Celebrating Black History Month

Each February, we observe Black History Month, a time in which we honor, reflect, and celebrate African-American history, hardships, and achievements in America. Over time, Tazewell County — and the state of Virginia — has been home to many prominent Black historical figures and significant sites. This month, we’re highlighting some of those stories.

Black History Month’s early roots

Did you know that Black History Month came to exist because of one Virginian’s efforts to preserve and honor Black history? 

Carter G. Woodson, considered the father of Black history, was born in New Canton, Virginia in 1875. As a scholar, educator, author, academic, and journalist, Woodson dedicated his life and career to preserving and bringing awareness to Black history, which had previously been excluded from history curriculum. 

In 1926, Woodson established “Negro History Week,” a honoring Black history in America. In 1976, a year that marked the nation’s bicentennial, February was extended into Black History Month. It’s been nearly a century since Woodson’s Black history week was first observed, and today, Black History Month is celebrated by other countries across the globe!

Historical site: Commemorating Katherine Johnson

In downtown Bluefield, Virginia, Graham Manor Apartments may look like an average apartment building, but that’s not the case. A century ago, the building was home to Tazewell County High School, where legendary NASA mathematician and physicist Katherine Goble Johnson once taught math and music.

As portrayed in the 2016 film, “Hidden Figures,” Johnson was a critical figure at NASA. Her calculations helped the nation propel astronauts into space and bring them home safely. Johnson retired from NASA in the late 1980s after 30 years of service, and a building at Langley Research Center, where she spent much of her career, was later named in her honor.  

As a West Virginia-born African-American woman in a male-dominated field, Johnson changed the course of history of both our region and our nation. In 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. 

Today, on the front exterior of Graham Manor, a plaque honors Johnson and her time spent in this space. Read more about Johnson, her life, and her contributions to the space race on NASA’s website.

Read oral history interviews about Black history in Tazewell County

When it comes to regional history books, the Tazewell County Historical Society always has recommendations. Currently, their website features two books on Black heritage in our region, including “African American Railroad Workers of Roanoke: Oral Histories of The Norfolk and Western” and “Cause I’m Colored: The Black Heritage of Tazewell County: Oral History Interviews”