Bray School Lab records

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Bray School Lab Records, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries

Summary

Extent:
92.4 Gigabytes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Bray School Lab Records, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries

Background

Scope and content:

This oral history collection encompasses interviews that tell the story of the Bray School, the first extant building dedicated to the education of free and enslaved black children in the United States. The William & Mary Bray School Lab, part of the Williamsburg Bray School Initiative, has been researching and promoting the history of the Bray School and its legacy. Part of this work has entailed conducting oral histories with descendants of Bray School students and those researching or interpreting the Bray School's legacy.

Teddi Ashby is a member of the descendant community descended from the Ashby children who attended the Williamsburg Bray School. Teddi describes her years of historical research related to the Ashby family and the oral histories handed down by her family about her ancestors. Teddi discusses her aspirations for the Bray School site when it opens November 2024.

David Barr III is an writer, editor, playwright and former historic interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg. He has worked on black history projects including Aberdeen Garden 158, and with Mamie Till on a production for her son Emmett Till. David reflects on his experiences as an actor/interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg and his experience playing Gowan Pamphlet, a young enslaved boy owned by Jane Vobe believed to be educated at the Bray School, who went on to become the first ordained Baptist minister in Virginia and was instrumental in starting the First Baptist Church. David reflects on his time as an interpreter and his experiences with former director Rex Ellis (NMAAHC) and Christy Coleman (Director, Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation). He discusses the importance of the Williamsburg Bray School.

Olivia Blackshire is a student at William & Mary and a Bray School Lab Student Thought Partner, partnering with the lab on research and engagement for the Williamsburg Bray School. Olivia discusses her path to William & Mary and her path to the Bray School Lab, her experiences participating on a conference panel and her research project related to the correspondence between the Bray Associates and the Bray School administrators. Olivia also reflects on the legacy of the Bray School and her thoughts on the rediscovery. William & Mary student Olivia Blackshire discusses her role as a student thought partner with the William & Mary Bray School Lab.

Antonio T. Bly is Peter H. Shattuck Endowed Chair in Colonial American History at California State University, Sacramento. He has written many books and articles on black literacy in the eighteenth century. Antonio describes his research on black literacy and education in the eighteenth century, and his thoughts on current debates around the issue of writing taught at the Bray Schools, and the broader implications for the legacy of the Bray Schools. Antonio shares his thoughts on the importance of learning fact-based history, the challenges for enslaved and free children in the eighteenth century and the legacy of the Williamsburg Bray School.

Hannah Bowman is a historic area supervisor with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Hannah discusses her background and her family's love of history. She discusses her experience acting, and explains the importance of storytelling in interpretation. She explains how the story of the Bray School helps us understand the importance of telling a fuller story. Hannah Bowman shares her experience as a storyteller and describes the art of storytelling.

Da-Veia Brown is a video content producer who has previously worked as a historic interpreter with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Da-Veia relates her early years and her journey to become a content producer for Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios. In this role, she creates visual content for Colonial Williamsburg many historic assets and sites. Da-Veia relates her experiences as a content creator and reflects on the meaning of the Williamsburg Bray School to the community.

Nicole Brown is the graduate lab assistant for the Williamsburg Bray School. She works with Student Thought Partners to conduct research on the Bray School. Nicole also portrays the Bray school teacher Anne Wager as a Nation Builder at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where she also serves as manager of Core Programming for the foundation. Nicole is a Ph.D. student in William & Mary's American Studies program. Nicole Brown describes her journey to the Williamsburg Bray School and her research that has underpinned the Bray School Lab. She discusses her role as a lab assistant, guiding students at William & Mary who volunteer to work on projects to disseminate the story of the Bray school. She also provides insight into the legacy of the school and will guide the site interpretation for the site when it opens as the 89th original building in Colonial Williamsburg.

Loretta Burwell is a descendant community member and a possible direct descendant of a Bray Student. Loretta is an educator, having taught at several schools and colleges. She taught English literature but focused on black literature and poets. Loretta discusses her joy, pain, and hope on her journey to find her ancestors and her engagement with the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Loretta has done extensive research on her family history and lineage and discusses her journey to the Williamsburg Bray School, and the moment she was contacted by the Bray School Lab 30 years after leaving a card at a library seeking information on her ancestors. Loretta explains her visit to the Williamsburg Bray School and her journey from Atlanta George for Descendants Week, and her visit to Bruton Parish Church to see where her ancestors where baptized in the eighteenth century.

Harold Caldwell is a carpenter historic interpreter for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Harold discusses his experience interpreting African American history first in Foodways and now as a journeyman carpenter. He details the work he is doing in the restoration for the Bray school building in Colonial Williamsburg historic area. Harold shares his thoughts on the rediscovery of the Williamsburg Bray School and what the rediscovery means for the community. He also shares why the work he does is so important.

Devin Canaday is a descendant community and native son of Williamsburg Virginia. Devin details his life as the member of the Canaday family in Williamsburg, his ten year experience with Colonial Williamsburg, and his success as an entrepreneur. Devin discusses his thoughts on the rediscovery of the Bray School and what it will mean to the community and the world. Devin weighs in on how the subject of the Bray School and its students' - not the building, should be the focus of the rediscovery.

Janice Canaday is a member of the Canaday and Jones family and a member of the Williamsburg Bray School descendant community. Janice details her family's history and the legacy of the Bray School students for the commuity and abroad. She discusses her many roles at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where she currently is the African American Community Engagement Manager. Janice discusses how she engages with the community and guests at Colonial Williamsburg to help them understand the significance of the Bray School scholars.

Jason Chen is a professor of educational psychology at William & Mary, and was one of four Strategic Cultural Partnerships Faculty Fellows who conducted research in support of SCP's initiatives, including the Williamsburg Bray School. Jason details his early impressions and discusses his path to William & Mary and his work to support the work of the Bray School Lab. Jason discusses the importance of the work the Bray School Lab is doing and why the work is important today.

Pat Chrenka is a historic interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. Pat Chrenka discusses her roles with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and her experience interpreting the Bray School. Pat Chrenka explains the significance of the Williamsburg Bray School.

Edwin Cooke III is an historic interpreter with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Edwin discusses his experience as a William & Mary student, an adjunct professor at Hampton University and a historic interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. Edwin reflects on the legacy of the Bray School and the students who attended the school.

Curtis Corbitt is a member of the descendant community (Jones family) and an educator. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts but his roots are in York County Virginia. He is exploring his ties to the Bray school student Elisha Jones. Curtis describes his beginnings in Massachusetts, his family history and how he learned about the Williamsburg Bray School. He is currently researching the history of the land his family lives on, which has been in the family for many generations. He is following the oral history that the land was purchased from the plantation owner and hoping to establish a direct link to a Bray school student from the Jones family. Curtis discusses his family's legacies and his interest in knowing more about his ties to the Williamsburg Bray School.

Madeline Dort graduated from William & Mary in 2023. As an undergraduate student, she worked as a Bray School Lab student thought partner conducting research for the lab. Madeline describes her experiences as a William & Mary student, her activities as a student and her volunteer experience with Colonial Williamsburg. She also discusses her role and projects as a student thought partner at the lab under the direction of lab director Maureen Elgersman Lee and lab assistant Nicole Brown. William & Mary student Madeline Dort describes her experience working as a Student Thought Partner with the Bray School Lab. She also discusses her experiences as a historic interpreter and her reflections on race and education.

Elizabeth Drembus is a genealogist who has previously worked for DAR and on the Virginia Theological Seminary reparations project. For the VTS project, she helped locate the descendants of the enslaved persons who worked for the seminary. Elizabeth Drembus describes her work locating the descendants of the known Bray students. She also discusses her methodology and her engagement with the descendant community, her colloboration with the Bray School Lab staff and her hopes for the site when it opens in September 2024 at Colonial Williamsburg. Elizabeth Drembus discusses her methodology in searching for the descendants of the known Bray scholars. She also discusses the work the lab is doing to engage with the descendant community.

Cynthia Druitt is a descendant community member of the Williamsburg Bray School. Cynthia Druitt describes learning about the Williamsburg Bray School and that she is a member of the descendant community. She discusses her cousin, Col Lafayette Jones' and his book My Great Great Grandfather's Journey to an Island of Freedom, about the Jones children who attended the Bray School. Cynthia Druitt discusses the opening of the Williamsburg Bray School in the Colonial Williamsburg historic area.

Michael Druitt is an associate professor of Biological Sciences at Hampton University and identifies as a descendant community member for the Williamsburg Bray School. Michael discusses his family history and his ties to the descendant community for the Williamsburg Bray School. Michael reflects on the importance of education for the black community and the legacy of the Bray School in his family's history. Michael Druitt explains the importance of the Bray School legacy for himself and the black community, and the importance of learning about the history of those who forged a path for others to follow.

Stephanie is a resident of James City County and a member of the Williamsburg Bray School Descendant Community. Stephanie learned about the Williamsburg Bray School and moved back to Williamsburg from New York to explore the history and legacy of the school. Stephanie attended James City County schools as a young child before moving to New York. Stephanie Dunmore is exploring her roots and researching the connection between Dunmore's Proclamation of 1765 and her deceased husband's surname.

Latricia Cooke Eason is a member of the Williamsburg Bray School descendant community and a family researcher currently working on a book about her research. Latricia describes her experience growing up in the Williamsburg area and her current efforts to record her family's histories. She reflects on the work that William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg are doing to tell a fuller story of the experience of African Americans in the Tidewater area. Latricia explains why black history is important and why we need to keep telling the stories of those who have gone before us and sacrificed for their descendants.

Dawn Edmiston is a professor of Marketing at William & Mary and a Strategic Cultural Partnerships Faculty Fellow. Dawn describes her journey to William & Mary and her desire to work with Strategic Cultural Partnerships to advance the story of the Williamsburg Bray School. Dawn discusses how her marketing program to leverage William & Mary's assets to benefit programs like the Williamsburg Bray School.

Rex Ellis is the former Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) at the Smithsonian Institution. Prior to this position, Dr. Ellis was the first African American Vice President for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where he managed all programs and operations. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Masters in Fine Arts from Wayne State University, a Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University, and an Ed.D from the College of William and Mary. He is the author of two books, Beneath the Blazing Sun: Stories from the African American Journey, and With a Banjo on My Knee, which chronicles the history of black banjo players from the time of slavery to the present. Dr. Ellis describes his youth and growing up in the Tidewater area of VA and his path to becoming a director at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, followed by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He gives his insight into the importance of telling the story of the contributions of African Americans. Dr. Rex Ellis discusses the first educated Africans at William & Mary, menservants who accompanied their masters and later taught eachother the rudiments of education.

Eliza Fernandez is a recent graduate of William & Mary and an oral history intern with the CHiP 2024 summer internship. Eliza discusses her experience learning oral history methodology with the William & Mary Bray School Lab and how her experience at William & Mary has shaped her future. Eliza discusses her experiences attending Descendants Day at both James Monroe's Highland and Stratford Hall with members of the descendant community.

Cliff Fleet is the President & CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and an alumni of William & Mary. He headed Philip Morris before retiring to lead the foundation in its motto "that the future may learn from the past." He was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and attended William & Mary where he received his master's degree and is also a faculty member. Cliff Fleet describes the genesis of the Williamsburg Bray School Initiative, a project that involved both the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and William & Mary. Once the building determined to the Williamsburg Bray School was identified, he convened the initiative where William & Mary would do the research and Colonial Williamsburg would engage in the restoration of the building. He also discusses the engagement with the descendant community that was imperative for the success of the project. He discusses the future of the Bray School and the African Baptist Meeting House on Nassau Street. President Cliff Fleet discusses the Bray School Initiative, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the "power of place" in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Dennis Gardner is a long-time resident of Williamsburg and a member of the Williamsburg Bray School descendant community. Dennis discusses the history of the Ashby family and his thoughts on the rediscovery of the Williamsburg Bray School. Dennis explains the importance of the Williamsburg Bray School to the community and to the descendants.

Jack Gary is the Executive Director of Archaeology for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Jack Gary details his path to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, his experience prior to his current role, and the different projects he has worked on with the Foundation, including the African Baptist Meetinghouse and the Williamsburg Bray School. Jack details the day he found intact burials at the site of the first Baptist Church on Nassau Street in Colonial Williamsburg, and his efforts to contact the descendant community first when the discovery was made.

Johnette Gordon-Weaver is a Williamsburg native and a Williamsburg Bray School descendant community member. Johnette is active with the Reservation, the Village Initiative and other groups that aim to restore the history and legacy of Williamsburg's black residents. Johnette Gordon-Weaver discusses her family's history that goes back to 17th century Virginia. She also discusses her ties to the Reservation community and reflects on her involvement with the Williamsburg Bray School, her essay contribution to the book written by the William & Mary Bray School Lab and her thoughts on the opening of the Bray site in Fall 2024.

Connie Matthews Harshaw is the president of the Let Freedom Ring Foundation, an organization that supports the Historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg Virginia. She has been in public service for many years and now spends her down advocating for different organizations. Connie Harshaw discusses the significance of the Williamsburg Bray School and her role in the rediscovery of the building and its new location in the historic area of Colonial Williamsburg. Connie Harshaw details the importance of the Bray School to the community and the importance of descendant communities.

Crystal Haskins is a member of the Bray School Descendant Community member and a lifelong educator in the James City County and York County School system. Crystal reflects on her life growing up as a member of the Williamsburg community and her experiences working for Colonial Williamsburg and as an educator. She discusses her efforts to involve the community in educational events surrounding the Bray School. Crystal Haskins discusses her aspirations for the opening ceremony for the Williamsburg Bray School and the ongoing efforts to continue to tell the story.

Cathy Hellier is the Senior Researcher for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Cathy details her path to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the work of researchers to uncover history and tell a fuller story of eighteenth century Williamsburg. She discusses her role in researching the documents needed to determine the ownership of the Bray-Digges home which housed the Bray School for its first 5 years of operation. Cathy Hellier discusses the importance of the Williamsburg Bray School to guests who visit Colonial Williamsburg.

Grace Helmick is the Media Technician for the Office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships. Grace discusses her journey to the Office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships at William & Mary and her role in documenting the Williamsburg Bray School's restoration phases. Grace reflects on the importance of repairing and rediscovering the legacy of the Bray School and William & Mary's responsibility to tell the whole story.

Mark Hofer is the Senior Director for the Learning and Design Lab in the Office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships at William & Mary. Mark discusses his role supporting efforts to bring the story of the Bray School to K-12 teachers in different formats for school curriculum and instruction. He discusses his path to William & Mary and his different roles in the university. Mark Hofer discusses his role incorporating different teaching methods for K-12 teachers for the Bray School and other SCP projects.

Rachel Hogue is a student at William & Mary and a Bray School Lab Student Thought Partner who collaborates with the lab on different projects related to the Williamsburg Bray School. Rachel Hogue is a student at William & Mary who has participated in several projects related to the rediscovery and education related to the Williamsburg Bray School. Rachel discusses her experiences as a Student Thought Partner for the Bray School Lab and the different projects she worked on, her time studying abroad at Oxford and her thoughts on the rediscovery of the school building. William & Mary student discusses her collaboration with the Bray School Lab on the rediscovery of the Williamsburg Bray School.

Ron Hurst is the Senior Vice President for Education and Historic Resources at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Ron began his journey to Colonial Williamsburg from Northern Virginia, acquiring degrees from Virginia Tech and George Mason University before attending William & Mary and earning a master's degree. He has worn many hats with the Foundation before landing his current role and discusses his experiences with the restoration of the Williamsburg Bray School. Ron explains how Colonial Williamsburg made the determination that the Bray-Digges home was the home of the Williamsburg Bray School for its first five years of operation and the work to restore it in the historic area. Interview was conducted in the Goodwin Building at Colonial Williamsburg.

James Ingram is an actor/interpreter (Nation Builder Gowan Pamphlet) for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. James Ingram describes his journey to Colonial Williamsburg and his experience playing the first ordained Baptist minister in Virginia the Reverend Gowan Pamphlet. James discusses his research on Gowan Pamphlet and the effect his portrayal has had on him personally and professionally.

Burnell Irby is a middle school teacher that lives in Maryland. He has been doing research on his family for years and recently discovered his connection to the Williamsburg Bray School. Mr. Irby details the history of his family and his roots in Williamsburg, Virginia. He discusses the importance of the Bray School and the legacy of education as evidenced in the today's school curriculums. Burnell Irby discusses his research on his family and his family connection to the Bray School student enslavers.

Dani Jaworski is the manager of Architectural collections at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and a William & Mary alumni. She is a descendant of the First Families of Virginia and oversees the architectural collection for the foundation. Dani discusses her background and her many career tracks before deciding to go into architectural collection and discusses her role in current projects at Colonial Williamsburg including the Williamsburg Bray School and the African Baptist Meeting House. Dani Jaworski discusses the plans for the African American corrider on Nassau St at Colonial Williamsburg.

Martha Katz-Hyman is an independent curator of material culture for enslaved peoples. Martha discusses her experience using material culture to interpret the lives of enslaved people in the seventeenth/eighteenth century. She discusses her role with different historic sites such as Carter's Grove, once a historic site run by Colonial Williamsburg. Martha describes her experience working with different individuals who assisted her in learning how to use material culture to tell a fuller story of the lives of enslaved people in the eighteenth century. Martha also details what to expect to see in the Bray School from a material culture standpoint.

Elle Kim is a William & Mary student who was an oral history intern for the summer of 2023 in the ChiP program with the Bray School Lab. Elle Kim describes her experiences as an oral history intern working under Oral Historian Tonia Merideth.

Curtis Lassiter is a longtime resident of Williamsburg Virginia and a descendant community member. Curtis discusses the history of his family and his experience growing up in Williamsburg VA. Curtis discusses his expectations for the opening of the Williamsburg Bray School and the descendant community's involvement.

Mary Lassiter is a member of the Williamsburg Bray School descendant community and a member of the descendants of the Reservation. Mary discusses her experience learning about the Williamsburg Bray School and her experiences as an activist for her community. Mary reflects on her experiences as a lifelong member of the Williamsburg community and her involvement with the Williamsburg Bray School.

Maureen Elgersman Lee is the director of the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Maureen is a native of Ontario, Canada and holds a DA in the Humanities. She overseers the work of the Bray School Lab and its efforts to rediscover the legacy of the Williamsburg Bray School and its scholars. Maureen discusses her formative years, her path to Clark Atlanta University where she studied African American history, and her path to Virginia and ultimately William & Mary prior to her tenure at Hampton University. She discusses the formation of the Bray School Initiative, her piloting the publication of the book edited by herself and lab assistant Nicole Brown, and the legacy of the Bray School and its future. Interview was conducted in the Bray School Lab in Williamsburg, VA.

Ayinde is a journeyman carpenter with Colonial Williamsburg. He has been with Colonial Williamsburg for 27 years working as a historic interpreter or in the trades. Ayinde discusses his role with Colonial Williamsburg and his current position as a journeyman carpenter currently working on building pieces of furniture for the Williamsburg Bray School. He also reflects on the significance of the school and relates the influence that several former interpreters of Colonial Williamsburg had on him. Ayinde Martin reflects on the Williamsburg Bray School and his role in creating pieces of furniture for the historic site that will open in the Fall of 2024.

Dr. Terry Meyers is chancellor professor of English emeritus, William & Mary, whose research led to the discovery of the Williamsburg Bray School. Dr. Meyers taught at William & Mary for 46 years before retiring six years ago. Terry Meyers describes his journey to William & Mary, what prompted him to begin his search for the Bray-Digges building on the campus of William & Mary and what the legacy of the Williamsburg Bray School means to the Williamsburg community. Terry Meyers discusses his search for the Bray-Digges building which had been hiding in plain sight on the campus of William & Mary for over 200 years. He walks his listeners down the path that led to the rediscovery of the building that housed the Bray school its first five years of operation.

Carol Miller is a member of the descendant community for the Williamsburg Bray School. Carol taught in the Williamsburg school system and is active in her community. Carol details her family history in York County VA, and her experiences growing up in the Tidewater area. She details her connections to the families of the area called The Grove area and her connection to other historical people and events. Carol provided knives in her collection of artifacts kept by the family collected from working for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Ethan Miller was a Student Thought Partner with the William & Mary Bray School Lab before graduating from William & Mary in Spring 2023. Ethan describes his background, experience as a student at William & Mary and the projects he worked on for the Bray School Lab. Ethan also discusses his thoughts on the opening of the Bray site in Fall of 2024 and the importance of projects like the Williamsburg Bray School to repair the damage done by slavery and its legacies.

Conor Molloy is the Learning Design Program Manager in the office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships at William & Mary. Conor discusses his role at SCP in helping build an online presence to for teaching and educational purposes, including an online module based on the rubric Engaging Descendant Communities in the Interpretation of Slavery at Museums and Historic Sites and his work to support the work of the Bray School Lab. Conor discusses growing up in the UK, his musical career and his path to William & Mary.

Margaret Morrison is the Administrative Coordinator for Strategic Cultural Partnerships, which oversees the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Margaret discusses her role in facilitating the operation of the William & Mary Bray School Lab and her role working with the Brafferton School at William & Mary. Margaret reflects on the importance of the Williamsburg Bray School in history and for the community.

Janise Parker is an associate professor of school psychology at William & Mary and a Strategic Cultural Partnerships Faculty Fellow. Her work focuses on the intersection of religion, spirituality and its effect on mental health. Dr. Parker discusses her project to promote racial healing for the William & Mary Bray School Lab and her thoughts on the rediscovery of the Bray School and how her work can promote racial healing. Dr. Janise Parker discusses her background and path to William & Mary as a professor of school psychology and her project to promote racial healing with the Bray School Lab.

Daniel Pleasant is a William & Mary student and a Student Thought Partner with the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Daniel describes his journey to William & Mary and what led him to the William & Mary Bray School Lab. He also describes the different projects he has worked on in the lab. Daniel reflects on his experiences working in the lab and what they Bray School Lab means to him.

Stephen Seals is the director of Curated Programs at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and portrays Nation Builder James Lafayette. Stephen Seals discusses his life experiences that brought him to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, including his current roles and his experience with interpretations for the Bray School. Stephen reflects on his thoughts about the opening of the Bray School.

Ann Marie Stock is the Presidential Liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships, and a Chancellor Professor in the Modern Languages department at William Mary. She has authored several books and works in Cuban cinema. Ann Marie discusses her journey from the mid-west to Cuba, and her journey to William & Mary. She also discusses the people who shaped her future and her path to Presidential Liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships. Ann Marie discusses her thoughts on the move of the Bray School, her special friendship with the donors who made the work possible, and those who have been lost that she carries with her into this project.

Linwood E. Tyson, Jr. is a site interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg specializing in eighteenth century African American history. Linwood discusses his role as a site interpreter and his experiences interpreting the black experience at museums and historic sites. Linwood also reflects on what the story of the Williamsburg Bray School means to the community and the world, and his views on the site opening in the Fall of 2024.

Cecilia Weaver is a William & Mary student and a Student Thought Partner with the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Cecilia describes her role as a Student Thought Partner in the Bray School Lab and the many projects and experiences she had working with the program. Cecilia reflects on the importance of the Bray School and its legacies.

Matthew Webster is Executive Director of the Historical Preservation and Research at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and is the project manager for the Williamsburg Bray School and its relocation to the Colonial Williamsburg historic district. Matt Webster discusses the history of the discovery of the Bray school located on the campus of William & Mary since its construction in 1760. He explains the process to stabilize the building, move it to the historic district and restore it for its opening as the 89th original building in the Colonial Williamsburg historic district in September 2024. Matt Webster discusses the architectural processes related to the Williamsburg Bray School.

Hope Wright is an actor/interpreter with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and a descendant community member. Hope Wright discusses her experience portraying Bray school students in Colonial Williamsburg family programming projects and her current role as an actor/interpreter in addition to her scholarship on material culture in the eighteenth century. She also discusses her aspirations for the interpretation of the site when it opens in September 2024 as the 89th original building with Colonial Williamsburg. Actor/Interpreter HopeWright discusses her experience working in programming for the Bray school and her reflections as a descendant community member.

Ye Xiao is a student at William & Mary and a Student Thought Partner with the William & Mary Bray School Lab. Ye describes her experience working as a student thought partner with the Bray School Lab. Ye discusses her work with the Bray School Lab, her experiences as a student at William & Mary and her thoughts on the importance of the work of the Williamsburg Bray School.

Tina Xo is a descendant community member of the Williamsburg Bray School and a descendant of the revolutionary war hero James Armistead Lafayette. She lived in the US and abroad due to her father's military service, but raised her family in the Williamsburg area. Tina Xo discusses her ties to the Williamsburg community and her experience visiting the home of her family, and learning the history of her ancestors. She recounts her feelings and thoughts related to the black experience, education, and her experience working with the Tuskegee Airmen. She recounts the different experiences engaging with the work of the Bray School Lab at different events. Tina Xo is a descendant community member for the Williamsburg Bray School who advocates for local history, specifically the Tuskegee Airmen.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by interviewees' last name.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard