On Saturday, September 9 I will be in Washington, Virginia for two showings of the documentary film “Places of Hope and Aspiration — Rosenwald Schools of Rappahannock County.” This is a beautiful short film featuring interviews with Rosenwald School alumni. You can find more information about it by Googling Scrabble school documentary.
Later in September I will be in Jacksonville, Florida for the annual conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. I will be part of a wonderful panel there entitled “Rosenwald Fellows: Resisting Oppression, Promoting Excellence.”
In October I’ll look in on the exhibition of Andrew Feilers’s beautiful photographs of Rosenwald schools that is on display at the Tennessee State Library in Nashville along with an exhibition there about Tennessee Schools.
In November I will travel to Mobile, Alabama where I’ll be part of programs there honoring the Mobile County Training School, a rare Rosenwald school that is still functioning as a school. I am very much looking forward to that.
At each event I will mention the exciting news that the Campaign to Create a Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park is gaining steam. Legislation creating a feasibility study for such a park passed Congress in 2000. The National Park Service held a public comment period in July. If you would like to know more about the Campaign or to receive our newsletters please Google Rosenwald Park Campaign. Or send me an e-mail at scd@his.com and I will add you to the mailing list. I am proud to be an active member of the Campaign board.
I like sharing this story with middle and high school classes as well as with Rosenwald school alumni. Please let me know if you would like me to come and speak to your class , book group or alumni reunion. If you want to be in touch with me about a school visit, please use scd@his.com.
Rosenwald, a documentary film by Aviva Kempner (in which I appear), has been showing around the country in movie theaters and at film festivals. It is distributed by the National Center for Jewish Film. www.jewishfilm.org.
My book is available on Amazon.com in hardback, paperback and electronic versions and at many bookstores. And You Need a Schoolhouse has its own Facebook page which I update regularly so be sure to check in there.
