John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center Chairperson Renee Beverly pleaded for funding during the center’s 15-year anniversary, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday afternoon.
Spotsylvania NAACP President Moe Petway urged attendees to recognize the importance of African-American history. “African-American history is extremely important because it’s American history, not just for Blacks but for everybody,” Petway said.
Nicole Cole, a Democrat running for the 66th District House of Delegates and current Spotsylvania School Board member, has been a longtime supporter of the museum. Cole reflected on the lack of funding for the historical site, which preserves crucial minority history.
Beverly, Petway and Cole echoed one another throughout the two-hour event, with each leader stressing that funding should be in the hands of the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors.
The guest speakers may have found an ally on Saturday. Salem District Supervisor Deborah Frazier was in attendance and acknowledged their concerns. Frazier said the Wright Center is an important community resource.
“Moving forward, I would like to see Renee [Beverly] come out and speak with school principals. John J. Wright should be hosting a lot of field trips for students,” Frazier said. “The Wright Museum is not as robust as others, but we need to build it up until it reaches the capacity it needs.”
Frazier’s presence carried additional weight. In 1998, she served as assistant principal at John J. Wright Middle School before it became a cultural center. More recently, she has served as chief academic officer within Spotsylvania County Public Schools.
In 2019, Frazier made history as the first African American elected to the board of supervisors in the county’s 300-year history. The Wright Center even has an exhibit honoring her career and leadership milestones.
“John J. Wright falls under the tourism department, and they should probably review their budget more extensively to see if there are any funds available for the museum,” Frazier said. “The board of supervisors funded the renovation of John J. Wright from 2006 to 2009. I have faith in my peers and remain hopeful that a funding solution will come in the future.”
Beverly claimed that the Wright Center hasn’t received a dime from county officials in the past eight years. Besides the cultural center, the site also serves as an alternative school for county students.
“The community is our bloodline; they have kept our heads above water with their donations,” she said, adding that the center recently partnered with Spotsylvania County Public Schools.
Beverly said she has met with the tourism department multiple times over the years but has yet to see funding.
“Tourism representatives told me the Wright Center’s bank account would need to be at zero dollars to even anticipate support,” she said. “I am very pleased with today’s event, but I wish more people would come out.”
Beverly and Cole have worked together long before the latter launched a political career, often using the Wright Center as a hosting space for Cole’s nonprofit events.
Petway, who met with the board of supervisors in February, said some district leaders were aware of the funding gap while others were not. Cole continues to push for the board’s support.
Skeptics have pointed to the museum’s private status and lack of foot traffic as reasons for withholding funds. But Cole and Beverly rejected that reasoning.
“It’s definitely not a private museum, and the county’s African-American history should be shared continuously at this center. It benefits everyone regardless of race,” they said.
