Bringing together artifacts and rich stories from across the Commonwealth, Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865 tells the stories of free Black Virginians from the arrival of the first captive Africans in 1619 to the abolition of slavery in 1865, and it is one of the first museum exhibitions to cover the subject in depth.
Through powerful artifacts, first-person accounts, and more than 200 years of stories, visitors will discover how Virginia’s people of color achieved their freedom, established communities, and persevered within a legal system that recognized them as free but not equal. Featured alongside artifacts spanning hundreds of years will be newly commissioned portraits by award-winning photographer Ruddy Roye, who TIME named Instagram Photographer of the Year, of some of the descendants of free Black Virginians who shared their stories and objects to help create the exhibition.
Building upon research about centuries of free Black Virginians and regional exhibitions focused on local communities, Un/Bound endeavors to encapsulate the broader, statewide story in depth and at a yet-to-be-seen scale through a collection of artifacts and rich histories told by descendants and experts. This exhibition was created by the VMHC in collaboration with subject matter experts and five institutions of higher education—Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, William & Mary, Longwood University and Richard Bland College – bringing together resources and knowledge to tell a compelling story of Virginia. The exhibition is on display alongside VMHC’s multiyear commemorative exhibitions and displays related to America’s 250th anniversary.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication of the same name, releasing in late Summer 2025 and featuring essays by Melvin Ely, Cassandra Newby-Alexander, Stephen Rockenbach, Sabrina Watson, and Evanda Watts-Martinez. The foreword to the publication was written by three former members of the Virginia Board of Education: former Virginia Secretary of Education, James W. Dyke Jr.; President Emeritus of William & Mary, Tim Sullivan; and former interim president of Norfolk State University, Alvin J. Schexnider.
