From Black Opry artist Roberta Lea to the Freedom Choir,
August 15 Programs at Jamestown Settlement
Blend History, Music and Religion
in Honoring Legacies of the First Africans to Virginia

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., August 6, 2026 — Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia history and culture, will honor the legacies of the first recorded Africans brought to Virginia in 1619 with two dynamic programs on Saturday, August 15, blending history, music and religion.

The story of the first recorded Africans brought to Virginia in August 1619, as well as their culture and traditions, unfolds year-round in Jamestown Settlement’s immersive exhibition galleries with period artifacts, interactives and films, including the “From Africa to Virginia” multimedia presentation.

Special programs on August 15 include:

History, HeArt & Harmonies • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Led by musician Roberta Lea, a Black Opry artist and award-winning singer-songwriter, this interactive workshop invites participants to explore museum exhibits — whether art, artifacts or historical displays — and translate their experience into music.

Guided by Roberta Lea’s creative prompts and songwriting techniques, participants can reflect on the stories and emotions within the exhibits and shape them into original songs. This program blends history, art and music to foster creativity, deepen engagement with culture, and give voice to personal interpretations of the past.

Known as one of Hampton Roads’s best-kept secrets, Lea is gaining national and international attention as an award-winning songwriter, a member of The Black Opry collective, Country Music Television’s Next Women of Country and an inductee to the Recording Academy’s Class of 2023. Lea’s music, described as “country-neo-pop,” mixes pop, country and jazz while captivating audiences with her unique storytelling.

Tickets are $10 per person. Museum members enjoy a 20-percent discount.

Black Churches in Virginia History • 2 to 4 p.m.

The Robins Foundation Theater is the setting for a powerful conversation about the development of the Black church in Virginia and its impact on the community today, followed by a performance by the Freedom Choir, organized by Sylvia Tabb-Lee and featuring musical director James Marsh.

The distinguished panel features:
• Travis Harris, Ph.D., a Norfolk State University assistant professor and world-renown scholar of African diaspora and the Black experience, will look at the primary religious artifacts found in Virginia in the 17th century.
• Brandon Lee, a Williamsburg native, actor, musician and historical character interpreter and University of Virginia alumnus with a background in African and African American studies, will explore Black churches in revolutionary Williamsburg.
• The Rev. Dr. Carlon Lassiter of Saint John Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Va., and a respected scholar of the African American religious experience, will lead a discussion on the importance of Black churches to the community today. 

The program is free with museum admission.

Visiting Jamestown Settlement
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Jamestown Settlement is located on Route 31 South near the Colonial Parkway, adjacent to Historic Jamestowne. Admission is $21 for adults and $11 for ages 6-12. Children ages 5 and under are free. Residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive free admission to both museums with proof of residency. Annual memberships are available, offering discounts at the museum shops and café. Parking is free.

For more information, visit jyfmuseums.org or call (757) 253-4838. Follow us on social @jyfmuseums.

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Jamestown Settlement is administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a commemorative partner of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.

PHOTO CAPTIONS (shown from left to right):

Musician Roberta Lea, a Black Opry artist and award-winning singer-songwriter, will lead a “History, HeArt & Harmonies” workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jamestown Settlement on August 15. Photo courtesy of Roberta Lea.

The Freedom Choir will perform at Jamestown Settlement on Saturday, August 15, following a program exploring the history of Black Churches in Virginia, beginning at 2 p.m. Photo courtesy of the Freedom Choir.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tracy Perkins, tracy.perkins@jyf.virginia.gov or (757) 253-4114