Gospel, Old Time and Soul Food: African American Experiences at Solitude
Venue: Solitude (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg
Directions: Google Map Link
Organizations: Appalachian Studies at Virginia Tech, Mountains of Music Homecoming
Date: Friday, June 15, 2018
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Event Types: Music, Food, Miscellaneous, Arts & Theatre, Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free

Description:
The Virginia Tech’s Appalachian Studies Program presents "Gospel, Old Time and Soul Food: African American Experiences at Solitude" as part of the 2018 Mountains of Music Homecoming on Friday, June 15, 2018 at Solitude on the campus of Virginia Tech.

Event Schedule:
• 10:00-11:30 am: Revised Tours of the Buildings
• 11:30 am: Free Soul Food Until Gone
• 12:00-3:00 pm: Gospel Music and Stories of Past Local African American Life
• 3:00 pm: Cabin Dedication

Celebrate African American contributions to New River Valley history and cultural life at historic Solitude. Experience gospel music from local church choirs, dance, storytelling, tours, living history demonstrations and foodways that foreground the lives of local African Americans in the New River Valley region from the antebellum period through the Jim Crow era.

Among the living history demonstrations will be blacksmithing, weaving, spinning, quilting, corn shuck doll making and herbal healing of the period that will contribute to other activities to illuminate the complex and deeply intertwined coexistence of the entitled and prestigious plantation owners of the area with the enslaved African Americans who made their lives and their social positions possible.

There will be free soul food available starting at 11:30 am until it's gone.

The event also features an informal, proposed dedication of the "outbuilding" as "The Fraction Family Cabin" in recognition of one of the families whose names we know who lived as enslaved persons at Solitude from about 1843 to 1865. Ms. Hobbs, who is a direct descendant of Thomas Fraction, who was enslaved at Solitude, will assist in dedicating the building.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

Solitude is located at 705 West Campus Drive in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech campus.

Free parking will be available nearby.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://i.imgur.com/tMKksFn.png.

For more information on the event and the Mountains of Music Homecoming, visit: http://mtnsofmusic.com/artists/gospel-old-time-and-soul-food-african-american-experiences-at-solitude/ or https://www.facebook.com/mtnsofmusichomecoming/ or contact Anita Puckett at 540-239-3600 or email apuckett@vt.edu.

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