Longwood Office of Multicultural Affairs

The Monacan Indian Nation is one of the oldest tribes to still be living on its original land. They would bury their dead in mounds and archaeologists have discovered thirteen of them with some of them being over a thousand years old. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, they were living near Bear Mountain in Amherst County on a settlement.

While the Chickahominy Tribe and the Chickahominy Tribe Eastern Division do have their similarities, they are two separate tribes. The major difference being that the Eastern Division remained independent from the Indians of Tsenacomoco and eventually organizing their own separate tribal government.

Since colonial times, the Pamunkey Tribe has been recognized as an Indian Tribe. Their history goes back almost 12,000 years though and is one of the districts inherited by Chief Powhatan.

The Mattaponi are one of the more familiar tribes, especially here in Virginia. Their history in Virginia goes back centuries and they still have a reservation in the state.

OMA and Greenwood Library will be hosting a talk with those from Native American tribes in Virginia Wednesday, November 3rd. It will take place in person and on zoom so be sure to RSVP.

Bayard Rustin is probably best known for working with Martin Luther King Jr. on the March on Washington. He left the public eye after people learned of his homosexuality but played important roles in both the Civil Rights Movement and Gay Rights Movement.

Larry Kramer was one of the first activists against AIDS, helped found the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Organization and ACT UP. He was also an author and playwright who used his platforms to spread and raise awareness.

Gilbert Baker created the PRIDE flag back in 1978. He was in the military for a little while before moving to San Francisco and coming out. He then put his design skills to work and created the flag.

Marsha P. Johnson was an icon and was crucial in the fight for gay rights, transgender, and homeless youth. She was also a huge activist and played a big role in the Stonewall Riots.

Who is Billie Jean King? She was a famous tennis player known for beating Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match. She was also known as an advocate for women’s equality in sports and was publicly outed as a le***an in 1981. 🎾

OMA would like to recognize Indigenous peoples’ day and both celebrate and honor indigenous peoples’ as we seek to raise awareness about the history of oppression, marginalization, and mistreatment of native peoples’

It’s officially October! This month is LGBTQ+ History month. Stay tuned to see what we have coming up.