INTRODUCTION

Deep Roots OF HERITAGE AND PRIDE

Emancipation Oak towers near the entrance to Hampton University like a proud old matriarch keeping a watchful eye over her kin. Her trunk, deeply rooted, will not be swayed. Her gnarled, but sturdy, limbs reach down to the ground and rise up again in a complex fingering of smaller branches and delicate twigs. Her bark is dark and weathered, her shade, inviting. And when you listen to the wind rustle her leaves, you can hear the stories of the thousands of children she has sheltered throughout her lifetime.

According to tradition passed down through generations, it was beneath this massive tree that the entire Hampton community first learned in 1863 the enslaved would be emancipated; where black pupils gathered for school; and where worshipers congregated for religious services on Sunday mornings. Today, citizens, students and visitors alike continue to find a source of inspiration in this mighty oak.

We have named this heritage guide in Emancipation Oak’s honor. Family Tree chronicles Hampton’s African 2

American history from the first Africans who arrived at Point Comfort in 1619, 400 years ago, to the 2019 Commemoration of the First African landing at Point Comfort in Hampton. You’ll find sections on history, education, religion, neighboring sites and African American men and women who helped shape Hampton’s beginnings. And like the branches of a family tree, each section has evolved from deep roots of heritage and pride.

We hope this guide will help to illuminate more of Hampton’s diverse African American history and help you experience a meaningful visit to our city.