African Americans made important contributions to the development of Arlington County since the late 1700s. Until recently, histories of Arlington often excluded or misrepresented their stories.
Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington (MEA), a project sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, brings our county’s African American history to light. Research into local records reveals the brutal truth of local enslavement in Arlington, the human cost of enslavement for all involved as well as the fortitude and resilience of the local enslaved community.
MEA honors the lives and contributions of Arlington’s once enslaved people by placing memorial plaques throughout the county at sites of enslavement.
