“The William & Mary Bray School Lab uncovers, documents, preserves, and shares broadly the history and legacies of the Williamsburg Bray School (1760-1774) and its students.”

The William & Mary Bray School Lab is a unit of W&M Strategic Cultural Partnerships

June 7, 2024 Edition

Dear Margaret,

Greetings from the William & Mary Bray School Lab, and welcome back to Bray School Bulletins! Happy June!

We are very pleased to share the latest news and updates with you from the W&M Bray School Lab...

• Bray School Stories: A Story Worth Telling | June 13
• 3rd Annual Journey to Racial Healing Ceremony | June 22
• Meet Our 2024 CHIP Interns: Katelyn Yen!
• W&M Bray School Oral History Preview!
• Ann Marie Stock to lead Society of 1918 trip in March 2025

• Descendants Day at James Monroe's Highland | June 8
• Byzantine Painting in the Contemporary Arts World | June 11
• Juneteenth at William & Mary | June 18

Register now for the next episode of Bray School Stories!

Join the W&M Bray School Lab each

month in our series on Zoom: Bray School Stories: Finding the Bray School Students. Led by Elizabeth Drembus, genealogist for W&M Bray School Lab, these sessions are a blend of research and exploration, aiming to shed light on the past and connect it to the present through descendant-centered research.

In June, join us for a very special edition of Bray School Stories: "A Story Worth Telling." The W&M Bray School Lab teamed up with the students from the Academy for Discovery at Lakewood to support their project to tell the story of the Williamsburg Bray School through dance. We are delighted that Ms. Kristin Hill, the teacher who conceived the idea, will join us for this online session to discuss the project and the impact it has had on her students and the audiences who have seen the performance. 

The event is free and open to the public, but you must register in advance.

Register now by clicking here.

Watch The Williamsburg Bray School: A Story Worth Telling by clicking here.

Learn more about the W&M Bray School Lab's K-12 outreach efforts by clicking here.

All past episodes of Bray School Stories are hosted on our YouTube channel.

We are proud to let you know that Tonia Merideth, W&M Bray School Lab Oral Historian, will be a featured speaker at the 3rd Annual Journey to Racial Healing Ceremony, presented by Coming To The Table: Virginia's Historic Triangle. The event will be held at the Stryker Center (412 N. Bounday St.) from 2:00 - 5:00 PM on Saturday, June 22.

In addition to Tonia, the Reverend Dr. Robert W. Lee, IV will speak about their journeys to racial healing.

Learn more about this event, and to register, click here.

W&M Strategic Cultural Partnerships is proud to host the Cultural Heritage Immersion Program (CHIP), pairing W&M students with museum and cultural heritage sites in Hampton Roads and beyond.

This summer, we will be bringing you spotlights on our 2024 CHIP interns. First up is Katelyn Yen '27 at James Monroe's Highland!

Photo courtesy of Katelyn Yen.

Our next round of oral histories about the legacies and history of the Williamsburg Bray School and the students who studied there will be coming soon...Until then, check out this preview with Michael D. Druitt, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Hampton University!

Ann Marie Stock, Presidential Liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships and Chancellor Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, will host an exciting W&M trip to Central America and share her experiences living in Central America as a Rotary Scholar and Fulbright Scholar doing research and teaching at the University of Costa Rica. Dr. Stock will introduce travelers to some of the major cultural figures from the region.

This trip is being organized by the W&M Alumni Association. Travelers on this trip are not limited to W&M community members.

Learn more about this trip by clicking here!

Photo courtesy of Go Next.

Join us tomorrow Saturday, June 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., for a Descendants Day at Highland. The Highland Council of Descendant Advisors welcomes anyone working on or interested in the histories of slavery, the shared work of making our present and future more equitable based on historical knowledge, and collaboration in research. If you attend, plan to share information, resources, and encouragement with others journeying on the same path.

Doors open at 10:00 AM.

Click here for more information and to register for the event.

As part of a residency at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary, the world-renowned Greek artist and iconographer Dr. George Kordis will present a public lecture entitled “Byzantine Painting in the Contemporary Arts World.” June 11 at 7:00 PM at the Williamsburg Regional Library. This lecture is free for all members of the public. Read more and register now.

Photo courtesy of the Muscarelle Museum of Art.

William & Mary has announced plans for the campus celebration of Juneteenth! From 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM on June 18, 2024 in the Sadler Center, the program will feature the Neika Simone Band, poetry by Shawn Allston '25, trivia, vendors and more!

Learn more about the 2024 program by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of University Events.

Catch up on past Bray School Bulletins newsletters by clicking here.

All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by Grace Helmick '22.

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