Hennessy to deliver first of Fredericksburg’s sister cities lectures
Retired United States National Park Service historian, John Hennessy, will deliver the first speech at this year’s Fredericksburg’s sister cities event, with his lecture on “Beyond the Ocean Gateway: Immigration and Immigrants in Fredericksburg.” As part of VA250, the event will present a series of lectures focusing on the contributions of Fredericksburg’s sister city countries to the cultural fabric of America.
All lectures take place in the theatre of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline Street. The event will begin at 6:30, and is free. The series, titled “A Cultural Quilt: Fredericksburg’s sister city countries and their influence on the fabric of America,” launches on Wednesday, February 18.
Hennessy’s talk will explore the first immigrants’ impact on native populations in the 1600s, through forced immigration from Africa in the 1700s, followed by the sizable entry of Europeans in the 1850s. The program continues into the trickling influx of the early 20th Century, to today.
“The numbers over time may surprise you!” Hennessy also considers the “community’s reaction to immigrants over time, and immigrants’ evolving impact on and with this community,” he added.
Hennessy served as Chief Historian at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park for two decades. He is the author of four books and dozens of articles, essays, and reviews. He is presently working on a history of the Fredericksburg region in the mid-19th century.
Fredericksburg’s sister city countries are France, Ghana, Germany, Italy, and Nepal. The sister city group is partnering with the City of Fredericksburg and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL).
The German lecture, slated for March 18, features Dr. Marcel Rotter, Professor of German at the University of Mary Washington, and his students. Together, they have been researching the area’s German influences. Titled An Exploration of German Influence in the Greater Fredericksburg Region, the program promises a rich consideration of German heritage.
Italian immigrants arrived in our region well before the American Revolution. On April 16, Scott Walker, long-time regional historian, tour guide, and raconteur, reveals that Italian heritage through a regional lens. Italians in 18th Century Virginia explores the Italian relationship with Jefferson, and Italian influence through the centuries.
For the French contribution, slated for May 21, Dr. Craig Vasey, retired Philosophy Professor at UMW, and a graduate of the Sorbonne in Paris, heads a panel of three Francophiles about threads of French culture.
Former mayor, and long-time member of the French sister city, Bill Beck will offer insights about the influence of French thought in the creation of our Republic. And Dr. Brooke DiLauro, French professor at UMW, will deliciously describe the influences of French culinary heritage in American cuisine.
The June 18 lecture is presented by the Ghanaian sister city group. Oral Ofori, internationally recognized digital media producer, and founder of TheAfricanDream LLC, explores the complicated relationship between Prince’s Town and Fredericksburg.
Ofori has garnered numerous awards, among them Global Peace Advocate (2025), Best Diaspora Blog (2022), and 2020 Top Ten D.C. Media & Film Awardee. Ofori holds a journalism degree from the London School of Journalism.
The Nepalese lecture, slated for September 17, examines the influence of American democracy on Nepal. Dr. Lekh Nath Adhikari, Professor of Chemistry at Rappahannock Community College, explores Nepal’s historical arc from kingdom to monarchy to democratic republic. Dr. Adhikari heads the Kathmandu sister city group, and works in advocacy with the Embassy of Nepal. A listing of all lectures is available at www.fred-este.org.
Fredericksburg’s sister cities are: Fréjus, France (1980), Prince’s Town, Ghana (2006), Schwetzengen, Germany (2010), Este, Italy (2015), and Kathmandu, Nepal (2015). More information about our sister cities may be found at https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/808/Sister-Cities.
VA250 is a year-long statewide commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fredericksburg events are available at: https://fxbg.com/fxbg250/fxbg250-events/. Statewide and local events are available at:https://va250.org/signatureevents/ and at https://va250.org/localevents/.
All lectures are free and open to everyone. All lectures are at CRRL 1201 Caroline Street. All lectures begin at 6:30. The lecture schedule is:
February 18: Introductory Lecture. Beyond the Ocean Gateway: Immigrants and Immigration in Fredericksburg. John Hennessy.
March 18: German Lecture. An Exploration of German Influence in the Greater Fredericksburg Region. Dr. Marcel Rotter.
April 16: Italian Lecture. Italians in 18th Century Virginia. Scott Walker.
May 21: French Lecture. French Influences in the American Story. Dr. Craig Vasey, Bill Beck, Dr. Brooke Di Lauro.
June 18: Ghanian Lecture. A Cultural Quilt: The Sister City Relationship between Fredericksburg and Princes Town, Ghana. Oral Ofori.
September 17: From Monarchy to Republic: Nepal’s 250-Year Journey and Its Deepening Partnership with the United States. Dr. Lekh Nath Adhikari.
Written by Oral Ofori
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
