Julia Sues for Freedom:

When Jessica mentioned that one enslaved woman went to court to sue for her freedom, and that her case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, I asked her for more information. In March 2025, Jessica obliged with links to the court documents and two articles on Julia Roberts v. Austin Adams and Anne Harding. AHS Board member (and lawyer) Sean Denniston gave me further guidance on locating legal documents online.

Zane Killgo

Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Arlington County, Killgo’s artistic practice explores the complex narratives of changing neighborhoods, with a particular focus on gentrification, displacement, and community resilience. Drawing on personal experience and deep engagement with diverse communities, his work captures the lived realities of the African-American community and other voices often marginalized in discussions about urban change.

Judge William T. Newman, Jr.

In 1987, he was elected to the Arlington County Board, becoming the first African American elected to the board since Reconstruction.

From Barriers to Ballots

Now on view at the Arlington Historical Museum, From Barriers to Ballots explores the long and ongoing struggle for voting rights in Virginia.

John Boston

By late 1861, US troops had completed the construction of numerous fortifications in Arlington to defend Washington DC.  While the forts had a military purpose, they also became beacons of freedom to  thousands of refugees fleeing slavery.

MEA Website

Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington now has its own website.

Dedication Ceremony

The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington will be unveiling the first of a series of "Stumbling Stones." These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county (and our country).

Nimrod Burke

Nimrod Burke (circa 1836–1914) was a Black soldier, scout, and patriot who fought for the United States Army during the Civil War. Born in Prince William County Virginia, Burke escaped to Ohio, where he built a life as a free man. He worked as a handyman under Marietta, Ohio, attorney and abolitionist Melvin Clarke.

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