Learning About Legacy: Winchester to Celebrate Black History Month

Published on January 28, 2025

Every February, during Black History Month, we remember African Americans’ tremendous contributions to our national history, culture, and life. No matter our background, Black History Month is an opportunity to learn about and better appreciate African Americans’ experiences while promoting equality and understanding.

Did you know that Black History Month dates to 1915? That’s when Virginia native Professor Carter G. Woodson invited thousands of African Americans from across the country to visit Chicago to highlight their people’s progress since emancipation. Over the years, the event grew in importance until President Gerald Ford formally declared Black History Month on February 10, 1976.

Closer to home, African Americans have lived, worked, and studied in Winchester for nearly three centuries… while helping make it the great City it is today. Over the years, members of the Black community in Winchester ran successful businesses ranging from restaurants to newspapers and built churches, schools, and nurseries. They also served their fellow citizens as doctors, nurses, teachers, soldiers, and many other ways.

A great way to learn about African Americans’ contributions to our area is to take the African American Heritage Self-Guided Driving Tour organized by the Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Tourism Bureau and the Regional Black History Task Force. The

Tour includes three stops with new interpretive markers that explain the historic significance of the site. The sites include John Mann Methodist Church, Finley’s Recreation Center, and the Evans family home. Apart from the Tour, you can check out three additional African American historic markers in Stephens City, including the Orrick Chapel, Rosenwald School, and Crossroads/Freetown.

In addition to the Heritage Tour, Winchester proudly boasts a range of Black History Month activities this year, from Gospel Tribute Concerts to trivia nights and even an essay contest.

Essay Contest