Among the larger sites, Montpelier is making plans for the 250th anniversary of James Madison's birth. He couldn't have done all these things if he hadn't had the labor of slaves. Several towns in Virginia, including Petersburg, Richmond, Lynchburg, Winchester, Gloucester and Hampton, have maps to African-American historic places. We're trying to catalog our legacy. Some of the sites are not open to the public, but people still want to see them.
Black history is often invisible.
So many sites have been erased. I hope this program will encourage people to visit places like Pittsylvania and Gutenberg counties, which are filled with small, rural towns.