Historical Markers Contest Sought For Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — On Tuesday, several Fairfax County supervisors presented a board matter proposing a Historical Marker Contest to be held starting in 2022.

The contest is geared toward telling underrepresented stories of Fairfax County through new historical markers. Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik presented the board matter along with Chairman Jeff McKay, Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, and Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith.

The contest proposed would have similarities to the statewide one held by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Virginia's Black History Month Historical Marker Contest was introduced in 2020 and held for a second year this February. The contest invited residents to learn about African Americans who contributed to Virginia history and submit ideas for historical markers. The five historical markers announced by Northam in February were chosen by students. Three of those markers were ideas from Fairfax County's own Kings Glen Elementary students.

In addition, one of the historical markers chosen by Northam in 2020 was recently unveiled in Fairfax County. The historical marker honoring Ona Judge, a woman born into slavery at Mount Vernon and who escaped from the Washingtons, was unveiled on Juneteenth. That historical marker had been nominated by students of Fairfax County's Laurel Ridge Elementary School

Fairfax County's inaugural historical marker contest will also focus on history of African American communities. The supervisors hope to expand the program in future years to tell other underrepresented stories.

The Fairfax County History Commission will work with Fairfax County Public Schools and the school board with support from the public affairs, management and budget, facilities management, and equity offices on the contest. The contest will be open to all county students and incorporated into FCPS social studies curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12.

The board will seek a formal plan for the contest to be completed by Nov. 1 in preparation for the contest launching in January 2022. The board seeks a committee with representatives appointed by each supervisor, as well as representatives from FCPS student equity leads, George Mason University, NAACP Youth Council and Black Chamber of Commerce. That committee will work on contest rules and vote on the historical markers to be put in each supervisor district next year. The board also seeks a consideration item to fund up to nine historical markers at $2,700 in the fiscal year 2023 budget.

Fairfax County's historical marker program dates back to 1998. To date, there are 53 historical markers honoring people, places, or events of regional, statewide, or national significance in Fairfax County. Ten of these represent the African American communities: Bethlehem Baptist Church, Carrolltown, Cartersville Baptist Church, David R. Pinn Community Center, Laurel Grove Colored School and Church, Luther P. Jackson High School, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Odrick's Corner, The Pines, and Shiloh Baptist Church.The Inaugural Historical Marker Contest will focus on the African American history of Fairfax County, and allow new stories to be shared with our community. It will helpensure a more comprehensive and inclusive retelling of the diverse and rich stories that helped created the Fairfax County of today. The program will focus on narratives and oral histories of our African American communities, whose history,

A full list of historical markers in Fairfax County is available online.