DRAFT AGREEMENT BETWEEN OHA AND THE FORT WARD AND SEMINARY AFRICAN AMERICAN DESCENDANTS GROUP
June 23, 2010
Prepared by J. Glenn Eugster
This Agreement is entered into between the City of Alexandria’s Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA), and the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc., to:
Describe, interpret, protect and celebrate the living legacy of African Americans who contributed to the defenses of Washington, D.C. at Fort Ward in an effort to win their own freedom which has led to a more perfect Union.
The primary goal is to share the history of African Americans in order to describe the role they played and the contributions they made during the Civil War at Fort Ward and in helping to create the Seminary community. African Americans were crucial to the war effort; and that the war is best understood not just as a military phenomenon, but as a social and political one as well.
The hope is to assist the public with researching and ultimately gaining pride in connecting with their ancestor's personal story and their fight to make America a better country through their service.
The Descendants Society and OHA propose to work collaboratively:
To develop a reliable process for the retrieval and presentation of the stories of African Americans at Fort Ward and the Seminary community.
To assist people who lived in the area, and their descendant families to share their invaluable knowledge and collection of photographs, letters, records, oral histories, and other cultural artifacts.
To help complete and personalize people’s stories and their contributions to the Civil War and the community.
To systematically retrieve and ultimately present these precious artifacts,
To serve as an educational community service provider.
II. Mutual Goal:
OHA and the Descendants Society desire to work closely and collaboratively to gather, interpret, display and publicize information on the history and culture of African Americans in the Fort Ward and Seminary area, with the understanding that the National Mall will benefit from our collective efforts. Further, in working collaboratively we will be better stewards, educators, and conservators of the resources and history of the area.
The partnership created by this Agreement is designed to enhance the Fort Ward and Seminary area as a prominent and relevant part of the diverse communities that it serves, and to supplement funds and work appropriated by City Council. Through the creation of this public-private partnership OHA and the Descendants Group aim to provide accurate information on the history and culture of Fort Ward Park and the community that existed before the City created the historic area.
I. Statement of Intent:
A. This Agreement is intended to affirm the signatory parties/Partners’ desire to work cooperatively to achieve the mutual goals and objectives set out below. This Agreement also establishes protocols respecting the relationship of the partners. As appropriate, the parties/Partners intend to negotiate and enter into future agreements that may be necessary. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to bind any party to specific commitments of funds or the production of specific work products.
B. The Descendants Society, working in collaboration with the Fort Ward History Work Group, the Seminary Civic Association, the Seminary Hill Association, Inc. and other community local, state, and federal governments and private organizations, will offer support and information to the OHA on ways to achieve the…. INSERT…..
III. Mutual Objectives:
C. To encourage, reinforce, and empower each other, the Partners shall consider forming project teams, focus groups, and work groups to communicate in a substantive way.
To support and promote a vision of stewardship for the future of the National Mall through increased public participation, as described in approved NPS plans..
To foster an open and meaningful exchange of knowledge and ideas from the descendants of the Fort Ward and Seminary area, including the City of Alexandria, its neighborhoods and communities, City Council and other governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations that are park neighbors, as well as from existing and potential visitors and interested parties at the local, Commonwealth, and national level.
IV. Priority Actions
Permanent documentation of the community that lived, worked, worshiped and is buried here (i.e. Exhibit in the Museum, pamphlet, book, graveyard on the National Register of Historic Places, signage, something around Clara Adams grave, etc.)
The organizations activities are centered on the services listed below. The services offered provide numerous learning opportunities for people of all ages, including students, teachers, scholars, US Colored Troop descendents, churches, and the general public through the following programs described below.
1. Develop and outreach strategy to identify and communicate with people, and their descendant families, who lived and worked at Fort Ward and in the Seminary community.
2. Assist students, teachers, families, US Colored Troop descendents, and scholars as a primary resource for their research.
3. Celebrate an Annual Family Reunion or Founder's Day: To honor the African Americans at Fort Ward and to ………..
4. Museum exhibits and tours to provide visitors with an in-depth historical description of the Museum's collection and an exhibit on several of the most prominent stories of African Americans at Fort Ward and in the Seminary community.
Museum exhibits and tours provide all people with the unique opportunity to not only discover an often unknown portion of American History, but to discover a their own genealogical history as it relates to the Civil War any beyond. Visitors will be given the opportunity to gain an invaluable understanding of their background and the role played by their ancestors during one of the most controversial wars in American History. As such, these individuals gain a higher sense of self - a sense of pride and, therefore, they gain enormous confidence in relation to their own unique history.
5. Develop Descendants of Fort Ward-Seminary book to document the history and accomplishments of the people of Fort Ward and the Seminary community.
6. Assist the City of Alexandria and the Oakland Baptist Church in the appropriate recognition and permanent protection of graves and grave stones within and outside the cemetery.
7. Assist the Oakland Baptist Church in the possible designation of their cemetery to the National Register of Historic Places.
8. Provide an Annual Trip to the African American Civil War Memorial, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Gunston Hall, etc. for people to see other similar programs, history lectures, and meet and talk with African Americans.
9. To compile information on exemplary examples of
other African American park, community, and heritage area
partnership efforts, through research, guest lecturers, and
field trips.
The organization’s programs foster an invaluable human service to the public and Fort Ward visitors. Our programs are intended to provide research assistance to families and help many individuals find new meaning in their personal histories and in their communities. Our presence in the community is intended to prompt our visitors, African Americans as well as those of all ethnic backgrounds, to research their own personal history as it relates to the Fort Ward and the Seminary community. Through genealogical studies, family mementos, and family stories, participants - students, scholars and families - will become inspired by what they learned from the organization and continue to study their ancestral relationship to the America Civil War.
VI. Partnership Communications and Coordination:
A. The parties to this Agreement and subsequent sub-agreements Partners are committed to communicate regularly with their partners/one another. It is absolutely essential to a successful collaborative relationship that the partners/Partners openly share hopes, thoughts, and concerns in an honest and trusting way. This shall involve all levels of the partner organizations such that everybody feels a sense of stewardship and the spirit of the partnership.
B. Upon execution of this Agreement, the Partners will participate in monthly Fort Ward History Work Group Meetings, and additional meetings as necessary, with key personnel to discuss partnership vision, strategic direction, policy, guidelines, processes, and sensitive issues. In addition, the Partners will assign key people as points of contact to coordinate logistics, meeting deadlines, and to monitor, report progress, troubleshoot, and provide accountability.
C. INSERT Cressy’s credit language
VIII. Term of this Agreement:
This Agreement shall remain in force for five years from the date of execution. The date of execution is the date of the last signature affixed to this Agreement. The Agreement may be automatically renewed at the end of each five-year period if all Partners agree in writing in advance of the end-date.
IX. Modifications and Termination:
All modifications to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be signed by all the parties/Partners.
Any Partner may terminate its role in this Agreement by providing the other Partners with sixty days advance written notice. On receipt of such notice of termination, the Partners will meet promptly to discuss reasons for the notice and to try to resolve any issues that may be influencing the decision to terminate.
Implementation of the collaborative work of the Descendants Group, OHA, and the others will be subject to final determination of the City of Alexandria consistent with the applicable laws and regulations that govern it, including full public participation.
XI. Key Officials:
The personnel specified below are considered to be essential to ensure coordination and communication between the parties in the Agreement for the work to be performed. Upon written notice, and agreement by both OHA and the Descendants Group, either party may designate an alternate to act in the place of the designated key official, in an emergency or other short time period.
A. For the Office of Historic Alexandria
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For the Office of Historic Alexandria Date
B. For the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Group
________________________________________________________________________
For the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Group Date Date
