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the Main House” at the Fort Monroe Community Center (Free Youth Event)
- 6:00 pm-8:00 pm – “The 400th Commemoration Panel at Hampton: Four Centuries of Perseverance, 1619-2019” at Hampton University
Saturday, August 24
- 6:30 am-8:00 am – Project 1619 Morning Sunrise African Naming Ceremony at Buckroe Beach
- 9:30 am-11:30 am – 2019 African Landing Commemorative Ceremony, Commanding General’s Residence, Continental Park, Fort Monroe – including remarks from CNN political contributor Van Jones; reading of an original poem by Nikki Giovanni and remarks and greetings from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam; U.S. Senator Mark Warner; U.S. Senator Tim Kaine; U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (VA-3), and Dr. Joseph Green, Jr., Chair of 400 Years of African American History Federal Commission
- 11:30 am-5:00 pm – Hampton 2019 Commemorative Program, Fort Monroe – Featuring vendors, cultural group displays, exhibitors, living history, musical performances and more
- 12:00 pm-3:30 pm – African Landing Day Program presented by Project 1619
- 12:00 pm-4:00 pm – Black Heritage Tours sponsored by the NPS at Fort Monroe
- 6:30 pm-10:00 pm – 2019 First African Landing Day Commemoration Concert at the Hampton Coliseum featuring GRAMMY-award winning rapper and actor, Common, with Sounds of Blackness
Sunday, August 25
- 1:30 pm-7:00 pm – Day of Healing and Gospel Music Festival at Continental Park – including remarks by Michael Eric Dyson.
The event will also feature cultural group displays from Project 1619, the Contraband Historical Society, and the U.S. Colored Troops, and exhibitions from Virginia institutions and museums, including the National Park Service, American Evolution, Hampton History Museum, Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Casemate Museum, and more.
All of the events in partnership with Fort Monroe Authority, Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton.