Recently, the library has been digitizing historical documents and pictures that are stored in the Virginia Room at the Central Library.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.
