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Residents urge stronger Black History Month visibility; council highlights local leaders
Summary
Public commenters told council they do not see enough visible recognition of Black History Month in Hampton; council members and the city manager highlighted exhibits at the Hampton History Museum and upcoming community events.
Several residents used the public comment period on Feb. 25 to urge the city to increase visible recognition of Black History Month.
John Riggs told council he appreciated recent safety fixes on Mercury Boulevard but said, "It don't feel like Black History Month. You don't see no representation," and urged the city to provide exhibits and flags so the celebration is visible around Hampton. Joan Weaver invoked civil-rights figures such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and local figures like Katherine Johnson, urging the council to recognize neighborhood histories and avoid marginalizing communities.
City Manager Mary Bunting responded that the Hampton History Museum currently has multiple major Black history exhibits, including a traveling 1619 exhibit in the lobby, and that the city has promoted Black History Month through social media and city facilities. Bunting also told Mr. Riggs she would give him a printed family-tree resource from the Convention and Visitors Bureau that highlights historical Black sites in the city.
Council members then offered brief remarks honoring local leaders, including Dr. Mamie E. Locke, Bayshore Beach's history as a Black-owned resort, and Dr. Mary T. Christian's record in the Virginia General Assembly and local schools.
