Christiansburg Institute, Inc., and the Montgomery Museum of Art & History have launched a fundraising campaign to erect three interpretive storyboards in the town-owned quadrant in front of the downtown post office.
Beginning in 2018, the staff of the institute and the museum, their board members, and local community members set about organizing and taking meaningful action to preserve and increase awareness about Montgomery County’s deeply rich African-American history and culture.
The groups first determined a set of shared values that would guide the project and decided on truth-telling, honesty, and reconciliation, specifically around challenging and contested histories where generational harm and racial trauma are ongoing and narratives are competing.
Together, the Christiansburg Institute and the Montgomery Museum received town approval to cultivate the public space at the post office by erecting interpretive storyboards and an art installation to creatively illustrate African American history. When completed, the signs will be themed “Community Life,” “Education,” and “Slavery in Montgomery County.”
The two organizations are seeking to raise $7,000 to pay for the storyboards and complete the project. The Town of Christiansburg has contributed to the project by paying for the installation of the sidewalks on the quadrant.
