About

Harvey Bakari, a public speaker with a diverse background, began his career at Colonial Williamsburg. Initially, he interacted with live audiences as a frontline African American historic interpreter, guiding visitors through the living history museum sites. Over time, he progressed through various managerial positions, including program developer, researcher, trainer, and manager of African American History Interpretation and Initiatives. Beyond overseeing the management of historic building operations and logistics, Bakari showcased his leadership by hiring, training, and supervising a diverse workforce, including ethnically diverse workers, volunteers, and interns.

Harvey Bakari, an experienced museum leader, has demonstrated his commitment to museum practices through his completion of the AASLH History Leadership Institute in 2001. His leadership has been recognized internationally, with speaking engagements at conferences such as the UNESCO 2014 Atlantic Slave Trade Conference. As the president of the Society of Friends of African American History (SOFAAH), Bakari actively promotes African American history and cultural heritage. His involvement in museum organizations makes him a valuable resource for projects requiring expertise in early African American history and culture.

Harvey Bakari made significant contributions to public education through his live national television appearances from 2000 to 2016. During these appearances, Bakari interacted with middle school students on various African American history topics, simplifying complex historical concepts and making them accessible to a broader audience. His expertise in African American history was further showcased when he served as the on-air African American history expert for Colonial Williamsburg’s Electronic Field Trip series for nearly a decade. This initiative significantly expanded access to historical content, enriching the educational experience for students. His contributions continue to shape the way history is taught in classrooms today, inspiring educators and students alike.

Collaboration, whether domestically or internationally, is often required to achieve an organization's objectives. Harvey Bakari took part in the International Partnership Among Museums Program (IPAM) in order to investigate collaboration projects with Senegalese museums, communities, and archeological sites. From 1999 to 2001, the Historic Museum of Gorée and the University of Dakar collaborated with Colonial Williamsburg. The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the United States State Department supported IPAM. Bakari previously visited Atlantic Slave Trade remembrance sites at Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle in Ghana, as well as the House of Slavery on Gorée Island in Senegal.

Harvey Bakari captivated museum audiences by skillfully weaving together various resources to illuminate the richness of African American history and culture. One of his presentations delved into the inhumane impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on both Africa and America, shedding light on the reality of hereditary chattel slavery. In another presentation, Bakari explored the American Revolution and the African Americans’ struggle for freedom and citizenship rights. Throughout the session, he actively encouraged open dialogue by welcoming questions and fostering a thoughtful exchange about historical decisions that continue to shape contemporary race relations. Bakari emphasized the significance of African American history in the broader American narrative, highlighting its enduring relevance in both the past and the present.

The Equiano Forum on Early African American History and Culture, organized, administered, and presented by Harvey Bakari, featured esteemed guest speakers including Douglas Wilder, the first elected African American Governor in the United States and former Virginia Governor; Orlando Patterson, a historical and cultural sociologist at Harvard University and author of Slavery and Social Death; Douglas Blackman, a journalist and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the End of the Civil War to World War II; A’Lelia Bundles, an author, journalist, and activist; and numerous other scholars, authors, and performers.

For eleven years, Harvey Bakari performed as an actor on the museum stage. He portrayed the character of Old Paris, an African captive who narrated his experiences of African culture, captivity, the Middle Passage, and bondage in Virginia. Bakari’s talents extended beyond acting; he also wrote, produced, and directed an ensemble of adult and youth performers in the play “Remember Me, When Freedom Comes,” which was based on historical research.

First-person historical interpretation engages audiences with the past, connecting them to historical figures' lives. Moses, a Black Baptist preacher portrayed by Harvey Bakari, represented dissenting voices against the Church of England's control. By preaching without a license, he challenged colonial authorities who viewed his preaching as a threat, leading to swift punishment, including lashings and imprisonment. Moses, co-founder of the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, symbolizes resistance to oppression, emphasizing the complex interactions of religion, race, slavery, and authority in colonial society.

In historic building tours, walking history tours, military reenactments, and other historical programs, third-person interpretation is a widely used technique. Harvey Bakari, for instance, oversaw a military reenactment of the nearly all-Black First Rhode Island Regiment. This regiment comprised free Black men and slaves whose freedom had been purchased by the state in exchange for their service during the war. Before their arrival at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, where the British surrendered to General Washington’s Continental Army, the regiment was racially integrated.