Hampton City Council Ceremonial Session – March 26, 2025: Spotlight on Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Exhibit
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Hampton City Council Ceremonial Session – March 26, 2025
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, the Hampton City Council held a ceremonial session at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at 22 Lincoln Street. The session was called to order at 6:15 PM by Mayor Jimmy Gray, with all seven council members present. The sole agenda item was a presentation recognizing the volunteers and staff who contributed to the new exhibit at the Hampton History Museum honoring the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind.
Ceremonial Item: Spotlight on Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Exhibits at the Hampton History Museum
- Mayor Gray introduced Brian Marchese, Outreach and Creative Coordinator, who presented on the museum's exhibit, which opened March 1, 2025, at 700 Shell Road. The exhibit features a two-panel display with photos, historical text, and full braille panels for accessibility.
- Marchese highlighted that the school served the deaf and blind community for 99 years and that the city retained approximately 10 acres of the former school site, allocating $1.5 million for legacy preservation and neighborhood infrastructure. Community engagement began in early 2024, leading to the exhibit.
- Community members recognized: Kenyatta Fox, Darin Gillis, Catherine Northan, Donna Stone, Joan Weaver, and Dorothy L. West. Staff recognized: Beth Austin, Gabe Diaz, Amari Jones, Anna Hammond, Jonathan McBride, Monica Meharg, Willow Pell, and Chona Thomas.
- Mayor Gray thanked all involved and expressed optimism for future memorial efforts at the site.
Key Outcomes
- Plaques from the City Council were presented to the recognized community members and staff.
- The meeting adjourned at 6:26 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our the evening ceremonial session of the Hampton City Council. And I want to ask the clerk to call roll. Councilman Bowman, present. Vice Mayor Brown. Councilwoman Campbell, present. Councilwoman Fairby. Present. Councilwoman Harper. Present. Councilwoman Muggler, present. Mayor Gray. Present. And this evening we have a special presentation relating to the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. And so I am going to turn it over to marketing. I can't forget your title there, Brian Markeezy from uh our marketing department, who will introduce our uh program for this evening. So, Brian. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Gray, Vice Mayor Brown, members of the council, City Manager Bunting, uh, City Attorney Sidner. Um, it's a privilege to stand here tonight and recognize the remarkable collaboration between our city, staff, and community members. A group of individuals whose dedication, vision, and heart brought an important piece of Hampton's history to light. On March 1st, the Hampton History Museum unveiled a new exhibit honoring the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, a school that for 99 years served as a place of education, community, and hope for generations of students who are too often left out of the mainstream. It was more than a school, it was a home, a foundation, and a symbol of resilience in the face of exclusion. The school's campus, located at 700 Shell Road near the border of Newport News, served as the community for nearly a century. And yet, until recently, the story of the school lived mainly in memory, not in the public record. And that began to change thanks to the individuals we're recognizing tonight. When the Hampton Economic Development Authority sold much of its portion of the form of school site, the city retained approximately 10 acres. Alongside that decision, 1.5 million dollars was set aside to support two priorities. Honoring the legacy of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, and investing in public assets and infrastructure for the surrounding neighborhood. To help determine the best ways to meet these goals, the city's engagement team began working on with the community in early 2024. What started as a series of conversations soon grew into something much deeper. Though through neighborhood meetings, alumni outreach, and honest discussions, one message came through loud and clear. Don't let history be forgotten. C staff responded to that call, attending alumni gatherings at Golden Corral, organizing cleanup days, leading walking tours, and researching the school's past. Community members shared their stories, their time, their vision, and together, they built the foundation for what became the museum's newest exhibit. A two-panel display featuring photos and historical text paired with a full braille paired with full braille panels to ensure accessibility for all visitors. As one community member Joan Weaver said, we went from having one sentence in the entire museum about the school to having an entire exhibit. That transformation did not happen overnight. It took commitment, patience, teamwork and care, the kind of care that um preserves not just facts but feelings, the kind of that honors lived experiences ensures that they are carried forward. This exhibit is only the beginning. Thanks to this team's efforts, lived histories have been recorded and plans are in motion to continue preserving and sharing more of the school's legacy. Tonight we take a moment to honor that work to say thank you, not for just what you guys have created, but for how you create it by listening, involving, and lifting up the voices of the community. And now as a symbol of our appreciation, we're proud to present each of you with a plaque from City Council. At this time, I'd like to invite Mayor Gray down to assist in presenting these. Next, can we have Darren Gillis? Thank you, Mike. Catherine Northern. Donna Stone. Joan Weaver. And Dorothy West. Congratulations to all of our community members.
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