VIRGINIANS OF INTEREST
Carthan and Brian have been friends for more than 30 years and share a passion for all things Virginia! They lost touch for many years, but reconnected in 2020 while Carthan was involved with the Economic Development Office for the City of Petersburg and Brian was working on the Medicines for All Project at Virginia Commonwealth University. Both talked frequently about various issues facing the Commonwealth and started kicking around the idea of a podcast. Both Carthan and Brian consider themselves a bit technically challenged, so when the opportunity to host a podcast at Blue Ridge PBS in Roanoke presented itself, they jumped in with both feet!
We hope you enjoy the conversations!
VIRGINIANS OF INTEREST
E37: Commemorating 250 Years: How Virginia Shaped a Nation
Standing in Thomas Jefferson's bedroom at Monticello, hearing how both he and John Adams died on July 4th, 1826—exactly 50 years after American independence—creates a moment where you don't just learn history but feel it viscerally. This "power of place" forms the heart of Virginia's approach to commemorating America's 250th anniversary.
Cheryl Wilson, Executive Director of Virginia's America 250 Commission, reveals how the Commonwealth is orchestrating a statewide celebration honoring Virginia's pivotal role in founding our nation. Unlike traditional historical commemorations, Virginia's approach weaves together past and present, connecting revolutionary principles to our ongoing work of forming "a more perfect union."
The Commission's collaborative structure reflects Virginia's inclusive vision, with advisory councils ensuring African American and Tribal Nations' perspectives are represented. All 134 localities across Virginia have established their own 250th commissions, creating a grassroots network that's already planned over 1,700 events. From a mobile museum traveling to schools to commemorative ceremonies at St. John's Church and Colonial Williamsburg, these initiatives make history accessible to all Virginians.
Most compelling is how Virginia has launched initiatives that transcend state boundaries. The "Two Lights for Tomorrow" movement—inspired by Paul Revere's famous signal—began as a small Virginia Commission idea and grew into an international phenomenon, with twin lights appearing everywhere from statehouses to the International Space Station, symbolizing our shared commitment to America's founding principles.
Visit va250.org to discover upcoming events, sign up for newsletters, and learn how you can participate in this historic commemoration. As we approach July 4th, 2026, join us in experiencing the places where American independence was conceived, declared, and ultimately won—right here in Virginia.
And now from the Blue Ridge PBS studios in Roanoke, virginia. It's the Virginians of Interest podcast, with your hosts Brian Campbell and Karthin Curran.
Speaker 1:Hello and welcome to the Virginians of Interest podcast. My name is Brian Campbell. I'm here with my friend Karthin Curran, who will introduce our special guest.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Brian, is Brian Campbell. I'm here with my friend Carthen Curran, who will introduce our special guest. Thank you, Brian. We are delighted and excited to have with us this afternoon Cheryl Wilson, the Executive Director of the 250th Anniversary of Our Country, the Virginia Commission. Cheryl, welcome to Virginians of Interest.
Speaker 4:Thank you, carthen, and thank you for Brian for having me.
Speaker 3:It's an honor to be with you today. I know you're a native Virginian. For our audience, can you give us a little background of where you were raised and your career before taking over this important role, and then we'll get into the coming up of the 250th and all the things that you're doing and the excitement this is building up to this incredible milestone for the country.
Speaker 4:Absolutely, and it is an incredible milestone it's so exciting and so wonderful to be part of. I am a native Virginian, as you said. I was born in Norfolk but I've lived in the Richmond area since I was about nine years old. But I've lived in the Richmond area since I was about nine years old, graduated from high school in Chesterfield County Schools and went to VCU for my undergraduate and graduate degrees and you know, I worked for the General Assembly in some way, shape or form, for 38 sessions now, and I like to laugh and say that's a mathematical impossibility because of course I'm only 22 years old. That's what I was going to say you look 22.
Speaker 4:As we all are. Yes, but no, the only way to say it. I fell in love with the legislative process and the General Assembly and the Capitol and public service when I was in high school doing a General Assembly project and we got to come down to the state Capitol and track a bill and trace legislation and it was just fascinating to me. So I worked hard at VCU and earned an internship with the General Assembly of the House of Delegates and then have made that my career in different forms, in different ways, but absolutely well, working and supporting the legislative branch in the General Assembly.
Speaker 3:Well, on a personal note, I share your enthusiasm and love for the General Assembly. I was privileged to be a House page for two sessions 1975 and 76, and it really was a game changer for me and I just it was an incredible experience. So I feel that passion in your heart because I have it too.
Speaker 4:How wonderful for young people to engage in the page program or the civic internship programs. It's really expanded. Since you and I were younger, Karthin, and I would encourage all young people to get involved in civics education, whether it's General Assembly, local, federal. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing for young people to connect to.
Speaker 3:Very much so.
Speaker 1:Well, growing up in Gloucester we were talking before we came on the air. You know, we were sort of right there with Williamsburg and we took field trips, all the Very much. So our great country history, but the role that Virginia played in it, how did you, how did it happen for you to transition from the General Assembly into this really cool job? I guess the only bad thing about this job it probably ends right after the, after the celebration's, over a year or two later, after you wrap things up or Well, of course it's Virginia, so the story keeps going to Yorktown, where American independence was secured, the Battle of Yorktown.
Speaker 4:So, yes, this commemoration ends, this commission ends in 2032, after the Battle of Yorktown, and we are a legislative agency, so we are an agency of the General Assembly. Delegate Terry Austin is the chair, senator Mamie Lopp is the vice chair and, of course, I'm sure that we'll talk about a little bit about our wonderful national honorary chair, carly Fiorina. Ben Dendy is president of our public-private partnerships and fundraising. Just wonderful, wonderful, committed leaders working. But how did I get to the 250th? So, as part of my work with the General Assembly, like I said, brian kind of done a number of different roles, all of which have been fascinating and absolutely loved it. And the good thing about working for the General Assembly one of the best things is that as their priorities shift, as does yours, you know what you're working on is always a bit different. So I started in the House Clerk's Office and they got a full-time job at the Division of Legislative Services, which is the bill drafting and committee staffing nonpartisan agency and committee staffing nonpartisan agency and worked there 27 years, staffed the rules, committees, drafted procedural resolutions and commending resolutions and all the wonderful things that the House and Senate rules committees oversee. So I staffed the rules committees, so I staffed the rules committees and I want to say it was 2006.
Speaker 4:Speaker Howell, bill Howell, passed the Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Act which established a commission to look at the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. We did the Civil War and I was asked to serve as executive director of that, while still working at Legislative Services and Balancing, and had created a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful statewide network of partners National Park Service, museums, historical societies, genealogical societies, universities across the state and with Speaker Hale's leadership and so many wonderful, dedicated historians, including Dr Bud Robertson of Virginia Tech, who you might know as right. I see Carthen, yes, right, we love it. Great man, great historian, great historian, and he was on the commission. Know is right. I see carth, and yes, right, we love it. Great man, great historian, great historian, and he was on the commission. So it was just a true honor to be able to bring their vision to life through all of these partnerships.
Speaker 4:And by the time the commemoration ended, which was 11 years, so two and a half times the length of the Civil War, was this commemoration in Virginia because, again, you can't tell the stories of Civil War and emancipation without Virginia. By the time it ended, that commission won several national awards, for this is how you Tell Tough History. Well, in fact, one of our most celebrated conferences was all the tough stuff of American history. We really took an honest, you know, deep look, the historians and the scholars at the time. So that was Civil War.
Speaker 4:After that came World War I, commemoration, 100th anniversary, world War II 75th, led by Speaker Kurt Hopps, and again, what a privilege to be able to honor the living veterans of World War II commemorative coins and ceremonies. So everything we do is a partnership, a statewide partnership which is fitting the General Assembly certainly is statewide. A statewide partnership which is fitting the General Assembly certainly is statewide, you know, it represents every area. And then along came the 250th and I was asked if I would consider stepping in to, you know, apply to run that. And it was an honor to be considered. And every day it is an honor to do this work, a privilege. So that is a lot in a short time.
Speaker 1:Well, you've covered the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and World War I and World War II. There's no wars. I mean, you talk about a career. You've had a really interesting career, carter. Oh, the War of 1812.
Speaker 3:Oh the War of 1812. Don't forget that that unpleasantness. Cheryl, can you give us a? I have some familiarity with the structure of the commission. Who serves on the commission? I know the House and Senate. You've already mentioned the chair and vice chair, a great delegate, great senator, but there are other members, I assume from throughout the Commonwealth, that serve on the commission.
Speaker 4:Sure Well, carthage. On the commissioner, I want to say 33 members appointed. Some represent the House of Delegates and the Senate, of course, supported by House rules and Senate rules Delegate Terry Austin, delegate Alex Askew, paul Kriese, senator Loff, senator McDougall, and then there are representatives from tourism, from your major historic sites Colonial Williamsburg, janestown, yorktown Foundation, monticello, mount Vernon so the CEOs of those organizations, the CEO of the Yorktown Battlefield and then, as I said, a number of education and tourism historical experts. That's what brings together the membership of the Corps Commission. From there there are a number of advisory councils. Senator Lott chairs an African American Advisory Council, which is a wide and diverse group of thought leaders in the African American community community and engaged in the African-American story. And we have a Tribal Nations Leadership Council that Chief Steve Adkins chairs, at which all of the tribal leaders in Virginia, the leaders of the tribal nations in Virginia, convene. Virginia, the leaders of the tribal nations in Virginia convene. And again, what does the 250th look like and feel like within their communities, having a place to be sure that everyone's story is represented. So we have any number of stakeholder groups.
Speaker 4:I'm so proud to say that all 134 localities, counties and cities in Virginia have their own local 250 commission. That's wonderful, isn't that amazing? Yes, it is. So this is a big, this is a, as I said, partnership is the word that you'll hear me say over and over, say over and over. It's just a wonderful network of every historic home, presidential home, historic site, locality, battlefield, coming together because Virginia is the destination for America during the 250th. We like to say and we'll talk about a little bit later America was made in Virginia, so we invite people to come explore.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful. I hate to ask all these administrative questions, but I think most of our listeners probably aren't going to know the answer to these questions too. Does every state have a commission, and what does the national commission look like?
Speaker 4:No, it's a very good question.
Speaker 4:I do believe that now every state has a commission and in tribal governments as well, territories.
Speaker 4:There is an America 250 Federal Commission and now there's a White House task force that worked together for the 250th has been in existence for several years and has a number of tentpole programs, the latest of which are oral history repositories where people can come to certain places and give a background about their family.
Speaker 4:They had an initiative to wave flags at a certain time, on July 4th 2026, across the nation. They have field trips where students from schools across the nation apply for essays or write essays and then apply in a contest to take field trips to historic locations and then apply in a contest to take field trips to historic locations. So there are a number of programs on that level and of course the new White House Task Force is planning also programs for the 250th. But several years ago we in Virginia just invited our fellow state 250th planners to come to Williamsburg under a program called A Calming Pause to All and of course invited America 250, started to convene the nation. So the effort to organize and collect Brian is really a grassroots-led thing. States working together, I always like to say, link arms and together we're stronger.
Speaker 1:Well, one last question, and I'll turn it back over to Kartham. I've noticed your mobile 250 thing was at Daffodil Days in Gloucester, and so I'm starting to see. But is there going to be a big marquee event in the next year or so, and what are some of the marquee events that you'll have planned for next year that really everybody will be drawing attention to you'll have planned for?
Speaker 4:next year that really everybody will be drawing attention to. Oh, my heavens, all the marquee events. Yes, keep 2026 open for me and always look at va250.org, and the best thing to do is sign up for the newsletter too, so that we can send that information to you. Follow on social media. So this year we will be doing a 4th of July program this year 2025, at Fort Monroe. Last year we did a 4th of July program here at the State Capitol and I say here at the State Capitol because I'm looking right out my window that's my view the beautiful State Capitol. So we'll be doing 4th of July at Fort Monroe. We'll be doing programs in Williamsburg to mark the Dunmore Proclamation in November, and then 2026, it's a whole series because again, america made in Virginia.
Speaker 4:The ideas and ideals that founded our country were being written and spoken 250 years ago. Earlier this year, for example, we had the 250th anniversary of Paul I was in forward years Patrick Henry's Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death speech. It's kind of neat to see how, in real time, now that starts to add you know, you can, you can see. Oh well, now, two months later, this was happening and this was happening. So where we are right now in 250th world. Patrick Henry had given his speech. Lord Dunmore seized the gunpowder in Williamsburg. The shots have been fired at Lexington and Concord. Paul Revere had his ride one if by land, two if by sea and I want to talk about that a little bit more and what we did for that and we're kind of moving towards this move of independence as we crest into 2026, there'll be the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Great Bridge here in Virginia, where Billy Flora was a hero. An African-American soldier was a hero in that battle. There'll be the burning of Norfolk 250th anniversary, and it's a way for people to really connect, using the real-time calendar, with what was happening as the country led to independence. It's so much more than you know, just words on a timeline.
Speaker 4:As we move into April and May, of course there will be Virginia's Independence Day. Virginia declared its independence in May in 1776 in Williamsburg. Virginia, by the way, was the first colony to declare and mark that day with fireworks 250 years ago. So we are the first in fireworks. We are the first in fireworks From there, thomas Jefferson in retreat at Monticello before going to Philadelphia as he started to work on the Declaration of Independence and ruminate on these ideas. We'll have a program with Monticello, have a program with Colonial Williamsburg. We will walk in these 250th moments Williamsburg. We will walk in these 250th moments Program at Mount Vernon, which will be international in scope the eyes of the nation, how America has impacted other nations and vice versa. And then, of course, all that leading to July 4th, 2026, which we will mark at Colonial Williamsburg. It will be 2026, will be a year to be involved and be engaged and be inspired to be a place for everyone.
Speaker 3:I'm recently. Actually I attended two reenactments one in Eppington Plantation in Southern Chesterfield and Battersea had a British colonial skirmish reenactment and but the Eppington example, to your point earlier about the Concord in Lexington, there was a reenactment of a person coming there to announce that that had happened. So it was just kind of interesting to see these things already start taking place, right, cheryl? I was curious. Is there? Great Cheryl? I was curious. Is there? I assume there's some organized connection to our K-12 constituency and I was curious to know what also on the higher education side, at least the public higher ed is there. Are they tied in to the celebration and commemoration?
Speaker 4:Sure, Great question, karthin, and absolutely they are. I should have mentioned there's a robust education steering committee that Secretary Amy Guderra chairs. She is also a member of the 250th Commission are really, really strong partners in this and in fact I do. I have a copy here right at my hands and, yes, every college, college president, university, by the way, there are so many 250th's. Did you know that next year, 2026, in October is the 250th anniversary of Phi Beta Kappa, established in Williamsburg? Carson would not know about.
Speaker 1:Phi Beta Kappa.
Speaker 3:I know some folks. I knew the executive secretary of Phi Beta Kappa, by the way, who taught me history at Ferrum College.
Speaker 4:But anyway, we know people who know exactly Carson and Brian. I don't know if your readers can or your viewers can see this, but what I'm holding is a booklet called Expressions of Freedom and it's on our website, by the way, it's some 46 pages and in fact it was just published last week and we did a great program at the Rotunda. Each student in Virginia, through the Department of Education, was asked to react share what freedom means to me. They could do that through an essay, they could do it through poem, they could do it through artwork, and you see if your camera can see. Here's one of the art pieces that a student submitted and a few others. What does freedom mean to me? Here's some more art. You see the essays and the poetry. Again, it's all on our website, easy to download. So, through Department of Education, every student did that.
Speaker 4:Department of Education convened a number from the Education Steering Committee of scholars to help select finalists. Now, that was not an easy job to do, but finalists were selected from every region in the school, every school region, along with top finalists one from elementary, one from middle and one from high school. These wonderful students came down to the Rotunda of the Capitol. Just I want to say. It was two weeks ago for a ceremony with the Secretary of Education, the First Lady, carly Fiorina. We had their artwork on display and they were able to be, you know, congratulated and awarded for their finalists. As it turned out, their work is also going in a time capsule that will go over to London to be buried with the George Washington statue on a project that the First Lady is working on and the governor. But their expressions of freedom contest will continue each year in the school, so students will have a place to you know, to talk about what freedom means to that. And then this is one of my favorite things to share if you're there with me oh, yes, wow, yes.
Speaker 4:By our mobile museum that is traveling the state right now and it goes from a tractor trailer to a quad, expandable 1100 square foot museum. We prioritize seeing schools students so many schools can't even afford a school bus for a field trip, so we can come to them. So just a wonderful way for students and young people to imprint on the 250S.
Speaker 3:That's wonderful. I assume that's financed partly or solely out of corporate sponsorships, or was that something the Commonwealth invested in?
Speaker 4:It's a partnership, for sure it's a public-private. A number of corporations have stepped up to really support and back this, led, of course, by Dominion and a number of large corporations. So, yes, a public-private.
Speaker 3:Well, speaking of, that is there for our listeners. If someone, or hopefully many someones, want to contribute to the 250th, how would they do that To the Virginia Commission?
Speaker 4:Yes to va250.org and every contribution goes to support these education missions and outreach to the schools and the students and these goals of educate, engage and treasure. To join in and support the conumeration.
Speaker 3:That's wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 1:And that's a good segue question. You're younger than us, but we're all younger than Carthen. But we talked a little bit earlier Growing up in eastern Virginia and I was a kid during the bicentennial celebration, but there used to be this wonderful outdoor drama that was at William Mary every summer called the Common Glory. So it seemed like as a kid. So my question is everything was experiential and immersive because we didn't have cell phones and we didn't have smart tablets and we didn't have Instagram, we didn't have Facebook. Is this a chance to reset that? Because it seemed like the more we got digital, the less people seem to be engaged in civics and history. Does this give us a chance to to reset that and make things experiential? Because it's really hard to have an experience on an iPhone or a tablet like you do in person when the story is told Is that, or are you trying to create a mix, knowing that some people are just going to simply access digital content?
Speaker 4:That's a good question, brian, and I couldn't agree more. There are benefits both ways. Certainly, we want to bring as many people to Virginia. We want to bring the world to Virginia during the 250th, because there is nothing as powerful as standing at a significant site, especially if you do that on the same day as the event. The same time as the event, I always like to say, the weather feels the same. You are really connected with that moment in history. There is nothing like that. Connected with that moment in history. There is nothing like that. There's no experience digitally that will ever give you the power of place and what it does to our hearts and resonates. And I would invite every one of your listeners, the two of you, join us, take one of these dates at va250.org and come experience the power of place. Stand there together, whether it was when we were throwing tea in the York River, just as they did for the Yorktown Tea Party, or, again, some very somber moments. There just is nothing like it.
Speaker 1:Well, real quick, I'll say that I lived in Charlottesville. I remember going to Monticello when I was in my 20s probably, and I had a decent and I was interested in history. But I was standing in Jefferson's bedroom when they said that he had died on July 4th 1826, and that John Adams had died the same way. And I go wait a minute, how did I miss that in history? And I remember just being there in the bedroom thinking this is where it occurred and it was this moment that sticks with me even today. So Virginia, that one in particular, the fact Virginian and great American had passed on on the anniversary. They did say later on that they kept him alive until that. There was an effort, knowing that this was going to be a seminal moment and that he held on to until the marking of the anniversary.
Speaker 4:We want to tear up to Stephen hearing that, yeah, I've had that same moment that you have, where you're standing at Jefferson's home and they say and this is the room that he died and he talked about the July 4th, and again you're standing there in that place where Thomas Jefferson, you know, had his last breath and, and John Adams, you're feeling the history. You're not reading the history, you're feeling it. I bet you, brian, you and I, carth and two, probably read that in a book somewhere a long time ago when we were studying, and it just didn't register till you were standing there and it was so powerful, it almost brought you to tears. Power place powerful, it almost brought you to tears.
Speaker 3:Power of place Power of place and I've actually been to John Adams' home Peacefield in Quincy, massachusetts and saw his bedroom where he in a chair died, where he famously said Jefferson still survives. I think that's what he yeah, that's.
Speaker 4:That power of place, that power of moment. It's something you have to feel, and I think you know we've all just described the moment there, and there have been many of them. I hope that every one of your listeners again, I would invite them Find the one that seems interesting, go to the place, go to the site, especially here in Virginia. We have so many of them, right, especially here in Virginia. We have so many of them. Now, when we go back to technology, though, we understand not everyone can travel to Virginia. So what technology does do is allow us to bring Virginia to the world and I mean the world, ok, so that, for example, we're working with a great corporate partner to digitize the exhibits in the Mobile Museum. So, wherever you are in the world, you'll be able to access how America was founded and why the ideas and the ideas still matter today. So I think that, to your point, ryan, there are benefits of both, but I think we all agree standing and feeling the power of place. If you can do it, you must.
Speaker 1:Well, let me get one last plug in for Thomas Jefferson and that was the other thing that I really came to embrace living in Charlottesville. That I didn't know, that I paid attention to as a kid, was the reconciliation that he and Adams had At a time in our country today when we feel like, has there ever been this much division? There probably was this much division at other times and those two people were at the center of it and didn't talk for years and then, slowly but surely, they reconciled and became best friends and the names of the others was the last thing they thought about before they passed away. So I think history can teach us so much, including how do we get out of the situation we're in today. Just look at that relationship and you see that it's possible.
Speaker 3:Well, I think it's worth noting, though, as usual, you leave it to the ladies and it'll get done. I think it was Abigail Adams who broke the ice with a correspondence. I think it was actually about Mr Jefferson One of his daughters had passed away.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if it had been up to the men, they wouldn't have done it. But Mrs Adams nudged Mr Adams and got the ball rolling. The rest is history.
Speaker 4:Cheryl, I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry, carthel, I was just going to punctuate one of the things that you said when you talked about our national honorary chair. Carly Fiorina is just so brilliant, such a great speaker and wonderful leader, visionary, does all of her contributions to the 250th as a volunteer an act of love okay, because she believes in it so much, volunteer an act of love okay, because she believes in it so much. But Carly says many times we've always been a fractious nation, there's always been division and discord and we've always been able to. You know, look inside history for those answers and how to come together.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank you, absolutely. I have been and if you haven't, brian Ben and I urge our listeners to go to visit the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Their new exhibit on the 250th I think was very well done and I think does a nice job to tell the story. So I wanted to give that plug to my good friend Jamie Boskett and Virginia Museum of History and Culture. I wanted to give that plug to my good friend Jamie Boskett and Virginia Museum of History and Culture. But I was also thrilled to be at Ken Burns' visit to Richmond to talk about his new film on the 250th and our separation from the United Kingdom. Any who'd like to mention or talk about Ken Burns and his recent visits to the Commonwealth.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. What wonderful timing, by the way, for Ken Burns' American Revolution documentary to come out this year. We already know we get it right that there are so many people who are going to be introduced to the Revolutionary War through that and, I think, fall in love. Ken Burns did, as you mentioned, Cartham, a wonderful tour here in Virginia. He spoke, he was a keynote speaker at the 250th anniversary moment at St John's Church, which, by the way, was at 1.30 pm on that Sunday, March 23rd, because it's as close to historians could determine, as close to the time as possible when he may have said it, given when they went into session that day, and so we were in the place, St John's Church, at the moment. Ken and Carly Fiorina were our keynote speakers. She's really wonderful From there, and I think he spoke at the Altria that night and did a premiere in Richmond that was sold out. Why to Clay From there, though? We all went to Williamsburg, I think I mentioned earlier.
Speaker 4:Virginia has had now three iterations of what we call a common cause to all, and it's where Virginia 250 invites the nation's 250 planners to come together. We started it three years ago called a common cause to all because those are the words that Thomas Jefferson used when he wrote the committees of correspondence or when the committees came together to begin a correspondence with other colonies. They knew something big was coming, so they wanted to work together as a common cause to all. Well, let's take that same idea. Something big is coming, the nation's semi-quincentennial, Can you guys say?
Speaker 1:that one. It's semi-sesquintennial, is that how you say it?
Speaker 4:Close Semi-quincentennial, semi-quincent, you say it Close, semi-quincentennial.
Speaker 1:Semi-quincentennial. Okay, guys, semi-quincentennial.
Speaker 4:Wow, yes. So we knew that the 250th was coming and we invited all states and the National Commission to come together and let's just roll up our sleeves and see what we can do together Invited every top historian. Well, we've done that now for three years and this was our last year. Ken Burns, pain and gentlemen, not only was there a public, it was the first public premiere, free and open to the public. We had a huge screen on the palace screen in Colonial Williamsburg where so much of this history happened.
Speaker 4:Ken Burns was talking about his hopes for the documentary, which he says if I'm paraphrasing, I'm sure poorly, but he says he's made a lot of films about the US. He wants people to see the us in US when they watch this. We watched it outside, under the stars. It was even a light mist, it was almost surreal and we saw clips of it for about 45 minutes and it will be amazing. I believe he's going to have a few other premieres or public events in Virginia. I'll just say I understand there could be a few. So this is where your listeners and viewers will want to follow us at VA250.org, but I think there might be a few other public premieres before the big release in November.
Speaker 1:Well, that's you know. I remember also what was it? 1990, I think that the Civil War thing came out and I remember being aware of the Civil War but his big you know, ken Burns splashes onto the scene in the September of 1990, when that was however many parts it was, and I remember being riveted. I'd never and just watching it. I still go back and watch it every five or 10 years or something now and I pick up something new about it and I feel like that he has taken on this idea of America's great storyteller. So I feel like that not only are we in for a great treat with everything you're planning, but with this thing being presented to the world and I presume Virginia will figure prominently in this documentary that it's just going to supercharge the environment and give us an opportunity to rethink our own personal role and what we're doing to continue to contribute to this great experiment.
Speaker 4:It could not be more correct, and that subtle moment of the 250th, I think, for all of us, is our contribution to forming a more perfect union. The founders knew their work wasn't done. The process of building a nation never is done, and it's ours now to carry on. And so I think that an awful lot of people will learn and be inspired in that way through any one of these programs or the Ken Burns film. It's such a wonderful moment.
Speaker 3:Thank you, cheryl. I was interested in knowing how are veterans organizations in the Commonwealth. Are they? I assume there's certainly engagement with them, and can you tell us a little bit more about that engagement?
Speaker 4:Sure, absolutely. And, of course, how timely, since this week was Memorial Day. How even more timely, though, because June 14th is the 250th anniversary of the Army, and later this year we'll have the 250th anniversary of the Navy and the Marine Corps. You know, sometimes, guys, I just have to stop and think we really are. We're talking about a nation being built 250 years ago, and that includes the armed forces here in Virginia by Virginians, right? So we're going to have a number of programs, in fact, coming up in June to honor our veterans and those who are currently serving special commemorative coins, special programs, and then, of course, this year we joined with hosting the International Tattoo for our veterans and were able to honor them. I think that, in every program you do about freedom, we can never thank our veterans and our current service members enough.
Speaker 3:Exactly Well, mr Campbell is a veteran so I have to give him salute him his service. Thank you, sir. It reminds me of my idea about the Corps of Cadets.
Speaker 1:Clarkson's got a great idea about the Corps of Cadets of Virginia Tech and the VMI Corps marching together from the state capitol to the Virginia War Memorial. It's a great idea.
Speaker 3:We just have to have the governor in tow, and it would be something that— From.
Speaker 1:Carleton's ears to the governor's—from Carleton's mouth to the governor's ear.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and wouldn't they be great. They'd look sharp too. That would be amazing. Yeah, that's a great idea.
Speaker 1:Well, I've got to—I hate to harp on Thomas Jefferson, but you mentioned the universities. So, jefferson, we win the revolution, and then he sets about the idea of public education at the University of Virginia. All universities, I presume, will play some role in the 250th. Is there anything interesting or special at Mr Jefferson's little school up in Charlottesville?
Speaker 4:His little school. That's right. Oh, my heavens, the Karsh Center for Democracy is there. It is a bastion of activity and programs in civic engagement. Uva has an oratory contest absolutely brilliant. Student speakers, student speakers Again, you know I'm at Freedom Means. So 250th UVA is, you know, is a center, quite a center, in fact a Karsh Center, a center for democracy and leadership. But I would say that each university is playing a role. Of course, we even marry the largest, the oldest college in the nation. But, yes, uga and Mr Jefferson's University definitely are. Now, brian, we're getting along so well, so I'm hoping that if I tell you I'm a hokey mom, we can still be friends, okay.
Speaker 3:Sure, absolutely. They have a very proud traditional service at Virginia Tech. That's for sure, Absolutely.
Speaker 4:Yes, absolutely. I went to VCU, but my heart went to Virginia Tech for five years, so yeah, Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't share this story.
Speaker 1:So I've been involved in fundraising for a long time and I began my career at Virginia and not many people realize this. You might probably know this, but you know Lafayette. When Lafayette came to the United States and spent a year going all around and so forth and the rotunda wasn't quite complete but it was complete enough and they put up I think it was 166 people in concentric circles with Jefferson and Lafayette in the middle and we would have medical school reunions there at UVA. This was years ago and we would tell the story and at the end of the night Lafayette stands up and he bows and he toasts. He says Mr Jefferson, a toast to your university. And it was reported that Jefferson was so overcome with emotion he began to sob, which he had not done very much before.
Speaker 1:And I used to tell people in the fundraising business. We could hear the cash register in the back humming because people would sit there and they'd realize I attended this institution, that literally that this happened at and I'm in the room the line from Hamilton, I'm in the room where it happened and it was once experiential and immersive and that's the reason I do feel, as a student and a native Virginian, that this is a chance to reset. It's a chance to get people to put your phone down and go to the 250 events and experience the event, whatever it may be. I felt like I was with you with the Ken Burns thing when you started talking about the mist. I felt a mist coming down in the room. You did such a good job of explaining it. This is the chance for us to sort of say to younger people and people our age let's revisit our wonderful history and have a moment of celebration, and that's a beautiful story.
Speaker 4:I hadn't heard that one, but that would make me choke up too, especially being there in the rotunda if that happened. It's an invitation. It's an invitation to engage and be inspired, and we've just told several stories of times when standing in that place and in that moment, you know, is overwhelming. I mean, it is an emotional, it resonates with you emotionally and I would hope everyone experiences that. Brian, by the way, we're in the 200th anniversary right now of Lafayette's return to Virginia. Of course, yes, so that's happening. There's always something to commemorate in Virginia.
Speaker 1:That's terrific.
Speaker 4:As we talk about inspiration, I'd love to tell you a little bit about Two Lights for Tomorrow and what happened in April.
Speaker 3:Please do, absolutely Please do, thanks.
Speaker 4:So we're talking about the 250th and these anniversary amendments and, of course, mentioned that one of them that just happened was Paul Revere's One If I Land, two If I See his ride to warn his neighbors. Well, at a common cause to all, two years ago, one of the state 250th planners, kevin Hampton, who actually works with us now, said you know, we have to help people understand not only what happened 250 years ago but why it matters now, why the ideas and the ideals of our founding still matter. Well, an idea started to take hold and it started very small and then it grew a little bit. The idea was one if by land, two if by sea. What is Paul Revere really doing? He's helping his neighbors. Okay, the story of history is an ongoing story about making the world a better place for those who are going to follow, making a more perfect union. So this group of folks said let's use the visual imagery of two lights and let's invite people. If you believe in, you know, forming a more perfect union, if you want to be involved, if you want to resonate here with the 250th, put two lights in your window.
Speaker 4:On Friday April. It was Friday April 18th. It was Friday April 18th, it was actually Good Friday, it was Easter weekend, that was the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride. Now, of course, everybody in Boston was doing it. We were seeing lots on social media from Boston and the two lights in an old North Church.
Speaker 4:But, guys, this movement that started in Virginia, just like our nation, and involved other state planners, it got to where. On Friday night, april 18th, we saw two lights lit up in every state house, every courthouse, townhouses, historic homes here in Virginia, every presidential and historic site lit two lanterns. In my own neighborhood I had mine up. My neighbors were asking we were passing them out. Our whole neighborhood was lit up and then we started seeing and again this was on social media. I said would you add it to social media and do tag two lights for tomorrow? Okay, we started seeing it at the Washington Monument, at the White House, at federal agencies, guys, we started to see it at the Empire State Building and C-SPAN and the one that got me was a picture at NASA of two astronauts folding two lanterns Because they believed and they want to be part of it. And you can hear it still chokes me up.
Speaker 4:By the time Friday night was over and it was just a small team of us sitting there on social media saying, wow, by the time Friday night was over. Saturday I checked in with our social media team. I said people tabbed or shared Two Lights for Tomorrow. It wasn't just viral, it was a worldwide movement. Okay, so when we talk about the opportunity to connect with people and to say, you know, this matters to me, I bet it matters to you too, and if you'd like to join in that, let's do something simple like put two lights in the window. It resonated and I truly believe the 250th is that moment that will continue to bring us into forming more perfect union together.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, try to follow that, Carl. I think we'll have to take a commercial break. That was wonderful. That was amazing. Thank you so much for sharing that. I do have one quick question. That was really very touchy, thank you.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Thank you and your team. I wanted to thank them too by the way, absolutely.
Speaker 4:And so many people who came together to say, yes, we were just organizing, but yes, yes, ma'am, thank you to everyone.
Speaker 3:You have a wonderful team that works with you. I want you to hear that from us. I am curious are we? Is there any crossing the Atlantic, crossing the pond? Do our friends in France, are they involved in the 250th with us? And I think the Dutch also were supportive of our fight against the British. And then, are our British cousins involved in any of this?
Speaker 4:They are. Yes, and I'm going to forget the name off the cuff, but I had a Zoom my team and I, with a lovely, lovely planner in England and she headed up the ancestral birth home of George Washington's ancestry, his familial home, and they're planning two 50th related tours over there. I mentioned that there is a replica of the Hudon George Washington statue in Trafalgar Square. It's going to be rededicated next month. I believe Governor Youngkin and the First Lady are part of that initiative as well. So there is a lot of interest in the 250th across the country. Next year we will be doing a program at Mount Vernon in June about the international, with the world's ambassadors, about the impact that American independence had on other nations and vice versa, and that will, I think, be a really interesting. All the embassies will be involved. So, yes, it is something that brings us together across the Atlantic thank you, that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Well, after hearing your story, you know I was always excited about history, but I'd run into people who were not as excited about history because I would try to like Carth and try to tell a story and it's well. I'm just not that into history and I've often thought it's got to be the way it's presented. It's either accessibility or presentation and you did just a terrific job telling that story and I feel like you're doing a really good job of making history accessible and you're presenting in such a way that even people who may not like history can't help but like it a little bit.
Speaker 4:Right, oh, thank you no-transcript.
Speaker 1:Well, what everybody can do, and I'm guilty of this. Carthen, you know, is excited about his involvement with you and he shared it with me, which is why you're on the podcast today. I have not signed up for Virginia250.org, so the sun will not set today without me doing that, and I would encourage all of our listeners to do the same. So at least back to accessibility, so then I will have the ability to know and can pick and choose which part of this buffet that I'm going to engage with, and it sounds like there's a lot on the buffet.
Speaker 4:There's a lot on the buffet. There's a lot on the buffet already in virginia. Um, we have a, and I'm so glad, brian, that you are going to join and follow us across social media. We'll look so forward to that. Uh, and that's how carthand and I connected. But we have a robust calendar of events. I mentioned that all 134 localities have a local 250 committee, so we've asked them hey, when you have something related to the 250th, would you add it to this calendar of events? Gentlemen, already we're still well a year away from what the nation thinks of as the 250th. 1,700 events have been added to that calendar of events. So you can slice and dice. Here's my interest, here's where I am. We're adding to and refining that all the time, looking at ways to add in technology to help you plan your visit based on your interests. So thank you for signing up and following that. There is a lot. There's a lot of places to plug in, something for everyone.
Speaker 1:Well, I'll be a volunteer in your army. We need to wrap up. We've been at this for a little while. You've got to get back to work. We've got to get back to work. Carthen, do you have anything to add, as we I think we've covered it.
Speaker 3:We'd love to have you back at some point as we get closer to the actual date, and I just can't thank you enough for taking time on a Friday afternoon to be with us. It means a great deal, and I'm sure our listeners will learn a great deal about what the Commonwealth is doing to celebrate this momentous anniversary. So thank you, cheryl.
Speaker 4:Thank you both so much for having us and for letting me have the chance to talk about something so near and dear.
Speaker 1:Thank you, cheryl. Thank you for listening to the Virginians of Interest podcast. If you like what you heard today, please remember to like, subscribe and download our podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to the Virginians of Interest podcast. To hear other episodes of this podcast, head to virginiansofinterestcom.
