Let Freedom Ring: Colonial Williamsburg and First Baptist Church Team Up for Black History Month

In 1776, a revolution was brewing in Williamsburg, but it’s not the one of which you’re thinking. It involved religion and the black community. Fast forward to the 21st century, and Colonial Williamsburg and First Baptist Church are challenging the nation to ring the church’s bell in the name of freedom and equality.

Sometime about 240 years ago, a group of free and enslaved African Americans founded the First Baptist Church. The group, led by slaves named Gowan Pamphlet and Moses, met in shaded areas in secret to worship. Eventually the group would come out of hiding and openly worship at the corner of Nassau and Francis streets. You may have seen the placard in the grassy area or even taken the time to walk through the exhibit across the street.

I visited the Foundation’s Archives department and found some extremely interesting information on the church and its relationship with Colonial Williamsburg.

The church would build a brick structure on Nassau Street before the Civil War and would remain there until the middle of the 20th century, before the Civil Rights Movement, when the congregation packed up and moved to another building on Scotland Street. The original building was ultimately demolished, but Foundation records indicate some bricks were to be salvaged by the Foundation to possibly be used for sidewalks and other projects. Linda Rowe, a historian for the Foundation who has been working on the history of the church for 30 years, told me if that had been just a decade later, the building might have been saved.

As it were, the congregation moved to a beautiful building on Scotland Street that the Foundation helped build and has remained there since. In the move, the bell the church acquired in the late 19th century went along for the ride. That bell remained silent through the Civil Rights Movement, collecting dust at the new location. Now, in 2015, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has pledged to help the First Baptist Church restore the bell to working condition so it will ring out loudly, and beginning Feb. 1, 2016, you will have the chance to ring the bell yourself.

All you have to do is register for a date and time during the month of February through the Let Freedom Ring Challenge website. Times are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Colonial Williamsburg hotel guests will have special access to the bell between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Up to 12 people can register for the same time, perfect for groups wanting to come ring the bell together.

How can you participate in the movement? Come to First Baptist Church this February to ring the bell and Join celebrities, politicians, civic leaders, and your peers by using these two hashtags.

#LETFREEDOMRINGCHALLENGE

Use #LetFreedomRingChallenge on social media to challenge your peers to join you in ringing the bell. And if you can’t make it in person, use this hashtag to challenge others to ring it for you. They can then schedule a date and time on the website to ring the bell on your behalf.

#WHYIWILLRING

Why will you ring the bell (physically or metaphorically)? Will you ring it in honor of a family member? For equality? For peace? For yourself? Let the world know by using #WhyIWillRing. Take a video of yourself explaining your story, create a piece of art, write a note, and express yourself.

I’m so proud to be part of something as important as this campaign. We have come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement, but there is still much work to be done. Join us as we all pledge to ring the bell for equality.