News Flash

Join Dr. Johnny Finn,  Associate Professor of Geography in the Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology at Christopher Newport University, for an exploration into research of 21st Century Segregation in Hampton Roads.

The “Living Together / Living Apart” project is a long-term participatory action research project that focuses on the human experience and toll of persistent racial segregation in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Indeed, racial segregation in most major U.S. metropolitan areas is worse today than it was during Reconstruction. This did not happen by accident, nor did it happen overnight; the origins of racial segregation in the American city are deep, and go far beyond the oft-cited quip that “birds of a feather flock together.” Rather, a combination of discriminatory housing and economic policies, and both overt and indirect racism throughout much of the 20^th century, lie at its heart. 

This project uses oral history interviews, historical documents, participant-directed photography, and digital mapping to engage the local community in meaningful, open ways and to challenge the “naturalness” of segregated landscapes and explore alternative futures. In this presentation Dr. Finn will provide an overview of the theoretical and historical underpinning of racial segregation in Hampton Roads, present his research team’s preliminary findings, and discuss his forthcoming book on the project. Attendees will also be able to use multiple interactive digital maps to explore the multifaceted impacts of racial segregation across Hampton Roads. To learn more about the project. visit https://www.livingtogetherlivingapart.com/ 

The program is free to museum members, $5 for non-members.

The Hampton History Museum is located at 120 Old Hampton Lane in Downtown Hampton. There is free parking in the garage across the street from the museum. For more information call 757-727-1102.