Portsmouth Unity Project

06/19/2024

A day to be celebrated!

03/09/2024

Happy Women’s History Month!

The National Women’s History Alliance sets a theme for the month every year. This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”
“The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions,” a statement from the alliance on its choice read.

https://time.com/6837254/womens-history-month-surprising-facts/

Art credit
Oksana Osypenko

02/06/2024

Upcoming Event Saturday, February 24th.

Our very own Andrew Fight, Ph.D will be giving a presentation on local history. The walking tour will feature First Presbyterian Church and Oddfellows. Details below. All are welcome.

02/06/2024

Origins of Black History Month

Every February, the U.S. honors the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation. Black History Month celebrates the rich cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities that are an indelible part of our country's history.

It was Carter G. Woodson, the "father of Black history," who first set out in 1926 to designate a time to promote and educate people about Black history and culture. Woodson envisioned a weeklong celebration to encourage the coordinated teaching of Black history in public schools. He designated the second week of February as Negro History Week and galvanized fellow historians through the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which he founded in 1915.

The idea eventually grew in acceptance, and by the late 1960s, Negro History Week had evolved into what is now known as Black History Month. Fifty years after the first celebrations, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month during the country's 1976 bicentennial. Ford called upon Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.

February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery.

"Black History Month shouldn't be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history or somehow just boiled down to a compilation of greatest hits from the March on Washington or from some of our sports heroes.
It's about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America”.
~ Barack Obama

Credit www.npr.org

01/16/2024

We are forever grateful to Jeremy for helping create the Portsmouth Unity Project. Please take a moment to read about another one of his beautiful legacies.

As a monument to Jeremy's life's work, our intention is for this restaurant and this building to long inspire the people of ❤️❤️

Want to learn more about the history and idea behind ? Visit pizzasandpins.com/the-oddfellows/

Come see the Oddfellows today from 11am-9pm! 🤓🤓

01/15/2024

01/14/2024

Keep the dream alive.

09/25/2023

A few of the highlights from this year’s Emancipation Day Celebration.

Official proclamation of Underground Railroad Month presented by Charlotte Gordon, Vice President of the City of Portsmouth. This year’s Unity Award recipients, Ralph Clay and Cassie Patterson. Local historical accounts presented by Dr. Andrew Feight of Shawnee State University. Music selections by Shirley Crothers-Marley.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this year’s event and all who attended.

09/22/2023

We can’t wait to see you tomorrow!