Hidden Histories author to speak at Chop Suey March 26th

Professor Lynn Rainville will read from her book, Hidden Histories: African American Cemeteries in Central Virginia.

March 4, 2015; 11:03 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

Author and professor Lynn Rainville will make a visit to Chop Suey Books in Carytown on Thursday, March 26th to read from her book entitled Hidden History: African American Cemeteries in Central Virginia.

From her multifaceted perspective as archaeologist, anthropologist, historian, and ethnographer, Rainville explores historic African American cemeteries in Central Virginia. Hidden Histories was published in 2014 by University of Virginia Press and has received critical acclaim.

From Chop Suey Books:

In addition to preserving African-American cemeteries for future generations, funerary traditions, gravestones, and cemetery landscapes illustrate past attitudes towards death and community. Because of the historical importance of mortuary landscapes, cemeteries provide a window into past family networks, gender relations, religious beliefs, and local neighborhoods.

In this project we take an interdisciplinary approach, combing anthropological, archaeological, historical, oral historical, sociological, geological, and environmental techniques and theories. These combined perspectives are necessary to understand the cultural and environmental context of historic black cemeteries and uncover the rich cultural and religious traditions that produced these sacred sites.

“Rainville’s Hidden History presents a well-written, engaging, and at times truly revelatory study. Her careful research was conducted over a span of several years, which allows her observations to go beyond the superficial and the obvious. WIth a focus on local contexts, but deriving universal insights into history, heritage, memory, and preservation, Rainville’s work is an exemplar of the best sort of research.”

—James Davidson, University of Florida

The free event kicks off at 6:00 PM.