RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Virginia Power today announced grants totaling $400,000 from The Dominion Foundation to support historical programs and to expand programs that better prepare minority students for success.

"Dominion is pleased to support these programs because they are of tremendous benefit to their local communities," said Paul D. Koonce, chief executive officer of Dominion Virginia Power. "Black History Month is a particularly noteworthy time to honor and support the contributions these organizations make to the cultural and educational life of Virginia."

"Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names"

Dominion has awarded $100,000 to help the Library of Virginia partner with the Virginia Historical Society to expand the online database, "Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names." Through a prior grant from Dominion, the Virginia Historical Society launched the online database in September 2011 with about 1,500 names of enslaved people in the database. It now has the names of about 9,000 enslaved people and about 1,200 slave owners. Through the latest grant, the Library of Virginia will add its collection of Chancery Records pertaining to more than 43,000 enslaved people. The expansion will provide countless citizens with information to research their ancestors and family history.

Jefferson School Foundation in Charlottesville

Dominion has awarded $150,000 to the Jefferson School Foundation in Charlottesville to support renovations to its auditorium, part of the African American Heritage Center. The multi-purpose auditorium will house the permanent, interactive exhibit, Pride Overcomes Prejudice, which describes the role the historic Jefferson School played in civil rights, locally and nationally.

Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

Dominion awarded two grants to support programs marking the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation:

• The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Commission of the Virginia General Assembly received $50,000 to support the commonwealth's programs commemorating the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
• The Northern Virginia Urban League is partnering with the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Authority to launch a year of celebratory events at the Freedom House Museum to mark the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights March on Washington. Dominion is supporting the project with a grant of $25,000. The Freedom House Museum, formerly the headquarters of Franklin, Armfield and Company, which housed the largest domestic slave trading in the country, now provides exhibits and educational programs.

Educational Grants

Dominion also awarded $25,000 to each of the following organizations:

• The Crispus Attucks Cultural Center (CACC) in Norfolk to provide comprehensive tutoring to help students master Virginia's standardized tests in reading/language arts and mathematics. The grant is to reinstitute an academic enrichment program that had been suspended for lack of funds. In 2012, RISE! (Rhythm in Setting Expectations) was one of 12 after-school programs across the country to receive a Presidential award, honoring programs that enhance creative learning, improve academic scores and graduation rates, teach life skills and develop positive relationships between peers and adults. The CACC is the expansion of a historical theatre named in honor of Crispus Attucks, an African American who was the first patriot to lose his life in the Revolutionary War.
• The Gloucester Institute for its "Emerging Leaders Program" to train African American and Latino college student leaders next summer to develop skills in writing, financial literacy and personal branding. The Institute's Holly Knoll was once the home of Robert Russa Moton, a prominent black educator in the early 20^th century. The home was also a retreat for African American leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr.
• The Robert Russa Moton Museum in Farmville to capture oral histories of Prince Edward County students and families who played an important role in moving America from segregation toward integration. These oral histories will serve as primary source materials for educators, students and researchers. The museum is in the former Moton High School, where a student-led strike over inferior "separate but equal" education led to the U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision in 1954 requiring equal education for all.

Dominion Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE: D), one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,400 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

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SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power