ODU to Host “Let’s Talk About Our Dream” Panel Discussion to Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 14
December 13, 2019
Ted Ellis
By Amy Matzke-Fawcett
Old Dominion University will honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during its 35th annual observance on Jan. 14.
The 2020 celebration is part of a year of introspection and community conversations at the University. During the 2019-20 school year, the University has been the site of the "Writing a New History: Let's Talk about our Dream" conversations, part of the 400th commemoration of the first African landing at Fort Monroe.
Panelists for the Jan. 14 "Let's Talk About Our Dream" conversation include Verandall Tucker, a descendant of Anthony and Isabella, who are believed to have arrived during the first landing at Point Comfort in Hampton in 1619; Colita Fairfax, professor at Norfolk State University; the Rev. Joseph Green Jr., Rector Emeritus of Grace Episcopal Church in Norfolk; and Brenda Andrews, publisher of the New Journal and Guide. Addie Richburg, executive director of the 400 Years of African American History Commission, will moderate the discussion.
Tim Seibles, professor emeritus and former Poet Laureate of Virginia, will read a piece written for the event.
"As we move further away from the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr., I think it is extremely important that we remember how he influenced monumental life changes for so many, especially minorities," said Cecelia Tucker, director of community relations at ODU. "Sure, there are pictures and quotes that we reference about him, but do we really appreciate how he organized marches, went to jail, spoke with countless groups and influencers and finally died to make life better for others? The MLK Jr. observance is simply a way to recall and remember a hero of our times."
That same week, as part of the observance, the University will host the work of painter Ted Ellis, an artist from Texas known for blending impressionism and folk art. The display will be free and open to the public from Jan. 15 through March 1 in the Goode Theatre.
The display came together quickly after Ellis met Melvina Sumter, associate professor of criminal justice at ODU and the person spearheading the university's yearlong 400 Years of African American History Commission's signature "Writing A New History" program. Ellis is one of 15 commissioners of the national 400 Years of African American History Commission and is the vice chair.
Ellis has featured his art at historically black college and universities, middle and high schools, museums, cultural centers, conventions, libraries and festivals. The 400 Years Commemorative show will be the first of its kind at a non-HBCU institution.
Ellis will also unveil his "The First Family" painting. The artwork which captures the Tucker Family Cemetery, burial site of William Tucker, the first documented birth in the English colonies, from two of the 20 Africans who landed under bondage in Port Comfort (now known as Fort Monroe) in 1619.
Ellis has been working on a series of paintings speaking to the narrative from 1619 to the present that spans slavery to reconstruction to the Jim Crow era to the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 to the use of modern technology in the classroom. Twenty to 25 pieces of art will be featured in a display created exclusively for ODU, according to Sumter.
It "speaks to the totality of the African American experience and contributions, and specifically, highlights the struggle, resiliency, perseverance and triumphs. Hence, movement from the past to the present," Sumter said.
"That experience is filled with so much history not spoken to, or written about, but that can be exposed in a way that only an artist can enlighten," Ellis said.
Through his more than 30 years of work and hundreds of paintings, he has captured the 400 years of experiences of North America and "pays homage to his ancestors," according to Sumter.
After the opening of the exhibit, Ellis will stay in Norfolk to work with students and community members, including hosting art seminars at Lambert's Point Community Center and visiting a local elementary school, all of which are part of Ellis' hope that his art can help build steppingstones between communities.
"My life as an artist will always be for used for advocacy for the human condition," Ellis said. "We can build better communities, and that's the best part of America."
RSVPs for the 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance are requested by Jan. 8 by calling 757-683-5759. Free parking is available in the Constant Center 43rd Street Garage.
For more information about events at ODU commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first African landing, go to this link.
