Black history | ARLnow.com

Published February 18, 2014 at 12:05PM | Updated February 18, 2014 at 12:22PM

The free event will be held in the Arlington View neighborhood, on Saturday, Feb. 22, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Carver Community Center (1415 S. Queen Street). Festival-goers will be able to experience African American history and culture through food, art, and entertainment.

The event will include a “Hall of History” with unique photos and artifacts from Arlington churches and organizations, live music from the Howard University Gospel Choir, a performance by Step Afrika!, and a soul food menu by Bar-B-Que At Its Best.

Around Town

Library Photo Display Prompts Online Family Reunion

By Katie Pyzyk

Published March 15, 2012 at 2:45PM

Recently, the library has been digitizing historical documents and pictures that are stored in the Virginia Room at the Central Library. One of the collections was posted online just in time for Black History Month in February. The Ernest E. Johnson Collection, 1948-1955, features photos from when the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation was still segregated and had its own “Negro Recreation Section.” Johnson directed the section and was vital in advancing the desegregation of Arlington’s community activities.

A woman who works at Long Branch Elementary saw the photos while doing research for another project, and realized many of them included her family members. That’s when she got on the phone with her cousin, Kathlyn James Avila.