John,

Each year, Black History Month serves as an important time to reflect on, uplift, and learn from the stories of Black Americans. And as some states and school districts make efforts to erase this history and stop telling the stories of Black Americans, across Virginia’s 7th district, there is much to be learned.

Black history is not only the story of the communities I represent, but in many cases the lived experiences of the people I represent. Their stories are present all across Virginia’s 7th district, and if you ever want to explore and learn yourself, here are a few starting points.

The African American Heritage Trail is a 75-mile tour cataloging Black Americans’ history, experiences, suffering, perseverance, and courage dating back to the early 1700s. It winds its way through Spotsylvania County, and along the way, you’ll visit the John J. Wright Museum, confront our district’s history of slavery, and learn about the strength of community organizations, especially churches, that have been pillars of community life throughout history.

In neighboring Culpeper, the George Washington Carver Regional High School once served as a multi-county high school for Black students during segregation. The school’s alumni remember the vital role of the school in their lives, and in recent years, the Carver Center has become a vital community center for educational opportunity, agricultural programming, and small business partnership, all while acknowledging and educating the community about its past.

The city of Fredericksburg has worked to record and teach its history and offers walking tours, historical guides, and educational events to ensure its residents and visitors learn from its expansive history, from its early days as a city where enslaved people were traded to the first stop in the freedom rides.

A little further south is Caroline County’s Old Jail where Richard and Mildred Loving were imprisoned after they were arrested and charged with violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924. The Lovings went on to challenge their arrest and conviction for unlawful cohabitation and it was their Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, that rendered the law in Virginia – and 15 states across the country – unconstitutional and made interracial marriage legal.

This brief overview only scratches the surface of the rich Black history in our communities that we should all learn from. This month and every day, we must all learn the stories and histories like those that exist across our district, and we must commit ourselves – constituents and lawmakers alike – to pursuing policies of fairness, equity, and justice, always.

Sincerely,
Abigail