On Friday, August 14, the Robert Russa Moton Museum will welcome Hakeem Jubal Croom back to Farmville for a special screening of Bigger Than Me: The Hakeem Jubal Croom Story, a documentary tracing his journey from Harlem, New York, to a life and career centered on education, leadership and helping others flourish.
For Croom, the evening is also a homecoming.
He first arrived in Farmville at 18 years old to attend Hampden-Sydney College, where he was a student-athlete and first-generation college student. He would spend nearly a decade in the area, building relationships and finding mentors, friends and a community that helped shape the direction of his life.
Now, years later, he is returning to share that story at Moton.
The setting carries special meaning. The Robert Russa Moton Museum is housed in the former Robert Russa Moton High School, a National Historic Landmark where 16-year-old Barbara Johns and her fellow students launched the 1951 student strike that led to Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County—one of the five cases decided in Brown v. Board of Education. Today, Moton is also an affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park.
It is a place rooted in the stories of young people who believed their circumstances did not have to determine their future. In that way, Croom’s message of what he calls “rebellious hope”—choosing to rise, grow and flourish despite adversity—finds a meaningful home here.
We are pleased to open Moton’s doors for this full-circle moment and welcome Hakeem back to a community that remains an important part of his story.
The evening will feature the documentary screening, a moderated discussion, audience Q&A and opportunities for reflection and conversation. Autumn Childress, Emmy-nominated journalist, will conduct a pre-screening interview. Taikein Cooper, CEO of the Richmond Ed Fund, will serve as screening host, with Commonwealth’s Attorney Megan Clark moderating the post-screening discussion.
Bigger Than Me: The Hakeem Jubal Croom Story will be presented Friday, August 14, 2026, from 5:00–9:00 p.m. at the Robert Russa Moton Museum, 900 Griffin Boulevard in Farmville.
Space is limited, and those planning to attend are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance before the screening sells out.
Bigger Than Me: The Hakeem Jubal Croom Story
Friday, August 14, 2026
5:00–9:00 p.m.
Robert Russa Moton Museum
900 Griffin Boulevard
Farmville, VA 23901