And together we mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of captive africans in north america. Todays gathering is one of remembrance and reflection, and also one of celebration. We are gathered in the front lawn of an historic institution, in fact, the oldest Cultural Organization in the commonwealth of virginia. For 200 years, weve been collecting materials for the purpose of telling the story of this place. Some 14 million artifacts are housed in the walls behind me. We have much to be proud of. But we still have so very much we must do to be the state History Museum we deserve, to represent all and welcomes all. [applause] dr. Carter woodson, the man considered the founder of black history wrote, those who have no record of their forebears lose the inspiration that comes from the teaching of history. How true. We must do more and we will. We are committed at the museum to a Bright Future dedicated to inclusion and access. The exhibit is a legacy project of the 2019 commemoration, american evolution, which remembers key historical events that occurred in virginia in 1619 and continues to influence America Today, including the arrival of enslaved africans. I hope you will learn more about all the statewide activities this year. With the support of bank of america and supporters conrad and peggy hall, we have done Something Special that we are proud of and i hope you will take time to see it and to learn, learn the stories of 30 virginians over for centuries. Stories of people like arthur ashe, important stories of perseverance and progress. Stories that remind us of the work still to be done. History is valuable for this reason. It gives us perspective to make us better people and a better community. This is why commemorations like today are important. This is why dedications are important. We are fortunate to have a distinguished assembly. I would like to make a few acknowledgments as we begin. To the members of the city first, council. Thank you for your support and for making this happen. [applause] thank you to our mayor, your team and the city has been a remarkable partner in making the program possible. Thank you, sir. [applause] that one step further because i would like to commend the many dedicated City Employees who contributed their talents to make today possible. Dozens of them under the chief Administrative Officer. Thank you to all of them. I would like to acknowledge the representatives of the commonwealth, including members assembly,eral Lieutenant Governor fairfax and governor northam. If you would please waive and be recognized. [applause] i would like to acknowledge the National Representatives including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including congresswoman presley, congressman john lewis, as well as our virginia representatives, congressman bobby scott and congressman don mceachin. [applause] also with us this morning, senator tim kaine. [applause] now i would like all members of the arthur ashe extended family to please give a big wave so we can clap for you. [applause] it is my pleasure to invite mr. Tom farrell, to extend his welcome, which he does with our deep appreciation for the sponsorship of todays ceremony. Tom. [applause] good morning, everyone. Today marks a bold step forward for our city. Many folks remember the hard work to build the arthur ashe statue on monument avenue now almost 25 years ago. Like many things important in richmond, it was very controversial. Lots of people had reasons not to build it or to build it somewhere else or to do Something Else altogether. It was not easy. But richmond is a better place today because political and Civic Leaders with vision took action. Leaders like senator tim kaine who served on the city council representing the Second District. [applause] he helped to that celebration possible. Councilwoman kim gray represents the second today. She helped make today possible. [applause] we should all thank her for her leadership. These efforts demonstrate what can happen when good people who love our city come together and persevere despite all the hurdles and naysayers. Two of my friends did that a generation ago. First was a political leader, senator benny lambert. He served on the board of directors of Dominion Energy and was my boss. He dedicated his life to serving this city and state. He led the campaign to build a statue. His partner was a Business Leader who was the chief Financial Officer of Dominion Energy. Tom had played tennis with arthur ashe in the 1960s. Because the law kept us divided, they had to sneak around to do it. Arthur ashe was not allowed to play at the bird park Tennis Courts a few miles down the road. His father would pick tom up and take them to the north side of town and then he would stand guard around the courts to make sure nobody harassed them. Those Tennis Courts are long gone. They were in a park. Eventually the post office got built on that site. Theres actually a lot of richmond history in that story. When it came time to honor arthur ashe, they achieved a wonderful thing. Today we honor arthur ashe in this new way. Not because of tennis or wimbledon or the fact he lived here. We honor him because he believed in serving people. His community was the world. He taught us to call injustice from apartheid to poverty. [applause] he valued education. His parents taught him learning shapes human dignity. He believed in inclusion, despite the fact he grew up in a city that did not. He believed everyone deserved a job and the chance to work so they could contribute to society. He believed everyone deserves an affordable place to live. He believed in shaping a future that is different from the past. All of us believe those things. He also believed in learning from the example set by great people who had come before him , like congressman john lewis. There are a lot of distinguished political leaders up here [applause] and he is almost here. The governor has done a lot to make 95 work better. [laughter] looks like it could use more help, governor. [laughter] i think we should all be proud to have such a distinguished leader come to richmond to do this event. [applause] i believe it is important to name the values that arthur ashe lived by. Today is not only about honoring such a great man, it is also about ourselves and the values that we want to shape the future of our hometown. We believe in a richmond that welcomes everyone. We believe in a richmond that welcomes everyone. Ones that learns from our past and builds a future that is better for everyone. We believe in holding ourselves accountable to each other, and we believe in looking forward, because we have a lot of work to do to shape the future that we all believe it. Today, we dedicate ourselves to the words that arthur ashe chose for his statue. Pauls letter st. To the hebrews. And now since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight in the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Thank you. [applause] pres. Bosket thank you, tom, for dominions lasting support of this institution and for your sponsorship today. Ladies and gentlemen, if you are able, please now rise for the presentation of colors by fort lees army colorguard and the singing of the National Anthem by representatives of six Mount Zion Baptist church of richmond. O say, can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say, does that starspangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave [applause] pres. Bosket ladies and gentlemen, if you are able, please remain standing. It is now my pleasure to invite powell reverend grady for the invocation. In addition to being a longtime pastor at the historical gillfield Baptist Church of petersburg, virginia, his leadership helped shape the future, his life continues to inspire us today. Reverend grady powell. [applause] rev. Powell would you bow your heads . Let us pray. Oh, divine spirit, whose presence has been with us from one generation to another, we thank you for your kind investments in all of us. Most especially we are grateful for the gift of time that has steered us to do and to be good. For the acts of yesteryear, which is a part of our history, that have lifted humankind for the making of a better world, we say thank you. Please forgive us for those times we have used our gifts to divide, to subjugate, and to destroy. The collection and preservation of these gifts which span over 400 years by this organization, the Virginia Museum of history and culture, these acts give us a clear picture of whom we have been. We pray that in reading and observing this history, we will devote ourselves to building that world that is most pleasing to thee, amen. Amen. Please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, governor of the commonwealth of virginia, ralph northam. [applause] gov. Northam please be seated. Good morning. Good morning. Gov. Northam and thank you to the Virginia Museum of history and culture for hosting this gathering today, and thanks to all of you for being here on this important occasion. To our congressional delegations representing other states, welcome to virginia. This year, we mark the 400th anniversary of virginias long history of Representative Democracy and the arrival of enslaved africans. We must remember that our history is complex. The story of virginia is rooted in the simultaneous pursuit of both liberty and enslavement. A full accounting demands that we confront and discuss those aspects of our history, and it demands that we look not just to a point in time 400 years in the past, but at how our commonwealth and our country has evolved over the course of those four centuries. How did we live up to our ideals or fail to do so . We are examining these issues in various ways this year through exhibits, forums, and other american evolution events, and we are also looking at this history through exhibits that determine the 400year black for black equality and the virginiaat museum of history and culture. AfricanAmerican History, black history, is American History. [applause] gov. Northam and the way that we teach that history is inadequate and inaccurate. Which makes [applause] gov. Northam which makes exhibits like this all the more important as we continue to work to rewrite the narrative. My hope and intention is that virginia will take long overdue action on addressing the racial inequities that exist today. [applause] gov. Northam i am grateful for the Virginia Museum of history and culture for taking up this important conversation. We need to continue to have this kind of dialogue, because when we know more, we can do more. Today, we also honor a man who challenged the limitations society placed on men of his skin color, and by doing so, advanced the struggle for equality. By breaking down racial barriers in tennis, arthur ashe achieved much more than sports fame. That legacy is why we are here to honor him today. Arthur ashe was a groundbreaker, and i am proud to be here today as we honor his legacy. Thank you and may god bless all of you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the sixth Mount Zion Baptist church choir from richmond, virginia. [applause] [applause] place Common People are slipping away but as for me all i can say thank you, thank you, thank you, lord, for all you have done for me some say they just cant be mothers and brothers no place seems to be safe but you have been my protection from the devils ways thank you lord for all you have done for me thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you, lord, for all you have done for me thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you, lord, for all you have done for me yeah, i want to say thank you, lord, for all you have done for me yeah, yeah yeah thank you, lord, for all you have done for me thank you thank you, thank you thank you thank you thank you, lord thank you for loving me every hour i want to thank you, lord i want to thank you for your power thank you, thank you i want to thank you for your protection thank you thank you thank you thank you, lord thank you thank you thank you, lord thank you thank you for loving me thank you for loving me thank you for keeping me thank you for your protection thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you [applause] ladies and gentlemen, United States senator from virginia, tim kaine. [applause] sen. Kaine how about another great hand for sixth mount zion . [applause] sen. Kaine a beautiful congregation formed by freed slaves right after the civil war and the reverend john jasper, a great historical figure in his own right. So good to have you here with us. And so good to be together with all of you richmond friends. I want to thank the museum and all of the elected officials here today, especially the members of the Congressional Black Caucus who are visiting virginia to participate in the forum later this afternoon lets give them a big welcome. Thank you, congresswoman bass. [applause] sen. Kaine i am thrilled to be here with my federal colleagues , Donald Mceachin and bobby scott together. [applause] sen. Kaine together, we were the sponsors of the congressional bill signed by President Trump that commemorates 2019 and forms a commission to celebrate 400 years of africanAmerican History in this country. There was a federal commission in 2007 to commemorate 400 years of the english roots of this nation. There was a federal commission in 2015 to commemorate 450 years of the hispanic roots of this nation. If english roots matter, if hispanic roots matter, then african roots matter. [applause] sen. Kaine and i applaud my colleagues for their work in that way. My role today in the program is oldtimer. [laughter] sen. Kaine i know i dont look that old, do i . But my role today is oldtimer, because 24 years ago, when i was much younger, much thinner, had a lot more hair, and it was much darker, i was a newly elected member of the Richmond City council as we engaged with our community in a very, very memorable debate about whether arthur ashes statue should be ethan on rose and monument avenue just a few miles from here. Some of you were around. I particularly hoped viola would be here today because she was a member of our city council who played such a role in that debate. Give viola and all the 1994 council a round of applause. [applause] sen. Kaine it was controversial, there were protests. There were discussions, there were different points of view. Tom farrell said it well, whether arthur ashe should be recognized at all, if he should, should he be recognized on monument avenue . Some said monument avenue should be reserved for civil war generals. Others said it was not good enough for arthur ashe. We talked about all of that at the time. The debate finished in the seven hour Council Meeting that lasted until about 1 30 in the morning, where hundreds of people came and spoke. The pulitzer prizewinning Washington Post journalist, tony horwitz, who just died within the last two months, came to cover that event. Heres what he wrote. At the time. I came expecting an angry meeting, but what i witnessed instead was a thoughtful discussion on public art, the potency of historic symbols, racial healing, and affirmative action. Thats what richmond did at the time, and the decision to place the ashe statue on monument avenue was a healing in a city and commonwealth and country that still needs healing to this day. [applause] sen. Kaine i want to congratulate mayor stoney. I want to congratulate the city council, especially kim gray for this active healing. Especially kim gray, for this act of healing. The naming of the boulevard, a principal gateway into our city, to honor the great arthur ashe. [applause] sen. Kaine some people ask the question about whether names or naming or renamings are important. Names are very important. The power to name is very important. Let me prove it to you. In the book of genesis, the story of the formation of the world and of man and woman in the garden of eden, what is the first power that god gives to man . The power to name. This is a story that is sacred to jews, and christians, and muslims it is in the quran, the story is well known. God gives us command, be fruitful and multiply. God gives a warning, dont eat from that tree or something bad will happen. And god gives a power. The first power given to man was the power to name all of the animals in the world. God could have named all of the animals. God was god. But god decided that it was very important for man, for man to be able to choose the names of those around him, choose the names of those that would be given to his reality. He brought them to man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. Naming is important. This is not a minor thing we are doing today. We have to acknowledge that so many of the names on a map of richmond, on a map of virginia, on a map of this country, so many of the names were not chosen by a full community invested with the power to choose their name of their reality or tell the story about who they were. No. So many of the names that we live with were chosen by a tiny, tiny subset of people who do not r