Virginia
JANUARY 2026
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A new interactive story map is charting Black history across the Mid‑Atlantic, highlighting sites from beaches and parks to cultural landmarks that have shaped African American life in the Chesapeake Bay region.
The project aims to preserve and make visible stories that too often go untold by documenting places of historical significance and encouraging deeper engagement with the region’s Black past.
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A Virginia school board’s decision to restore Confederate names to two public schools is now facing a federal trial because students and the NAACP say it discriminates and violates their rights.
Plaintiffs argue that naming schools after Confederate figures creates a hostile learning environment and forces students to carry a message rooted in racial exclusion, while testimony in court has highlighted the emotional and historical harm such symbols can have on Black students.
Event Reported: December 9th, 2025
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Barbara Rose Johns is finally getting her due with a statue at the U.S. Capitol.
The Virginia civil rights hero, whose 1951 student‑led school strike helped launch the fight against school segregation, will now be immortalized in bronze — a long overdue tribute that signals how deeply Black activism has shaped American history.
Event Reported: December 16th, 2025