Absolon Kent

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Hidden in the heart of today's Lake Ridge community is the remarkable story of Agnewville—also known as Chinntown and Smoketown—a thriving African American community built by the Chinn family after emancipation.

Beginning with Thomas and Mary Jane Chinn and their eight sons, the family purchased nearly 500 acres, creating a vibrant community with homes, a post office, general store, restaurant, gaming hall, and Mount Olive Baptist Church, where generations of the Chinn family are still laid to rest.

Although Agnewville gradually disappeared as transportation routes changed and the area was redeveloped, its legacy lives on through the Prince William County Historical Commission marker that honors the resilience, entrepreneurship, and vision of a family who transformed freedom into opportunity for generations.

Every historical marker tells a story—and this one reminds us that communities can disappear from the landscape but never from history.

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OCCOQUAN, Va. — The Ebenezer Baptist Church in Occoquan was founded in 1883 by Rev. Lewis Henry Bailey, who was born into slavery, separated from his family, sold to Texas, and after emancipation walked back to Northern Virginia to reunite with them.

The church's story is one of faith, perseverance, and community. Now recognized with a Town of Occoquan historical marker and as part of the Prince William County African American History Trail, Ebenezer continues to honor a remarkable legacy that has endured for more than 140 years.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The wonderful solo art show Smiles Welcomed, featuring the artwork of professional artist Nancy M. Patrick, opened this weekend at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in The Art League Gallery.

I attended the show’s opening reception and artist interview session on Friday evening and was amazed by the creativity and visual expression as Nancy brought science fiction and nature together through her pieces in the show. I’m glad I was able to be part of such a memorable event.

For those in the DMV area, I encourage you to take time to stop by the gallery, enjoy the artwork, and support local arts while you’re there.

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ARLINGTON, Va. — On February 2, 1959, Stratford Junior High School became the first public school in Virginia to desegregate, marking a pivotal moment in the Commonwealth's Civil Rights history and signaling the collapse of the state's policy of Massive Resistance.
Constructed in 1950, Stratford became the focus of a legal and political battle that followed the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education. After years of litigation led by the NAACP and local activist Dorothy Hamm, a federal court ordered Arlington County to admit four Black students—Ronald Deskins, Michael Jones, Lance Newman, and Gloria Thompson—to the previously all-white school.

Despite threats from segregationist organizations and the presence of approximately 100 police officers on the morning of February 2, 1959, the four students entered the school peacefully. Principal Claude Richmond welcomed them, classes proceeded without violence, and the day became known by the Anti-Defamation League as "The Day Nothing Happened." That quiet success marked the beginning of the end for Massive Resistance across Virginia.

Today, the campus is home to Dorothy Hamm Middle School, renamed in 2019 to honor the Arlington activist whose determination helped make school desegregation a reality. The Stratford Commemorative Trail on the school's campus was dedicated in 2021 and preserves the story of the four students whose courage changed Virginia history.

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