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2 March 2005 Author of book on free African-Americans in Prince Edward County to speak at Longwood
Dr. Ely, professor of history and black studies at the College of William & Mary, will speak on Black-White Intimacy in Prince Edward County Before the Civil War, with a reception to follow the presentation. He is the author of Israel on the Appomattox: A Southern Experiment in BlackFreedom from the 1790s Through the Civil War, which was named a Best Book of 2004 by the Washington Post Book World, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Providence Journal and designated an Editor's Choice by the Atlantic Monthly magazine and a selected title of the History Book Club. The book has been called "the fullest and most humane account we have ever had of free black people" by historian Edward L. Ayers of the University of the Virginia, and Washington Post Book World said, "Ely's story is so rich and compelling – and so persuasively documented – that it is sure to leave its mark on Southern history for years to come."
Israel Hill was located just west of modern-day, downtown Farmville. "Dr. Ely gave a talk about his book at the Moton Museum in the fall," said Dr. Larissa Smith, a Longwood history professor and chair of the University Lectures Committee. "It was so well-received that we decided to invite him to campus so he could speak to a wider Longwood audience and to community members who missed that talk." Dr. Ely, who interviewed descendants of Israel Hill residents for his book, also is the author of The Adventures of Amos 'n Andy: A Social History of an AmericanPhenomenon, first published by the University of Virginia Press in 1991 and reprinted in 2001. The two Simkins Lectures every year, given by prominent scholars, honor Dr. Francis Butler Simkins (1897-1966) who taught history at Longwood for almost 40 years and was an important scholar in the field of Southern history. The Simkins Lecture series is organized by the Longwood University Lectures Committee and is funded by the Office of Academic Affairs. Professor Ely's lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of History, Political Science, and Philosophy. |
Dr. Melvin P. Ely, a history professor and author of a critically acclaimed book about free African-Americans in Prince Edward County, will give a Simkins Lecture on the subject on Wednesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Longwood University's Wygal Auditorium.
The book's title is derived from Israel Hill, a community founded on a bluff overlooking the Appomattox River, where "for roughly three generations, as many as 150 free black people lived, worked and mingled with their white neighbors from their homes," says an article last September in a College of William & Mary publication named W&M News. "Ely...became interested in the story during the 1980s while looking through the history textbook he had studied in the seventh grade. It contained one sentence referencing Richard Randolph, reporting, in effect, that Randolph had freed his slaves and granted them land in a place called Israel Hill."