STATEHOUSE NEWS

Black History Month 2012 at the Ohio Statehouse
Special Programming Throughout February
January 11, 2012
 

The Ohio Statehouse will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a special display, free historical performances each Tuesday at noon and special tours of the George Washington Williams Room.

The 2012 Rosa Parks Children’s Art Exhibit will be on display in the Statehouse Map Room throughout February. The exhibition will highlight colorful artwork created by elementary school students from Columbus. The artwork represents each of the children's answers to the simple question: "What would you do if you had a chance to do a brave thing ... to do a kind thing?" The exhibit is presented in partnership with the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), The Ohio State University and the Ohio Historical Society. The art display serves as a powerful form of expression based on this important event. The display is free and open to the public.

Living history programs will be presented each Tuesday at noon throughout February in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse. Visitors will meet first-person interpreters who portray African Americans who are prominent figures in U.S. history. Each 45-minute vignette will focus on African- American history as part of Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse. Each performance is rich with history, drama and adventure. The programs are presented by We’ve Known Rivers, which is a partnership of dynamic storytellers with a passion for history and education. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information about We’ve Known Rivers, visit www.facebook.com/weveknownrivers.

Scheduled living history performances include:
February 7: Dr. Annette Jefferson portrays Harriet Tubman
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

February 14: Sandra Quick portrays Phyllis Wheatley
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

February 21: “Rise and Ride”: The Freedom Rider’s Story (The entire cast of We’ve Known Rivers!)
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

February 28: Anthony Gibbs portrays George Washington Williams
Presented in the Museum Gallery on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse

Special tours of the George Washington Williams Memorial will take place throughout February. The George Washington Williams Memorial is a tribute to Ohio’s first African-American Legislator. George Washington Williams was the first African American elected to the Ohio General Assembly. Williams was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican legislator from Hamilton County in 1879 at the age of 30. Williams was a Civil War soldier, pastor, journalist, lawyer, politician, freewill ambassador, author and historian. Today, the Statehouse honors Ohio’s first African- American Legislator with the George Washington Williams Room. This room exhibits furnishings representing styles popular in the United States in the late 1800’s. The furniture includes period antiques, reproduction pieces and art work that help visitors experience history. This memorial will be a focal point during Statehouse tours in February.

High resolution images are available at: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/Multimedia/MediaLibrary/Collection.aspx?collectionId=102203.

To view this press release and others, visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

The Ohio Statehouse is more than a monument to our past; it's where history happens! The Ohio Statehouse is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed holidays. The Ohio Statehouse Museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends from noon to 4 p.m.; closed holidays. Admission is free. Free guided tours are offered weekdays on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weekends from noon to 3 p.m. Tours depart from the Map Room easily accessible from the Third Street entrance. Groups of 10 or more are requested to call in advance to ensure a guide is available. Contact 888/OHIO-123 for more information or to schedule a group tour. For more information about the Ohio Statehouse visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

The Ohio Statehouse is handicapped accessible and senior friendly. The Capitol Square complex was restored to allow for greater access by individuals living with disabilities. Ohio Statehouse public programs and events are held in accessible and barrier free areas of the building so that everyone can participate. Ohio Statehouse visitors needing disability-related accommodations in order to fully participate in an event may contact the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board at statehouse@csrab.state.oh.us or 614/752-9777 to communicate special needs. Please allow three weeks for arrangements to be completed.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex. The Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center coordinates tours of Capitol Square and provides information about the buildings, their history and Ohio's government.

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Calendar Listing:

Black History Month at the Ohio Statehouse
February 1 - 29, 2012
Ohio Statehouse, Broad & High Streets; downtown Columbus
www.ohiostatehouse.org
614/752-9777
Free!

The Ohio Statehouse will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with a special display, free historical performances each Tuesday at noon and special tours of the George Washington Williams Room.

Special Black History Month exhibition: Rosa Parks, The Power of One, a K-third grade student art exhibit sponsored by COTA. The exhibit is the students’ artistic expression of how they would change things for the better.
Through Feb. 29, 2011
Map Room

Living history programs featuring interpreters portraying prominent historical African Americans by We’ve Known Rivers!
Each Tuesday; February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2012
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Museum Gallery

Scheduled performances include: February 7, Dr. Annette Jefferson portrays Harriet Tubman; February 14, Sandra Quick portrays Phyllis Wheatley; February 21, “Rise and Ride”: The Freedom Rider’s Story (The entire cast of We’ve Known Rivers!); and February 28, Anthony Gibbs portrays George Washington Williams.

George Washington Williams Room Tours
Visit the room which memorializes Ohio’s first African-American legislator.
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.