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The original item was published from 8/19/2016 1:55:10 PM to 8/19/2016 1:56:20 PM.

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* Hampton City News

Posted on: August 17, 2016

[ARCHIVED] Tucker cemetery dedication starts series of African Arrival Day events in Hampton this weekend

tucker cemetery

Aug. 19, 2016 - A formal dedication ceremony Friday morning for the Tucker Family Cemetery at 10 Sharon Court was be the start of a series of events this weekend commemorating African Arrival Day.

In August of 1619, the first Africans arrived in English North America at what is now known as Point Comfort in Hampton. Tucker family members are descendants of William Tucker, the first child of African descent to be born in North America. It is believed that the cemetery has served as the final resting place for William Tucker and his descendants for four centuries.

Friday morning's ceremony in the shaded cemetery included a keynote message from Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward, a former mayor of Hampton, along with remarks from current Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck and others.

Ward spoke about her efforts to highlight the history of Hampton's African-American community, which she said has not been taught or highlighted sufficiently. Tuck noted that the story of African Arrival Day is not just the history of Hampton or Virginia, but the history of the nation.

More information about African Arrival Day
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