WILLIAMSBURG — Sen. Tim Kaine emphasized the importance of education, civic learning and shared history during a visit to the Bray School in Williamsburg Oct. 13.
“It’s exciting. I’m really happy to be at William & Mary,” Kaine said Monday. “I try to come once every year or two. I’m on the Education Committee in the Senate, so it’s really important to find out just what’s new.”
Kaine toured the newly reconstructed Bray School building, which educated free and enslaved Black children in Williamsburg from 1760 to 1774. He praised the collaboration between William & Mary and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for their attention to detail and commitment to telling the school’s full story.
“I’ve been reading about the Bray School, but this is the first time I’ve visited,” Kaine said. “The meticulous reconstruction of the building is impressive enough, but even more is the meticulous attempt to reconstruct the history, the people who were here, the teacher, the students who came through in the 13 or 14 years of results. It’s hard work to put this together, but I really applaud the university and Colonial Williamsburg for the work they’ve done.”
When asked about the broader impact of the project, Kaine said, “The Bray School will play a huge role. Colonial Williamsburg is trying to educate the nation’s educators, K-12 teachers from around the country, to come and learn about this and other aspects of the start of American democratic history. I think it’s going to be really, really impactful.”
Kaine also reflected on the approaching 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, calling Virginia a key location in the story of American democracy.
“Virginia, of any place in the country, will sort of be the epicenter of the 250th,” he said.
