*The “More Than a Fraction” African American Heritage & Culture Lecture and African Artifact Traveling Exhibit Presentation by Dr. Kerri Moseley-Hobbs return to the Eubie Blake Cultural Center (847 N. Howard St, 21201) Saturday November 28, 2020 from 1-3pm. This will be the third return to the infamous Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute & Cultural Center in Baltimore.
During the Saturday November 28th lecture/presentation on African-American culture and heritage, Research Author Dr. Moseley-Hobbs told of her discovery of her ancestors, the Fractions, who were enslaved and freed at the Smithfield and Solitude plantations in Blacksburg, Virginia. The documented evidence of her ancestors’ enslavement was published in a creative non-fiction book titled “More Than a Fraction: Based on a true story” in 2017. By the third generation of Fractions the Civil War began giving two Fraction brothers, Thomas and Othello, the opportunity to gain their freedom. The amount of inquiries, after her book was published, into such a rich history on an African-American family was over-whelming and is presented at her lecture, which uses a power-point presentation to connect the African culture of her enslaved ancestors with American culture of today. Dr. Moseley-Hobbs also carries an African Artifacts Exhibit with authentic African items that connect with her ancestors’ African culture.
Her book’s research findings, as a lecture, has been presented for the Civil War Studies Department at Virginia Tech University, which is on the grounds of what was once the Smithfield and Solitude plantations; the African-American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC; book stores in Baltimore, and at least three public libraries throughout Maryland.
The Smithfield-Preston Foundation, which owns and oversees the Smithfield Main House Museum and “plantation” grounds, asked Dr. Moseley-Hobbs to be a member of its advisory committees for the Board of Trustees in 2015 and Virginia Tech University, which owns and oversees the Solitude Main House Museum and the Fraction Cabin and the “plantation” grounds, asked her to be on several advisory committees. The Preston family, former owners, was considered the wealthiest family in Virginia at the time. The last heir to the Smithfield estate was William Ballard Preston, a former Virginia State Senator and U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and the last heir to the Solitude estate was Williams’ brother Robert Preston.
Dr. Moseley-Hobbs is a direct descendant of Thomas Fraction, the oldest brother of Othello, on her mothers’ side. Thomas and Othello served in the Civil War and names appear on the War Memorial Plaza Wall as heroes. Thomas, who owned land in Salem, Virginia after the Civil War, was noted by a local newspaper as being a “well known colored man” when he passed away.
The “More Than a Fraction” African American Heritage & Culture Lecture and African Artifacts Traveling Exhibit presentation is held in partnership with “More Than a Fraction” publisher Imagination Lunchbox, LLC (www.ImaginationLunchbox.com), the Eubie Blake Cultural Center (www.EubieBlake.org) and The Baltimore Times Foundation, Times Community Services, Inc. (www.BaltimoreTimes-Online.com).
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Freelance Associates
Contact: Eunice Moseley
Long Beach, CA 90807
Off: (562) 424-3836
E-mail: [email protected]
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