RBC Faculty Member Donates Co-Written Book to College

For Immediate Release: December 3, 2025

Contact: Jesse Vaughan, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer/jvaughan@rbc.edu

The book, “Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865,” is coming to Richard Bland College (RBC) thanks to Dr. Evanda Watts-Martinez, who is a contributing writer on the project. She recently donated the publication to the College’s Library.

“Contributing to ‘Un/Bound’ was a profound honor, as it allowed me to help illuminate the resilience, ingenuity and lived experiences of free Black Virginians whose stories are too often overlooked,” said Dr. Watts-Martinez, RBC Director of Counseling Services & Assistant Professor of Education. “I am grateful to donate this work to Richard Bland College, where it can inspire our students and deepen our shared understanding of Virginia’s rich and complex history.”

The publication complements the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) exhibition of the same name, which began in June of this year. Both the book and exhibition explore the stories of thousands of free Black Virginians from the arrival of the first captive Africans in 1619 to the abolition of slavery in 1865. Through powerful artifacts and first-person accounts, visitors and readers will discover how these Black Virginians achieved their freedom, established communities and persevered within a legal system that recognized them as free but not equal.

The publication’s other contributors are Melvin Patrick Ely (The College of William & Mary), Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander (Norfolk State University), Stephen Rockenbach (Virginia State University) and Sabrina G. Watson (Virginia State University). The VMHC exhibit will remain on display until July 2027. Click here to purchase the book from the VMHC store.