Come out to the historic Chapel of the Centurion at Fort Monroe to commemorate the Contraband Decision, the first successful action by the United States Government which signaled the beginning of the end of slavery. Contraband Historical Society will bring together local “Contraband” descendants with a 3rd-great-grandson of Major General Benjamin Butler. Come hear more about this often overlooked piece of American history and about CHS’s many new initiatives to bring the ancestors’ histories into the light. 

This program is free to the public and includes:
● Attorney and genealogist Bessida White, who recently discovered her own Contraband roots
● Living history reenactor Richard Scott, who appears as General Butler
● Historian Dr. William Wiggins who appears as Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Major Christian Fleetwood
● Apostle Harriet Askew singing “Go Down, Moses”

● Dance program by Tyshawna Webb and the Built to Worship Dance Group