Hear the uniquely American story of Martha Ann Fields, an enslaved cook, and one of Virginia’s unsung heroes. Celebrated storyteller and actor, Valerie Davis, captures the physical, historical, and spiritual essence of this former enslaved woman from the Nutshell Plantation in Hanover County as she reveals this true story of love, longing, faith, betrayal, and courage. Meet a woman who took a chance on her future one dark night in 1863 when she gathered her children and crossed the Pamunkey River in the dead of night to reach Union lines and freedom. Find freedom alongside her as she details her flight with her eight young children to Fort Monroe and how this fort played an integral part in establishing her new life as a free woman. Discover the impact her family had on Virginia politics and history in the years following their escape. This story of freedom and empowerment is great for teaching multi-generational audiences about the eras of oppression Martha Ann and her children lived through: Civil War History, The Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow. Meet the character, Martha Ann Fields, during a Q&A after the program.

This program is presented by Young Audiences of Virginia and the Virginia African American Cultural Center.

FREE ADMISSION