Let's Talk About Housing: "Uprooted"
March 20, 2025
Join HOME of VA for the next conversation in our series exploring the past and future prospects for fair housing.
Shoe Lane has meant many things to Black residents of Newport News. For decades, this street and several others nearby formed a middle-class haven, a welcoming community of Black professionals and their families. But since the 1960s, this area has also been embattled — under consistent pressure from Christopher Newport University. The school took root there and eventually, through eminent domain and other means, took over the homes of dozens of Black families. Only five Black households remain.
This history, known all-too-well by current and former residents of the Shoe Lane area community, was brought to wider public awareness in 2023 by a team of journalists from the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO and ProPublica. Led by Brandi Kellam, the team conducted a 16-month investigation that produced revealing articles and a documentary film, “Uprooted,” all of which have garnered awards.
On March 20th at the C. Waldo Scott Center, located within Wesley Grove United Church of Christ, we will screen “Uprooted” and present a conversation with an esteemed panel:
- Brandi Kellam, journalist and filmmaker
- Dwayne Johnson, community member
- Millicent Wilson, community member
- Audrey Perry Williams, historian
DeAnna Smith, a Fair Housing Investigative Specialist at HOME of VA who is also a Newport News resident, will moderate the discussion.
HOME of VA strives to host inclusive events. This program is wheelchair accessible. If you need additional or other accommodations to ensure your full participation, we will do our best to provide them. You may note accommodation needs in the registration form or email us here. At least two weeks’ notice is preferred.
Presented in partnership with Descendant Works Media, the Community Arts Network, and the C. Waldo Scott Center, this event is sponsored in part by Virginia Housing and the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation.
