In the CNUpdate email sent out this week, President Bill Kelly made sure to address the start of Black History Month, especially with many historical facts regarding CNU’s history and Shoe Lane becoming a part of the conversation recently. 

President Kelly said that there are many events taking place this month to honor black history. On Mon. Feb. 12 there will be a “special show,” Kelly said, “That will combine music, theater, and history.” Tiffany Terrell’s Aint I a Woman is an acting performance that “brings Black historical figures to life on stage,” the email said. The show will be held in the Ferguson Center and tickets will be free. 

Kelly also mentioned that the university is continuing to take steps to understand its history by creating a task force to do more research. CNU is “…joining the City of Newport News…” in this task force to “…better understand our own history of being located on land that had formerly been home to a neighborhood of African-American residents,” Kelly said. 

The goals of the task force listed out by Kelly included: 

“Developing an understanding of the decisions made by past community leaders about the placement of the University and its growth, and the impact those decisions had on the citizens of Newport News;”

“Developing options the city and Commonwealth of Virginia can explore to ensure the citizens of Newport News and this community are better served in the future;” and, “Providing recommendations based on the findings.”

Kelly closed out his message to campus by saying, “Understanding our past is important to moving forward in a transparent and thoughtful way.” He says that the university is committed to this research and task force and plans to provide updates in the coming months.