As I entered the room at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, the upbeat sounds of a jazz quartet caught my ear. They made me want to shake a white handkerchief in the air to the beat. I settled on a two-step.
It set my mood for a Saturday afternoon of fruity teas, finger foods and fashion, the Virginia Beach History Museums’ Elegance & DiviniTea.
This was the latest in the museums’ annual tea events. The first, in December, was Victorian themed, with Christmas carolers in ankle-length skirts and festive capes. This tea, on May 14, was hat-inspired and grounded in African and African American culture.
“It just seems to fit what we are — the Virginia Beach History Museums and Cultural Affairs,” the museums’ director, Annmarie Reiley-Kay.
One of the partnering organizations for the event was the Princess Anne County Training School-Union Kempsville High School Alumni and Friends Association, the only school for Black people in what was then Princess Anne County. Black and white images from the graduating classes decorated the lobby. In the tea room, women greeted each other with colorful fascinators pinned behind their ears, and purple hats with wide brims and matching bows set high on their foreheads.
Some tables included vintage headdresses, provided by the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach, on top of the floral arrangements. Other centerpieces of greenery, baby’s breath and pops of color from carnations also made me smile.
In the center of the room, seven strobe bars formed a runway. As I took my seat, I admired the hats in the room, such as a yellow satin pleated hat with an inner diamond circle. Another was turquoise with a matching ribbon, and another was pink felt with three strings of pearls wrapped around the band.
Gold tablecloths draped each four-seat table. An orange vanilla cream rooibos tea bag sat in flowery china cups, and a watermelon hibiscus tea bag and Ceylon black tea bag waited on the saucers. A silver-plated tea bag holder was included to hold the used teabags. The organizers thought of every little detail, including the gold plastic utensils wrapped in thick white napkins with a gold paper band to secure them.
The table couldn’t hold any more goodies, so vibrant yellow and purple church fans, displaying the program on one side and the tea menu with their histories on the other, waited on the cushioned chairs.
I started with my rooibos. It had a subtle flavor profile with delicate vanilla aromatics. The menu contained a brief history. Rooibos, or “red bush,” is a herb native to South Africa. It was cultivated by the indigenous bushmen, the Khoisan people, and has been cultivated for more than 300 years. Rooibos began to rise in commercial popularity between 1904 and 1968. It could barely be imported to the United States before 2000 because of sanctions during South Africa’s segregationist apartheid era.
The timing was perfect. Model Mikel Fuller of the Ìṣẹ̀ṣè community — which practices the religion and spirituality of the Yoruba of West Africa — hit the runway with a showstopper. She wore a stunning tall, red Nigerian head wrap called a gele. Golden tones reflected in the light as she sashayed down the runway.
Professor Omiyemi “Artisia” Green from William & Mary, a priestess for the Ìṣẹ̀ṣè spiritual community of Hampton Roads, walked to the podium in her green gele. She talked about the history of the gele. In Africa, a gele symbolizes social status. African Americans now wear the head wrap or hat to connect to their “spiritual crown.”
The program host, Bonita Billingsley Harris, reminded the audience of the adage: “The higher the hat, the closer to God.”
The name of the event became clearer and aligned with the purpose — elegance and divinity.
Models from Teens with a Purpose wore derby and church hats, a few vintage offerings from the Little Theatre. Then Stark & Legum, one of the oldest local haberdashers, showcased men’s and women’s hats.
They ranged from black or white fedoras with decorative bands to a summertime panama hat with blue-black ribbon a brown suede cowboy hat. If the leading male model looked familiar to some, it was the longtime area coach Elisha “Cadillac” Harris, and husband of the host.
Zion Smith Designs featured some incredible pieces, giving us a peek into the future of headwear. The crowd admired a model wearing the red satin ribbon all-year material accented with Swarovski crystals. I pulled out my camera.
I was seeing red and sipping it. I switched my tea to the watermelon hibiscus with its ruby liquor, my favorite of the day. It gave me subtle sweet notes with a juicy tart finish. The Hibiscus sabdariffa is native to North Africa, Southeast Asia and grows in tropical climates. In some African countries, it’s used for medicinal purposes. It’s popular in West Africa, Central Africa and the diaspora. Hibiscus plants were on ships with enslaved Africans in the 1500s.
As the event ended, people collected their dessert boxes: a strawberry lemon tart with lemon cream, fresh strawberries and whipped cream, and a French macaron, perfect bites to end an afternoon tea. The lightly sweetened macaron, with its buttery crust, would have complemented the earthy boldness of a cup of the Ceylon black tea.
As I reflected on the day’s event, I plotted my order of indulgence for the savory boxed lunches, which contained traditional tea party favorites. I enjoyed the freshness of the chicken salad on wheat bread. The roast beef on a mini brioche with cranberry chutney tasted like quality beef meeting a hint of sweetness. I loved the smoked salmon salad with fresh dill on wheat bread so much that I went to the company’s website to see if it was a regular menu item. No such luck. I savored the fresh, smooth, herbaceous bite. The cucumber and cream cheese with fresh chives on white bread didn’t disappoint my palate either. It had a thin layer of creaminess with a little crunch. Then I tried a moist blueberry scone with its burst of fruity flavor.
Hillary Plate, the cultural program and grants coordinator for the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, wants a tea series with a taste of history that brings the community together. She accomplished this with Elegance and DiviniTea.
Rekaya Gibson, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com, 754-295-8809
Jason Selvig of the comedy duo Good Liars said he was so perplexed that he asked the question three times, hoping for a direct answer.
Stacy McCall, Suzie Streeter and Sherrill Levitt went missing from Levitt's home in 1992. June 6, 2022 marks 30 years since the women's disappearance.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said.
Courtesy of the Collins family and Crime Stoppers of HoustonTOMBALL, Texas—The Texas family members police believe were killed Thursday by an escaped inmate with alleged links to the Mexican mafia have been identified as three brothers from suburban Houston, along with a cousin and their grandfather.Family friends on Friday confirmed that 66-year-old Mark Collins was killed alongside his three grandchildren at the family’s ranch as the group was preparing for a fishing trip. He was with his gran
The 76-year-old man pleaded guilty to a charge of abusive sexual contact.
A group of high school cheerleaders reportedly shared photos on social media, posing with a Black mannequin head they called […] The post All-white cheer squad used a Black mannequin head as its ‘mascot’ and named it ‘Kareem’ appeared first on TheGrio.
Decomposing animals were found in cages and appeared to have died from starvation and dehydration, authorities say.
What is an AR-15 rifle, and why is it so popular for home defense, target practice and mass shooters? Here's what you need to know.
The footage shows two men throw punches at each other in Torrance on Wednesday after pulling over, then one appears to stomp and kick the other. One man faces felony charges.
Releasing the videos would help address skepticism and provide transparency in the investigation into the Kansas City police shooting of Leonna Hale, civil and human rights activists said Thursday.
The victims of the Tulsa, Oklahoma shooting have been identified as Dr. Preston Phillips, Dr. Stephanie Husen, Amanda Glenn and William Love.
A Westchester County man was getting nowhere disputing a fine for passing a stopped school bus, when it was even him. Then he got 7 On Your Side.
The accused robber was struck multiple times, and two bystanders were wounded in the St. Louis shootout.
For the uninitiated, a warehouse retailer tracing its roots to 1970s sunny San Diego is hardly the picture of a staple for a community as diverse as Asian Americans. At present, the wholesale club operates more than 800 outlets in 12 global markets, four of which are in Asian countries or territories. This is why it comes as no surprise that Costco’s profile shopper happens to be Asian.
The fast-food company said it was “horrified” and fired the employee after the video surfaced.
Jrue and Lauren Holiday have announced the third round of funding for Black-owned businesses that totals $1 million in a press release.
York County will look to recoup $21 million in funds from Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper's GT Real Estate Holdings, which filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday.
Heard's lawyer said that Depp's celebrity status, cameras in the courtroom, and social media played a role in the verdict.
Thalassophobia exists for a reason.View Entire Post ›
Two people were shot at a cemetery south of Milwaukee on Thursday, police said. Racine police described the shooting as a “critical” incident and urged people to stay away. Sgt. Kristi Wilcox said a juvenile was treated and released and a second person was flown to a hospital in Milwaukee.