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Franklin county virginia

BUZZ stars Raising the Shade finale 900 506 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ stars Raising the Shade finale

All are invited to our BUZZ Watch Party on Feb. 28, 7:00 pm ET, at First Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, Va., as we conclude our 4-part series featuring the Franklin County NAACP’s initiative “Raising the Shade.”Since January 2025, BUZZ has featured the nonprofit as it has shared the story of the county’s 70 African American men who fought for the Union in the Civil War in the United States Colored Troops.

Our series concludes with the culmination of the nonprofit’s work: the unveiling ceremony of a statue in downtown Rocky Mount to honor the USCT. While thousands of Confederate monuments dot the U.S., fewer than 25 exist honoring the 200,000 Black men who fought in the United States Colored Troops.

With support from Virginia Tech’s Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia, funded by the Mellon Foundation, the NAACP has indeed “raised the shade” on this untold history.

 

BUZZ stars Raising the Shade 900 506 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ stars Raising the Shade

To conclude our 5th season, BUZZ highlights the Franklin County NAACP’s Raising the Shade community forum on May 31 that shared with hundreds of people from across the Commonwealth the history of the county’s 70 African-American men who fought for the Union during the Civil War.

This event provides a “sneak peek” at our episode – part 3 of our 4-part Raising the Shade series – that airs August 27 at 7:00 pm EDT on Blue Ridge PBS.

Funded by the Mellon Foundation through Virginia Tech’s Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia, Raising the Shade seeks to provide citizens with a fuller history of the Civil War rather than the racist one depicted by a Confederate monument on the Franklin County courthouse lawn.

About the episode:

Monuments are all around us … testaments to people and places of the past. One such monument stands on the courthouse lawn in Franklin County, Virginia, honoring the county’s ancestors who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

But the nonprofit Franklin County NAACP has begun asking: Why do we honor these forefathers who fought for a cause to keep other forefathers of ours enslaved? What role did the foremothers have in preserving this history? And, if we insist on memorializing one side of the story, can we at least start to pay tribute to the other?

With funding they’ve received from the Mellon Foundation as part of a Virginia Tech led initiative titled “Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia,” these citizens have banded together to form an organization called “Raising the Shade.” Their mission: create new monuments that celebrate the county’s 70 African-American ancestors who fought for the Union during the Civil War in a branch of the Army known as the United States Colored Troops.

This BUZZ Live! is part 3 of a multi-episode project we’re producing in partnership with the Franklin County NAACP.

BUZZ Live! stars Raising the Shade 900 506 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ Live! stars Raising the Shade

BUZZ Live! is back with the Franklin County NAACP to chat with the inspiring folks who are “Raising the Shade” on the 70 African-American men who fought for the Union during the Civil War.  During the 30-minute live talk show we’ll offer a “sneak peek” into the Raising the Shade forum on May 31 where participants will learn more about the role of the United States Colored Troops in moving the United States closer to its ideals.​

Join BUZZ Live! in person on Sunday, May 4, at 4:00 pm EST at First Baptist Church of Rocky Mount, or tune in to our livestream on Facebook and YouTube. Register below to attend.

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About the episode:

Monuments are all around us … testaments to people and places of the past. One such monument stands on the courthouse lawn in Franklin County, Virginia, honoring the county’s ancestors who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

But the nonprofit Franklin County NAACP has begun asking: Why do we honor these forefathers who fought for a cause to keep other forefathers of ours enslaved? What role did the foremothers have in preserving this history? And, if we insist on memorializing one side of the story, can we at least start to pay tribute to the other?

With funding they’ve received from the Mellon Foundation as part of a Virginia Tech led initiative titled “Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia,” these citizens have banded together to form an organization called “Raising the Shade.” Their mission: create new monuments that celebrate the county’s 70 African-American ancestors who fought for the Union during the Civil War in a branch of the Army known as the United States Colored Troops.

This BUZZ Live! is part 2 of a multi-episode project we’re producing in partnership with the Franklin County NAACP.

BUZZ Watch Party stars The Spot on Kirk 900 506 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ Watch Party stars The Spot on Kirk

All are invited to a free Watch Party on Feb. 27, 2025, at 7:00 pm EST to enjoy our newest BUZZ starring The Spot on Kirk! Show up early to be part of our BUZZ Live! from The Spot on Kirk talk show at 6:00 pm (doors open at 5:30 pm).

About the episode:

Attracting an eclectic cast of artists from around the world — and helping launch the likes of Morgan Wade — The Spot on Kirk in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, is both listening room and community center for all music lovers.
The nonprofit is also a passion project for founder and board president Bruce C. Bryan, whose marketing agency 5Points Creative has provided the “buzz” for nine of our episodes to date. For its 10th BUZZ milestone, 5Points Creative and Bruce are making sure more people know about The Spot. BUZZ videographer Dan Mirolli — a talented musician in his own right — lends a hand in this episode by creating a promotional video that better highlights this remarkable venue.
BUZZ Watch Party stars Franklin County (Va.) NAACP’s “Raising the Shade” 900 506 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ Watch Party stars Franklin County (Va.) NAACP’s “Raising the Shade”

All are invited to a free Watch Party on Feb. 1, 2025, at 6:00 pm EST at First Baptist Church of Rocky Mount to enjoy our newest BUZZ starring the Franklin County NAACP’s venture “Raising the Shade.”

About the episode:

Monuments are all around us … testaments to people and places of the past. One such monument stands on the courthouse lawn in Franklin County, Virginia, honoring the county’s ancestors who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

But the nonprofit Franklin County NAACP has begun asking: Why do we honor these forefathers who fought for a cause to keep other forefathers of ours enslaved? What role did the foremothers have in preserving this history? And, if we insist on memorializing one side of the story, can we at least start to pay tribute to the other?

With funding they’ve received from the Mellon Foundation as part of a Virginia Tech led initiative titled “Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia,” these citizens have banded together to form an organization called “Raising the Shade.” Their mission: create new monuments that celebrate the county’s 70 African-American ancestors who fought for the Union during the Civil War in a branch of the Army known as the United States Colored Troops.

This BUZZ is part 1 of a multi-episode project we’re producing in partnership with the Franklin County NAACP.