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Loving - The Movie. A beautiful portrayal of a forgotten civil rights story

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Ruth Negga (2 nd from right) stars as Mildred and Joel Edgerton (right) stars as Richard in Jeff Nichols LOVING, a Focus Features release. Credit : Ben Rothstein / Focus Features   Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving grew up in the rural unincorporated town of Central Point, Virginia. They met in high school, spent time together, and eventually, when Mildred became pregnant, decided to marry. But this was the 1950’s and Mildred was African American and Richard was white. Virginia had anti-miscegenation laws which made their marriage illegal. How did these two young people get beyond Jim Crow and fall in love? Well that had a lot to with Central Point VA. Central Point was and is still a very rural area. At a distance of about 90 miles south east from Washington DC it was community with a history of poor farmers, black and white, ignoring the rules of segregation, living together. According to a 2012 article in the Washington Post , Central Point and Caroline Count...
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A Walk Through Historic South Troy, New York

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    The Hudson River Valley is filled with old industrial cities. New York City, Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, and Hudson all have served as manufacturing centers starting in the 18th century. But much of their architectural histories have been taken away by the urban renewal movement that started in the 1960’s. Even Albany has lost a lot of its historical buildings. But there is a city that still holds on to that past - Troy, New York . I first visited Troy when I was still a teacher, as we took several students to visit Russell Sage college in the city. It really grabbed my interest when I visited the Burden iron Works Museum in 2017 (you can read my blog about it here). During a drive through the Troy in 2023, I was struck by how much of the city, especially in the South Troy neighborhood, still had its older buildings, both industrial and residential.Some are in better shape than others, but walking through South Troy can take you back one hundred years or more. My exploration of...
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Location: South Troy, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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New York State Museum Offers an Interesting Look at History. Albany, New York

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    It can be difficult to develop a museum run by the government of a state. It has to chase several goals, all while trying to not offend anyone. A state museum usually has to present the political history of the state, explore its its natural beauty and resources, and also its cultural history. Three tightropes to balance on. The New York State Museum, in Albany, does a very good job on all three strands.   New York Cultural Education Center by UpstateNYer via wikimedia The New York State Museum occupies the first and fourth floors of the Cultural Education Center, part of the Empire State Plaza. The museum was founded in 1836, making it the oldest state museum in the country. From 1912 until 1976 it was housed in the State Education Building. When former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller built the government complex in Albany, he included a beautiful new home for the New York State Museum.   Hats of some of Albany's Church Ladies The majority of the collection takes up th...
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Location: 222 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12230, USA
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