Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project
Environment and Social Justice Committee Chair Lisa McQuail has been named to the Board of Directors of the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project (SVBHP). She will serve as a White ally from Page County, alongside longtime county residents Del Price and Audrey Tutt-Smith.
Projects in Page County will include African-American Cemetery cleanup and preservation, and documenting the teachers at the Andrew Jackson School from 1868 until the end of desegregation, a project put on hold due to COVID library closures. The SVBHP also would like us to resume interviewing alumni of the Andrew Jackson School, built in Luray for Black students during segregation (see more about the school below).
Volunteers for all three of these projects are very welcome! Some of the work, including transcribing data from any of the three projects, can be done remotely from your home. If interested, please contact Lisa at bmcquail@gmail.com.
Black Heritage Events
Upcoming events from the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project:
August 6–7
Roots Run Deep, an African American History event in Harrisonburg, VA
September 18
A Day of Celebration, at Riverside Park in Elkton, VA, will feature a Black Baseball Reunion, Soul Food History and Chefs, and Gospel Music
More information can be found at www.valleyblackheritage.org
West Luray Recreation Center
The former Andrew Jackson School (named for a Black businessman and not the president of the same name) has been transformed into the West Luray Recreation Center, also known as The REC (see their Facebook page here). It offers a wide range of activities beyond recreation, including mentoring and tutoring students and hosting community meetings and events.
More on the former school’s history and activities can be found at livinglegacyluray.org/about/. Living Legacy is the sponsoring nonprofit organization responsible for supporting programs and fundraising efforts at The REC.
ESJ member Will Daniels with young people from The REC at the community garden in Luray (Page Alliance for Community Action photo)