Interview with John Kneebone
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Interviewees
Kneebone, John
Interviewer
Edwards, Ana
Producer
Ross, Jada; Sunshine, Daniel
Description
In this interview, Dr. Kneebone covers his career trajectory, his role in Richmond’s historical landscape, and his reflections on public history initiatives like the East Marshall Street Well Project. Kneebone begins by recounting his upbringing, education, and early academic career. Dr. Kneebone reflects on VCU’s complex relationship with its surrounding communities and his role in shaping institutional narratives through projects like his book co-written with former VCU President Dr. Eugene Trani, Fulfilling the Promise: Virginia Commonwealth University and the City of Richmond, 1968–2009. The discussion moves to Kneebone’s involvement in the East Marshall Street Well Project. Dr. Kneebone describes how, at the time, the focus was on staying legally compliant and maintaining project timelines, with little recognition of the ethical and historical significance of the discovery. Years later, the Well Project became an opportunity to build trust with the community, address historical wrongs, and incorporate this complex history into public memory. Dr. Kneebone emphasizes that success for the East Marshall Street Well Project lies in recognizing the humanity of those whose remains were discovered, honoring their memory, and ensuring this history is not forgotten.
Biographical Note
Ana Edwards is a public historian and community activist. Currently, she is a teaching professor in VCU's Department of African American Studies. Most of her work centers on preserving the history and public spaces associated with Gabriel and the African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom.
Dr. John Kneebone is an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned his PhD from the University of Virginia in 1981. He was formerly the Director of the Virginia Colonial Records Project at the Library of Virginia and a senior editor of the Dictionary of Virginia Biography Project, as well as a contributor to VCU Cabell Library online project “Mapping the Second Ku Klux Klan, 1915-1940.” Dr. Kneebone retired from VCU in 2019.
Note
This interview description and biographical information was written by Olivia Washington.
Personal Name Subject
Trani, Eugene P.
Corporate Name Subject
Hampden-Sydney College. Medical Department--Corrupt practices; Virginia Commonwealth University--Corrupt practices; Virginia. Department of Historic Resources
Topical Subject
Reparations for historical injustices; Human remains (Archaeology)--Repatriation; African American cemeteries--Desecration; Body snatching; History--Virginia--Richmond; Medical colleges--Corrupt practices; Universities and colleges--Corrupt practices; Racism in medicine; Racism against Black people; Public history; Community organization; Historians; Virginia Colonial Records Project
Place of Interview
Virginia Commonwealth University, The Workshop
City/Location
Richmond (Va.)
Genre
oral histories (literary genre)
Local Genre
oral history; sound recording; text
Type
Sound; Text
Digital Format
audio/mp3
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is protected by copyright, and copyright is held by John Kneebone. You are permitted to use this material in any way that is permitted by copyright. In addition, this material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Acknowledgment of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is required.
Collection
East Marshall Street Well Oral History Project
Contributors
Virginia Commonwealth University
Source
"Interview with John Kneebone," East Marshall Street Well Oral History Project, M 573, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
emswoh_kneebonejohn_interview.mp3
Disciplines
African American Studies | Digital Humanities | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Oral History | Social History | United States History