Chadra Pittman stays busy as a storyteller, educator and anthropologist, especially this time of year.
The second Saturday of June is recognized internationally as Middle Passage Remembrance Day to honor enslaved Africans who died at sea during the Transatlantic slave trade. Since 2012, Pittman has held a libation ceremony on the beach of Fort Monroe, where the first Africans were brought into a British North American colony more than 400 years ago.
Nowadays, however, Pittman is buzzing in “warrior mode” as executive orders from President Donald Trump’s administration discourage or ban the teaching of the histories and cultures of people of color, women and the LGBTQ+ communities.
“Because, what I know is true is that the only way to move forward is to take an honest look at what our past has been, and history as we know it is not always pretty,” Pittman said. “We do nothing when we cover our eyes and say that it didn’t happen.”
Pittman will give a lecture June 9 at the Hampton History Museum titled, “America’s Inconvenient Truths: Remembering the Transatlantic Trade in a Time of Erasure.”
The theme is unavoidable, she said. History is messy and ugly at times, and a movement to change facts won’t happen on “her watch,” she said.
“Whether it's religion or sexuality or gender or race, people are under attack, and who we are has been under attack and our history has been under attack … this really is problematic,” she said, during an interview from Madison, Alabama, where she runs The Sankofa Projects organization. It hosts cultural and educational events about the African diaspora.
“Those of us who know the history, we’ve seen this before. We know it’s been done before and we need to do our part to make sure that we are not erased.”
June is also a month of celebrations for Juneteenth, the federal holiday on June 19 that commemorates when formerly enslaved Black people were freed. Juneteenth is often referred to as America’s “Second Independence Day.”
Below is a list of some of the events in the Hampton Roads area that will celebrate freedom and recall the history of enslavement in America and the people who fought against it. Events are free unless noted.
Monday, June 9, 7- 8 p.m., Hampton History Museum,120 Old Hampton Lane, Hampton
Prelude to Freedom: The Contraband Slaves Story drama
Friday, June 13; 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 14, 2 and 7 p.m.
Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, 2410 Wickham Ave., Newport News
Sankofa’s 14th Annual International Day of Remembrance Ceremony
Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m.
Outlook Beach, Fort Monroe
Sunday, June 15, 11:30 a.m.- 7 p.m.
Mill Point Park, 100 Eaton St., Hampton
Colonial Williamsburg has Juneteenth programming from Saturday, June 14 - Saturday, June 21.
Admission is free on June 19 and events include a groundbreaking at the African Baptist Meeting House and tours of the Williamsburg Bray School, one of the country’s first schools for Black students
2025 Juneteenth: Made in America scholarship luncheon
Saturday, June 14, Noon
Greenbrier Country Club, 1301 Volvo Parkway, Chesapeake
$60
Saturday, June 14, Noon -10 p.m.; fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
Town Point Park, 113 Waterside Drive, Norfolk
Freedom Fest, James City County
Saturday, June 14, 1 to 5 p.m.
Freedom Park, 5537 Centerville Road, Williamsburg
Saturday, June 14. 3 and 7:30 p.m.
The American Theatre, 125 E Mellen St., Hampton
Tickets start at $10
Juneteenth Celebration York County
Saturday, June 14, 3 to 8 p.m.
McReynolds Athletic Complex, 412 Sports Way, Yorktown
Sunday, June 15. 1 p.m.
Screening of documentary, "Reclaiming the River: African American Life on Virginia's Waterways." Paddle trips on Jamestown waterways are available after; tickets and advance registration are required.
Admission to Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum is free on June 19.
Wednesday, June 18 - Sunday, June 22.
Various locations at the Virginia Beach oceanfront
'Another View' celebrates Juneteenth
Thursday, June 19; 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
A special presentation of 'Another View,' with interviews from a local historian about little-known Black history and information about the Virginia Black Film Festival. Black-owned food vendors will be on site. The event is free, but please reserve a ticket here.
Four Paths to Freedom in the early 1800s
Thursday, June 19; 1 - 2 p.m.
Main Street Baptist Church, 517 Main St., Smithfield. Presented by the Isle of Wight County Historical Society. Contact Kent Lewis at 850-449-4841 for more information.
Thursday, June 19; 11 a.m. -5 p.m.; June 21, Noon- 4 p.m.
Cradock Skate Park, 6 Bainbridge Ave., Portsmouth
Thursday, June 19, Noon - 5 p.m.
Paradise Ocean Club, 490 Fenwick Road, Fort Monroe, Hampton
Thursday, June 19, 1, 3 and 5 p.m.
Fort Monroe Visitor & Education Center, 30 Ingalls Road, Hampton
Thursday, June 19, 6-8 p.m.
Continental Park at Fort Monroe, 4 Fenwick Road, Hampton
Friday, June 20-Sunday, June 22, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
The American Theatre and Ogden Hall, Hampton University
Tickets start at $20.
Hampton Roads Black Business Expo
Saturday, June 21- Sunday, June 22
The American Theatre, 125 East Mellen St., Hampton
Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Newport News
Saturday, June 21, 3-8 p.m.
Victory Landing Park, 50 26th St., Newport News
Isle of Wight County Records Project - The Records Tell the Story
Sunday, June 22, 2 - 3 p.m.
Isle of Wight County Supervisors' Board Room, 17140 Monument Circle, Windsor. Contact Kent Lewis at 850-449-4841 for more information.
