Area students will present a script Thu., Feb. 5, made from original interviews with descendants of African American families who migrated to Vancouver during World War II and stayed.
It’s the inaugural “First Thursday” event of the year, starting at 7 p.m. at the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St. in Vancouver, according to a news release from museum officials. Admission for “Deep Roots, Strong Branches” is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for children under 18, and free with a museum membership. Doors open at 5 p.m.
This event was developed from a community project called “First Families of Vancouver’s African American Community: From World War Two to the Twenty-First Century.” A book by that title, researched and written by Jane Elder Wulff in collaboration with NAACP Vancouver Branch 1139, Clark College, Clark County YWCA and other local and regional partners, was published in March 2012. Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event.
The First Families project has spurred further work highlighting the history and contributions of Vancouver’s small but enduring African American community, such as the annual Back in the Day Reunion and the Vanport Media Project. The book was only the first step in what planners see as an ongoing effort with many more stories waiting to be told, Wulff said.
“What this project shows is that after the war, in spite of pressure to make them leave, these young families stayed in Vancouver simply because they liked it and felt at home. They deliberately settled throughout the town and county rather than all in one corner, to help build a broader community of good neighbors,” Wulff said.
For questions and more information, email info@cchmuseum. org or call (360) 993-5679.
