April 26, 2007
Through Our Own Eyes: The 125-year History of Virginia State University
Virginia State University, the nation’s first†state-supported four-year institution of higher education for African Americans,†invites the entire VSU community and public to the premiere of Through Our Own Eyes: The 125-year History of Virginia State University on Friday, May 11 at 8 p.m. in Anderson-Turner Auditorium in Virginia Hall.
By utilizing interviews with archival photos, Through Our Own Eyes chronicles VSU’s history from the unlikely circumstances and alliances surrounding its founding in 1882 to the present, with a look toward the universitys ambitious plans for future growth. The 42-minute video is both educational and entertaining, combining compelling storytelling with a history rich in conflict and overcoming long odds.
Distinguished alumni such as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Pamela Bridgewater, U.S. Appeals Court Judge Roger Gregory, Dr. Mary Hatwood Futrell and former baseball star Al Bumbry provide personal recollections of their time at VSU, along with how the university fit into, and in some instances shaped, the historical contexts of the times.
Celebrities Denzell Washington and James Avery lent their voices to the production. Tim Reid serves as narrator. Reid, along with his wife Daphne Maxwell Reid and their New Millennium Studios, produced the video.
After the premiere, guests are invited to a reception in Jones Dining Hall, where they can meet many of the personalities in the production.
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