Nearly 160 people came through the doors of the Robert Russa Moton Museum on Saturday, July 25, for an afternoon of remembrance, reunion, and celebration.
The gathering marked 75 years since the 1951 student strike and 25 years of the Robert Russa Moton Museum, bringing together former and current board members, staff, longtime friends, community partners, families and people with personal connections to the history preserved here.
For those who missed it, the day was warm, full and familiar. People found one another in the hallways. Conversations stretched well beyond the program. Children played outside. Music carried through the museum. Guests ate, shopped, laughed, shared memories and stayed awhile.
It felt like a family reunion.
Among those joining us were Joan Johns Cobbs, her husband Claude Cobbs and members of the Johns family, whose family story is forever connected to the students who walked out of Moton High School in 1951.
Executive Director Cainan Townsend served as master of ceremonies, leading an afternoon that gave the history room to speak through the people who know it best.
The program included Building the Moton Museum: The Martha Forrester Council, a conversation with Leah Brown and Dr. Larissa Smith about the community effort behind preserving Moton and building the museum. Later, Robert “Bob” Hamlin, Martha Bailey Brown and James E. Ghee, Esq. and Drexel Harris took the stage for “Voices of the Moton Story,” sharing reflections shaped by their own connections to Moton and Prince Edward County.
Moton Board Chair Drexel Harris offered a challenge that reached beyond the anniversaries:
“Moton must never become a static monument to the past. It must be a launching pad for the future.”
There were quieter moments, too. Uniqua Kelso led the room in “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and later Jackson Pendergrass & Townsend (JPT) shifted the afternoon into celebration with live music.
Their performance included “Walkout,” an original song honoring Barbara Johns and the Moton student strikers. Lead singer Denise Jackson had prepared words to introduce the song but did not have an opportunity to share them during the program. One line deserves a place in the record:
“And they lit a candle for freedom that continues to burn.”
Something Special for the Reunion
Prince Edward County’s own Brian Toney of Beyond Talent created a commemorative work commissioned especially for the reunion. The artwork became the centerpiece of the anniversary T-shirt and one of the most popular keepsakes of the day.
Latonya Lockett of Made For Moments LLC produced the shirts, helping turn Brian’s artwork into something guests could carry home with them.
Mike Collins of Jersey Mike Photography was there throughout the day documenting the reunion—the speakers, families, conversations and candid moments in between.
And Fonseca Holman of Xquisite Travel, a reunion sponsor and supporter, gave several guests something else to remember: a raffle for three-day, two-night getaways to destinations throughout the United States and select international locations. Congratulations to our winners!
Good Food and Plenty of Fun
A family reunion needs a good meal, and Tammy Nelson and Grateful Fed Catering Company delivered with a delicious BBQ-themed spread.
Charity Byrd and The Italian Ice Spot followed with the perfect treat for a July afternoon.
Our community partners also helped make the reunion welcoming for the youngest guests. Sara Winston, Youth Services Coordinator with Central Virginia Regional Library, and our friends at the Farmville-Prince Edward Community Library facilitated the Children’s Corner, while SSG Sean Matthews and the Virginia Army National Guard brought a bouncy house that was an undeniable hit.
Local Artisans Join the Reunion
Throughout the museum, guests also shopped, browsed and visited with local artisans and small-business owners.
We were happy to welcome Tara Blackwell of House of Blackwood/Paparazzi Jewelry; Uniqua Kelso of Personal Perfections LLC; Mary Pugh of DS Beauty Academy; Daijon Robertson of Kanordai; Sharonda Robertson of Butterfly Momark Krafts; Gail Mercer of Perfect 10 Boutiques; and Kailin Little of Little Knots & Threads.
Thank you for bringing your businesses, creativity and energy to the Moton family.
As the formal program ended, the reunion kept going. Guests visited the Moton Library & Lounge, spent time with our community partners and artisans, listened to JPT and added their own memories to the Moton Family Album.
People lingered.
That may say more about July 25 than anything else.
We gathered because of two important anniversaries, but the afternoon was ultimately about people—the ones who lived this history, the ones who helped preserve it, the families who continue to carry it and the community that still sees Moton as its own.
To everyone who spoke, sang, cooked, created, photographed, volunteered, partnered with us, shared a memory or simply came through the doors: thank you for coming home to Moton.