A Sense of Place

Richmond has played an active part in American history since the Revolutionary War when Patrick Henry gave his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech. As the Civil War’s confederate capital, Richmond is surrounded by national parks commemorating major battlegrounds. After the war, Richmond witnessed the rise of black capitalism, including the first black woman bank president. Liberty has been a theme in the city as history has unfolded and as liberty itself has taken on new depths of meaning. Williams will lead you in asking, “How does this affect our memory of the past and how could this lead us in the future?”

Activities

The weekend will feature walking tours of historic areas in Richmond, including Monument Avenue, the Black History Museum, the Virginia Historical Society, and Jackson Ward. There will be a field trip to Petersburg Crater Battle Field, which was a location for the movie Cold Mountain and the setting of the longest siege in American history when Grant failed to capture Richmond in 1864.

Accommodations

Make your own reservations at the Omni Richmond Hotel (804-344-7254). A block of rooms will be held for Carleton travelers until April 1. Please mention Carleton College when you make your reservation.

Faculty

History professor Harry Williams has taught at Carleton since 1989. He received a PhD from Brown University. His teaching focuses on African American social and intellectual history, including seminars on the civil rights movement and on slave historiography. His two-term course, “History, Memory, and the Black Atlantic,” which he taught in 2001 and 2003, included a 15-day field trip to Ghana. Williams has participated in Fulbright and National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminars and was a faculty fellow at the Newberry Library. He lectures and writes on George Schuyler and race relations.