2020-21 BTC Calendar: A. Raleigh Marshall

As an adviser to both the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement at JMU and the Montpelier Foundation, Raleigh Marshall (’05) helps both organizations tell a more complete history of our nation’s beginnings. That means including the stories of enslaved African Americans whose labor allowed their owners the luxury of time to debate, draft the founding documents and decide important matters of state. Marshall’s third-great-grandfather, Paul Jennings, played a particularly important role, as he served James Madison both at Montpelier and in the White House. He later purchased his freedom, established a home and raised a family in Washington’s free black community, and was an important abolitionist. In 2019 JMU named a residence hall after him. Both Raleigh and his wife, Nikki ('07), attended the opening of Paul Jennings Hall, where he gave remarks, praising JMU for “taking a historic step and leading by example.”