Dr. Karen Sherry is a curator specializing in American history and material culture with 20 years of museum experience. Since 2017, she has served as a curator at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (Virginia Historical Society), where she organized the exhibitions Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality and Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia from Women’s Suffrage to Today.
The Rev. Grady W. Powell, a native of Brunswick County, Virginia, has had a varied career in education and the professional ministry. Along with his brief teaching career, he has served as pastor of rural and urban churches. His most extensive pastoral work was in Petersburg, Virginia, at the historic Gillfield Baptist Church, where he retired after thirty-six years of service. He has also worked on national and state boards, including the Virginia Historical Society, for twenty years and has been active in civil rights causes since his college days and an active participant in improving racial harmony among all groups.
Advisory Committee
Dr. Edward L. Ayers, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and President Emeritus, University of Richmond
Victor K. Branch is senior vice president, Richmond Market President, Bank of America
Rev. Benjamin P. Campbell is pastor emeritus, Richmond Hill and Pastoral Associate, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Richmond)
Dr. Elizabeth Clark-Lewis is professor of History, Howard University
Dr. Spencer R. Crew is Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History, George Mason University
Dr. Claudrena N. Harold is professor and department chair, Corcoran Department of History, University of Virginia
Dr. Julian Maxwell Hayter is associate professor of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond
Dr. James Horn is president and CO, Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation
Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, Virginia House of Delegates
Dr. Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander, is the dean, College of Liberal Arts, Norfolk State University
Justin G. Reid is director of African American Programs, Virginia Humanities
Dr. Susan P. Schoelwer is executive director of Historic Preservation and Collections and Robert H. Smith Senior Curator, George Washington’s Mount Vernon
