Pearson is the founder and president of Project 1619, a nonprofit that has played a crucial role in correcting the narrative about the arrival of enslaved Africans in English-speaking North America. The organization notes the first enslaved Africans, who were kidnapped from Angola, first landed at Point Comfort, today’s Fort Monroe in Hampton, not in Jamestown.

“Calvin’s passing is a monumental loss,” said Melinda Steele, Project 1619’s vice president. She said “correcting the narrative” of the first Africans in America was a passion of his.

“We’re going to miss him dearly,” Steele said. “He was such a pioneer.”

Pearson was born in Newport News and grew up in Hampton.

Hampton School Board member Ann Stephens Cherry recalled Pearson’s longstanding commitment to preserving Black history. Friends since the 1960s, Cherry remembered when Phenix High School — a school for Black students during segregation — was renamed Pembroke High School in 1968 and the school staff started throwing trophies and other Phenix memorabilia into the trash. She said Pearson went “dumpster diving” to retrieve as many trophies and awards as possible to preserve the school’s history.

“I’ll miss the fact that he was genuine,” she said. “He had no ulterior motive, and what he said, you could take it to the bank. Didn’t matter whether you agreed with him or not. He was genuine. You don’t have a lot of that now.”

Project 1619 also researched and promoted African history before slavery and Hampton’s African-American history.

Fort Monroe Authority Chief Executive Officer Glenn Oder described Pearson as “dogmatic and persistent” about the importance of identifying Point Comfort as the site where the first Africans landed. Oder said he was one of the driving forces behind promoting an accurate narrative and a “new understanding of history.”

Pearson was also instrumental in development and planning of the African Landing Memorial — an ongoing $9 million project to honor the first documented Africans brought to English North America in 1619. Oder said Pearson was involved in committee work, site selection, the design process and the selection of the artist.

“He wasn’t afraid to share his position,” Oder said. “He wasn’t afraid to express his opinion if something wasn’t going in the direction that he felt would correctly tell the story. He was a force of nature when it came to telling the story.”

Pearson was also chairman of the National Juneteenth Grassroots Enslavement Legacy Commission and a frequent speaker at conferences nationwide — sharing his knowledge about the horrors and long-lasting impact of slavery.

Project 1619 board member Larry Gibson, who grew up with Pearson, commended his lifelong friend for his advocacy in telling truthful history.

Due to human trafficking and slavery, Gibson said it felt like the culture and history of Black people living in America were being erased. He believes Pearson’s work highlighting the history and culture of Africans before enslavement and the acknowledgment of “where we came from” created a space for African descendants to find reconciliation and healing.

After decades of friendship, Gibson said he will miss having one-on-one conversations with Pearson.

“I’ll miss the personal engagement with him, but the things that we’ve shared and the things that he’s done — that’ll be with me for the rest of my life,” he said.

William “Bill” Wiggins, who co-founded Project 1619, is the organization’s new president.

“To have (Pearson) gone is going to be a huge void, but Project 1619, Inc. will continue and move forward,” Steele said. “We’re going to continue with his legacy.”

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church of Hampton. Entombment will follow at Hampton Memorial Gardens.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

Canon Virginia President and CEO Shingo Shigeta said in a Friday release the company will make silk protein “a viable commercially scaled technology with broad application use in various segments.” The latest production line represents one of the company’s first forays outside of its main business of image-related products.

Newport News Director of Development Florence Kingston described the silk protein line as “exciting” and an example of Canon Virginia’s innovation, saying the silk solution could be used for food preservatives.

In a release from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office, state and local officials touted Canon’s efforts to diversify its product as an “expansion.” However, Canon Virginia is retraining 30 employees to staff the new line, rather than adding new jobs.

Kingston acknowledged the new initiative isn’t providing “absolute job creation” but said it could create higher wage opportunities for the company’s existing workforce.

“It’s a job retention and a retraining — upskilling so that folks have higher income and higher growth opportunities,” she said.

Canon cut 55 employees from its Newport News manufacturing plant in February because of economic challenges and slower growth. In the wake of the layoffs, a Canon Virginia spokesperson said the company had set goals of increasing growth and profitability, maintaining existing market share, and developing new business partnerships. Canon’s Newport News plant employs about 1,000 people — a significant drop from the 2,300 the plant employed in the mid-1990s.

Kingston said a side effect of Canon Virginia’s venture into silk protein is the potential prevention of more layoffs. She said the company is “looking down the road” and recognizing the importance of diversifying its core products to remain relevant.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Newport News government worked to secure the project for Virginia. Youngkin also approved a performance-based grant of $350,000 from the Virginia Investment Performance Grant as an incentive.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

A crowd of more than 100 people — comprised of LGBTQ residents, activists, and elected representatives — gathered Thursday for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the nonprofit’s expansion. Christopher Reybrouck, the center’s senior director of strategy and operations, said the new location will be a “one-stop shop” for all of the nonprofit’s patients and “meet the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals while also protecting their rights and their dignity.”

At both the Norfolk and Hampton locations, the LGBT Life Center provides HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, medication to prevent and treat HIV, medical help, counseling services, support groups, a food pantry, and housing assistance. CEO Stacie Walls said the nonprofit serves thousands of people each year.

Hours of operation for the new location are still being finalized. Staff are being phased into the new building this month and it should be fully up and running for patient visits by early October, according to spokesperson Corey Mohr.

While the opening of the Hampton Life Center is a welcome expansion, it comes as the organization is facing significant financial challenges — including recent cuts in state and federal funding that have led to some layoffs and reduction of prevention programming.

The new 10,000-square-foot building features a pharmacy and clinic, four exam rooms, a multipurpose community room, a staff lounge, a conference room, and a pantry. It will initially employ 10-12 staff members, at least five of whom are new hires. Walls said the building’s interior is soft and welcoming, while its exterior, which is adorned with rainbow colors, is meant to be “loud and proud” to promote visibility.

LGBT Life Center Board member LeeQuan “Quan” McLaurin, who described himself as a Black queer man, said when he moved to Hampton Roads, he was looking for affirming spaces and found that at the Life Center where he was welcomed with “nothing but smiling faces.” He said it’s a place where people can find community and “chosen family,” which he said is a strong mitigating factor against anxiety, depression and suicide ideation.

“This building stands for so much more,” McLaurin said, noting the disproportionately higher rates of HIV among Black men. “It stands for ensuring our further existence.”

Del. Marcia “Cia” Price, who describes herself as pansexual, shared that when she was young, violent rhetoric against LGBT people caused her to hide her sexual orientation.  She said it’s important to have welcoming spaces where LGBTQ people feel safe and said the Hampton center provides that space on the Peninsula.

The Norfolk Life Center opened at the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1989 under a different name to serve women and children with HIV across Hampton Roads. In the decades since, the center’s mission has dramatically expanded to more broadly serve the LGBTQ community.

But more recent financial troubles mean the center has had to scale back some of its work. Over the last 18 months, the LGBT Life Center has lost $1.3 million in state and federal funding, according to Mohr. The organization has “shifted staff where we could,” Mohr said but some staff and programming cuts have been made. The center also faces a $1.1 million lawsuit from a former pharmacy program partner. The center’s annual budget is nearly $14 million.

“Unfortunately, the reduction in funding will force us to scale back HIV and STI outreach across Hampton Roads, and we’ll also have to reduce the number of staff focused on outreach,” Mohr said in an email.

Walls echoed Mohr’s concerns, saying that a reduction in outreach services and staff members to provide testing will ultimately harm those in the community who need those services.

Mohr said the Life Center is actively seeking new funding through grants, fundraising, and donor outreach. He said the center relies on volunteers and donations and those who want to support it can give their “time, talent, and treasure.” Another way to support the center is to fill prescriptions at it’s pharmacy, Mohr said.

“A single prescription filled through our pharmacy can generate up to $10,000 a year for the center — an easy way to support our services without changing your routine,” he said.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

The popular parade — which includes more than 150 entries of school bands, local businesses and nonprofits and elected officials — spans roughly 2 miles. The lineup begins at 9 a.m. at Booker T. Washington Middle School (3700 Chestnut Ave.) and the parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Participants will march to the church grounds of Zion Baptist Church at 2016 Jefferson Ave.

The festival and Andrew Shannon Gospel Music Celebration will be held at the Zion Baptist Church grounds at noon — immediately after the parade. The festival will feature a concert with singer and producer Luther Barnes and local performers, food vendors, and stands from local businesses and community service organizations.

Parade founder Andrew Shannon said the Southeast Community is often called under-resourced or marginalized. Still, the parade proves it is a community filled with opportunity and he said the event “provides hope, pride and inspiration.”

This year’s grand marshal is Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, and co-grand marshal is Newport News City Council member Marcellus Harris III. Shannon said both men have been involved in positive community service initiatives and parade leadership chooses people who “roll up their sleeves and help to serve.”

Shannon first organized the event in 1991 as part of an effort to spread positivity at a time when the news cycle was dominated by reports of middle and high school girls being sexually assaulted. In the ensuing decades, the event has become a day of cultural celebration.

“People often read or hear about some of the negative things that may be going on, but we provide a ray of light, a ray of hope and a ray of sunshine for the community,” Shannon said.

Shannon estimates that the event drew 3,000 participants and 15,000 spectators last year.

Street closures for the event are expected to begin at 9 a.m. and last no longer than 2 p.m., a city spokesperson said. Roads serving as the parade route will open as the parade progresses The following roads will have closures Saturday:

• Chestnut Avenue: 37th Street to 24th Street (Depending on number of parade units – closures could extend to 39th Street)
• 25th Street: Chestnut Avenue to Jefferson Avenue
• Jefferson Avenue: 26th Street to 18th Street
• 19th Street: Jefferson Avenue to Madison Avenue
• Ivy Avenue: 18th Street to 20th Street
• 20th Street: Jefferson Avenue to Madison Avenue

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

For years, the Poquoson-based nonprofit needed a physical location, with Executive Director Sam Kukich and the nonprofit’s roughly 25 active volunteers working remotely. But in late-August, the nonprofit opened an office in Newport News, giving it room to grow.

New volunteers also are on the way. Dignity for the Aged recently formed a partnership with students from Christopher Newport University, who will assist on a volunteer basis.

The organization works with government and elected officials to advocate for ways to support long-term care residents and has recommended legislation to improve staffing in senior care facilities. Kukich said her organization has had difficulty getting the General Assembly to take action to address issues with nursing homes and assisted living facilities. But she believes the new partnership with CNU students could help turn things around.

Kukich founded the nonprofit in 2018 after discovering her mother-in-law sustained numerous injuries and lost 65 pounds while under the care of a Newport News-based nursing home. When evaluating nursing homes across the country, nonprofit Families For Better Care gave Virginia a D report card.

“We found out the hard way that, no, we don’t have good nursing homes here,” Kukich said. “And they run into all sorts of issues of understaffing and unqualified people and no background checks for the staff that they do have in there.”

Kukich said CNU students’ support will depend on their area of study. For example, she said a law student could help to research ways government can better enforce or implement laws to protect those living in long-term care facilities. 

“When we go before legislators, we will have current research of things being done right now that we can substantiate — why staffing is necessary and not just optional,” she said.  “Why we need to stipulate specifics — instead of just saying ‘sufficient staff,’ we need to say ‘six-to-one’ for this reason. So some hard, cold facts.”

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the organization’s new office, Vanessa Buehlman, CNU’s Director of the Center for Community Engagement, said student volunteers will bring “fresh energy and insights” and technological abilities to the nonprofit.

Michelle Parker, president of CNU’s Dignity for the Aged Club, said the new office will be a hub for the club’s advocacy, outreach and vision and a space “where ideas are born, plans are made, and action is taken.”

“I’m not old. Not many people in my family have lived to an old age, but one day, I do hope to be old, and I hope for my family to be somewhere where I want them to be. And when I get there, I hope things are better than they are now,” Parker said.

In addition to advocacy, Dignity for the Aged’s website is what Kukich describes as a “one-stop shop for information and support.” The website includes a checklist of things people should ask for when seeking a nursing home, directions on how to file a complaint, and links to a nationwide watchlist about unsafe nursing homes.

Kukich said the work has been challenging, but she is optimistic about the support she’s received. In the nearterm, she said the nonprofit is in the process of developing a plan of action for addressing problems in nursing homes that is locally focused and can be replicated elsewhere in Hampton Roads and the commonwealth.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

The bridge and parts of Museum Drive and Museum Parkway closed for significant construction in May as the city progressed on a renovation and improvement project for Lions Bridge Dam. As part of the project, the city’s contracted vendor worked on installing a new concrete roadway, building the dam’s cutoff wall and relocating a waterline.

Last week, the Mariner’s Museum and Park, which owns the dam, announced on social media that the bridge had reopened. However, the iconic stone lions that bookend the bridge remain covered for their protection until more work on the dam is complete.

The city is making improvements to the dam at Mariners’ Lake to ensure that it can receive certification of operation and maintenance from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, Dam Safety Division and to make sure it can withstand being overtopped during significant storm events.

The dam was built in the 1930s — before modern dam safety regulations — and was overtopped in 1999 and 2012 during storms.

“It’s overdue for the rehab,” said Newport News Project Manager Hai Tran.

Due to the level of traffic that crosses the bridge, failure of the dam and roadway could prove fatal, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Tran estimates the project will be “substantially complete” by either November or December — slightly ahead of the scheduled Jan. 8 completion date. At that point, the stone lions will be uncovered. The project is slated for “final completion” by April.

Tran said the project entails using articulated concrete blocks to protect the shoreline from erosion, a process known as “armoring.”  The blocks provide an erosion-resistant overlay and will be covered by soil and topsoil so they will not be visible. The project also involves removing trees from along the shoreline because when trees die, their roots decay, leaving a cavity within the dam. If water leaks through these cavities, it can lead to a piping failure.

“If we don’t do anything to the dam right now, it will potentially cause the dam failure,” Tran said. “And you know, the bridge may collapse because of that.”

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

The goals are outlined in a “Natural Infrastructure Resiliency Plan” city staff presented Thursday to the Hampton Planning Commission. The plan provides near-term and long-term solutions for mapping and improving natural infrastructure — such as trees and forests, high-quality soils, parks and trails, dunes, marshes, waterways and wetlands.

Resiliency specialist Olivia Askew said these elements provide cost-effective stormwater management mitigation, protect and preserve water quality, preserve wildlife habitat and improve public health and quality of life.

The city’s first step would be to create an urban forestry program, which involves hiring an urban forester to oversee all tree care, maintenance, and planting on city properties and provide outreach and education to the public. Planners estimate the program would cost $280,000 annually.

“From staff’s perspective, the first thing that needs to be done is to establish that program,” Askew said. “So whether that’s through the [capital improvement plan], whether that’s through grant funding, we’re going to pursue all those options.”

The city now has 32% tree canopy coverage. Increasing that by 1% over the next decade would involve planting 358 trees annually, for a total cost of more than $1 million over the next 10 years.

The city’s existing tree canopy captures 69,774 pounds of nitrogen and 5,653 pounds of phosphorus per year. Increasing the tree canopy would increase shade and decrease heat, capture and absorb more water when it rains, capture more stormwater runoff and help absorb pollutants, Askew said.

“When phosphorus and nitrogen get into the water, it can become unswimmable and not healthy,” Askew said.

Planners estimate the 1% tree canopy increase will capture an additional 2,892 pounds a year of nitrogen and 236 pounds a year of phosphorus.

Askew said Hampton would aim to plant trees in low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods, which have less tree coverage than the rest of the city and more frequently realize higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas. Citing a 2019 analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists, Hampton planners project 40 days of the year with temperatures above 100 degrees during the mid-century period of 2036-65.

The city’s resiliency plan was developed in partnership with the nonprofit firm Green Infrastructure Center. The recommendations are based in part on feedback from residents.

Some other goals include creating areas of native habitat at parks and schools, planting buffers along streams and creeks to filter and slow stormwater, natural shoreline protection and restoration, and revising the city code, design standards and landscape guidelines to support natural infrastructure. It also recommends creating community gardens and food forests to address food insecurity.

The City Council is expected to vote on the plan in the fall. Initiatives that require funding — such as increasing the tree canopy and the creation of an urban forestry program — would be voted on during the budget process next year.

During an open house community meeting this year, Hampton resident Robert Stumm said the plan was “a very positive step forward.” But he wished it went further, saying the tree canopy should increase by much more than 1%.

Resident Regina Mays praised the efforts to improve natural infrastructure, saying more green space was her main wish.

“More trees are better,” Mays said. “This is something that should have been going on a long time ago, and I’m just glad I’ve lived long enough to see the changes coming.”

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

Last week, the council unanimously voted to create the board, which will be tasked with assessing whether any changes should be made to Hampton’s police-requested towing ordinance.

The city created a towing advisory board in 2000 to review towing practices at the request of law enforcement, but in 2011, the council determined that the board had served its purpose and disbanded it.

However, City Manager Mary Bunting said the city wants to revive the board to determine whether the city’s police-requested towing ordinance continues to reflect regional standards and “the best interests of the community.”

According to the city code, Hampton has a maximum fee of $125 for hookup and the initial towing for most vehicles, and a heavy duty tow fee of $285 for vehicles over 26,000 pounds.

This year, people affiliated with local towing companies turged the city to recreate the towing advisory board. Ashley Hall-Abbott of Asset Auto Recovery told the council during a meeting in April that “it’s been a while” since the city had reexamined its towing rates and regulations and urged the council to reestablish the board.

She said vehicle towers “simply wish to have some comprehensive discussion in regards to antiquated tow rates as most, if not all, Hampton Roads cities have increased towing rates, or are in the process of doing so, with the assistance of the prospective towing advisory boards.”

Newport News increased some of its towing fees last week, and Virginia Beach increased its fees in September. Virginia Beach fees range from a maximum charge of $200 for vehicles under 10,000 pounds up to $575 for vehicles 18,000 pounds or more.

Newport News maximum towing fees for light vehicles (up to 10,000 pounds) range from $150-$175 depending on whether the tow was from a private lot or by police. Fees top out at a maximum of  $375 for heavy vehicles (over 18,000 pounds).

“Ours have not changed in a long, long time,” Bunting said of the towing fees. “The state code requires that if you’re going to look at that, you have to have a towing advisory board, and so we’re putting that in place so that we can do the review.”

Bunting said the council will likely select board members next month. The board will meet quarterly and will provide a report to the council within one year.

The board will have seven members: two from law enforcement, two from the towing and recovery business/profession, and the three remaining members from the general public. The board members whom the council will appoint will serve a two-year term, although the council can renew those terms if they determine there is still a need for a towing advisory board.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

Hampton City Council has selected Courtney Sydnor from Loudoun County as its new city attorney — wrapping up a roughly eight-month search.

Sydnor will take over the role Sept. 16 and earn a salary of $245,000. Sydnor is replacing Cheran Cordell Ivery, who left the position in December to become the city attorney for Alexandria.

Sydnor has worked as an attorney for the Loudoun County government for 14 years and is currently the senior deputy county attorney for community development. Before working for Loudoun County, she had several years of experience in private practice. City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to appoint her to the position.

“Hampton has a reputation as a wonderful place to live and work,” Sydnor said in a news release. “I am excited to join this dynamic community as a new resident, and I am especially excited for the professional opportunity to help the City continue its tradition of excellence and innovation.”

Sydnor has a law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck said the city did a regional search and Sydnor was selected because the council was “impressed with her credentials and background.”

“Of those that we did interview and looked at, she rose to the top,” he said.

Following Ivery’s departure, Steven Bond stepped in as interim city attorney, but he left the position earlier this summer to become a Hampton District Court judge. After Bond’s departure, former city attorney Cynthia Hudson stepped in June 17 to become the interim attorney.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com

Fort Wool was built on a shoal in 1819 as a companion stronghold to Fort Monroe. It was initially named Fort Calhoun after John C. Calhoun, a former U.S. Secretary of War before he became a leading proponent of Southern secession. Enslaved men forged the batteries and stone casemates on the man-made island. The fort was renamed during the Civil War in honor of Union Army Maj. Gen. John E. Wool.

Michael Cobb, former curator of the Hampton History Museum who has advocated for restoring Fort Wool, said people who get the opportunity to visit the site are often amazed by its history.

“It evokes memory of the past, not only for those who took part in it, but people who were just visiting and want to learn about our history and about Hampton Roads,” Cobb said. “It’s the ideal place to do it.”

The Hampton City Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday designating restoration of the island as a legislative priority, and urging the state to return the island to how it used to be so the public can once again visit. But the transition will likely take several years, as a replacement home for the migratory seabirds who reside on the island still needs to be built.

According to the city government’s website, the fort was decommissioned in 1953, and ownership was transferred to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1967. Hampton began leasing the island in 1970, operating it as a park and tourist attraction with public access via boat. According to a 2019 state Department of Historic Resources report, more than 7,000 people visited Fort Wool annually.

However, the lease agreement ended in 2020. That year, the commonwealth closed the fort and repurposed it into a temporary seabird nesting habitat after the state’s migratory seabird colony was kicked off its former nesting site on South Island to make room for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project.

Significant environmental changes were made to make the habitat suitable for the birds — including pulling up trees, adding pest controls and covering the parade grounds with sand.

State and federal officials plan to invest more than $10 million so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — in consultation with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources — can build a new, permanent island for the migratory seabirds in the next several years. When the birds used South Island, they occupied about 10 acres. The space created at Fort Wool is far smaller — only about an acre and a half.

Becky Gwynn, executive deputy director of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, said construction of the new artificial island is now likely to occur in 2026, later than the previous 2025 construction start time.

“This project is tied to the creation, development of a new anchorage right off of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel that will be essentially like a temporary parking spot for cargo vessels coming into the port,” Gwynn said. “And so this project is being aligned with that because quite a bit of the material dredged to create that new anchorage will be used as part of the base for the seabird nesting island.”

Gwynn said it’s unclear at this point whether the new island would be ready in time for the 2026 or 2027 nesting season for the birds.

The Army Corps of Engineers did not return calls for comment by press time.

Once the birds are moved, Hampton wants the state to restore the fort. Once the restoration is complete, Hampton wants to manage Fort Wool again and reopen it to the public.

Hampton City Manager Mary Bunting said the state had previously committed to restoring Fort Wool — also known as Rip Raps Island — after the birds relocated to the new island and that the city is “encouraging them to follow through with that.”

“So for us to operate it, we would have to get a new lease,” Bunting said. “And we would certainly entertain and want that lease, but we wouldn’t want to do a lease, and then the lease say Hampton taxpayers have to do all the restoration. That wouldn’t make sense for us, so the order we sort of see is the state do the restorative work and then enter into the lease with us, and we’ll be glad to operate it as we did before.”

Cobb said he appreciates the council’s desire to bring Fort Wool back and is optimistic the state can restore the island.

“This business with sea bird temporary colony, it’s one of those things that happened, and I think our national history and our natural history are equally important, and good people on both sides and in between are working hard to bring that together — to reopen Fort Wool and find an alternative place for the seabirds that they will be safe and prosper,” he said.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com