The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

05/25/2026

05/12/2026

Yesterday we were visited by Jackie Defuso, news correspondent for Hearst Television which supplies news for stations across the country .
Hearst is working on a series marking America's 250th anniversary, including a story tracing the history of voting rights and where we are today.
We were honored to host them as they interviewed one of our local civil rights heroes, Mrs. Portia A. Haskins.

Portia Haskins is a key figure in the civil rights history of Arlington, Virginia, specifically regarding the fight to eliminate the poll tax. A native of the historic Halls Hill neighborhood (now High View Park), she played a pivotal role in challenging the discriminatory voting laws that persisted in Virginia well into the 1960s.

The Poll Tax in Virginia:
Starting with the 1902 State Constitution, Virginia required citizens to pay a poll tax—typically $1.50 per year for the three preceding years—to be eligible to vote. This measure was explicitly designed to disenfranchise Black voters and poor white citizens. While the 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax for federal elections in 1964, Virginia attempted to maintain a "dual registration system," still requiring the tax for state and local elections.

Haskins’ Legal Challenge:
In 1965, at the age of 23, Portia Haskins attempted to vote in Arlington. Despite having paid her poll taxes and registered for federal elections, she was told she had to re-register to participate in local elections.
Working with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), she filed a lawsuit against the Virginia Board of Elections and the Arlington County general registrar. Her case, Portia A. Haskins v. Levin Nock Davis et al., argued that the dual registration system violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Legacy and Impact:
Haskins’ efforts were instrumental in the broader legal battle against voter suppression:
• Court Victory: On April 1, 1966, a Federal District Court ruled in her favor, striking down the dual registration requirement.
• Supreme Court Connection: Her struggle was part of the legal momentum that led to the landmark 1966 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, which finally declared poll taxes unconstitutional in all state and local elections.
• Community Leadership: Beyond her legal activism, she has been a long-time member of Mt. Salvation Baptist Church and recently published a book on its history.
Her story is a cornerstone of Arlington's civil rights narrative and was recently highlighted in the 2025 exhibition "From Barriers to Ballots," commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
(Dr. Scott Taylor)

05/09/2026

Be there !

Event Details
Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel
900 S. Orme Street
Arlington, VA 22204
Availability is limited, and early reservations are strongly
encouraged.
Tickets, Sponsorships, and Donations:
bit.ly/4dm6pkQ
Media & Event Inform

05/07/2026

MISS ALLEN’S STORE
One Of Halls Hill’s Longest Running Businesses

Miss Allen’s Store, located at 1821 North Columbus Street in the Halls Hill neighborhood, was a cornerstone of the community for much of the 20th century. It is remembered as the longest continuously operating business in Halls Hill, serving as a vital resource during the era of segregation when the neighborhood was largely self-reliant.
Origins and Early History
The business was originally opened in the early 1900s by a married couple, Washington ("Wash") and Rose Allen. Initially known as Allen’s Store, it was reportedly the first home-based general store in the Halls Hill/Highview Park area. The couple operated it out of their concrete-block residence, which also included a garage and a barn on the property.
After Washington Allen passed away, Rose Allen continued to run the business. It was during this period that the name evolved into "Miss Allen’s Store," reflecting the community’s respect and affection for her.
Community Significance
For generations of Halls Hill residents, the store was more than just a place to buy groceries; it was a safe social hub.
• A Neighborhood Social Spot: Children would gather there to spend pennies on candy, beef jerky, or potato chips.
• The "Bottom" Location: Situated near the area of the neighborhood known as "The Bottom," it was a regular stop for families running errands or residents looking for freshly sliced lunch meats like bologna, liverwurst, and hog's head cheese.
• Iconic Features: Longtime patrons often recall the large, round, ice-filled coolers where you had to "dig down" to find a cold soda, as well as the jars of pickled pigs' feet and pickles on the counter.
Legacy and Modern Status
Rose Allen was an active figure in local real estate as well, subdividing and selling portions of her land in the late 1960s as the neighborhood began to change.
While the store is no longer standing—the original historic structure was demolished around 2001 to make way for a new residence—its legacy is preserved through local historical initiatives. It is featured in the "Hidden Gems" walking tour of the Halls Hill/Highview Park community and remains a frequent subject of oral histories and neighborhood memoirs, symbolizing the autonomy and resilience of Arlington’s historic African American communities.
(Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor)

05/01/2026

This year marks 150 Years Of The 14th Amendement!

In June 1866 the U.S. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, which detined citizenship and guaranteed the rights of all citizens, including the newly freed enslaved population. The subsequent Reconstruction Act of 1867 by Congress required former Confederate states to hold conventions to create new state constitutions. In 1867, 105,832 freedmen registered to vote in Virginia, and 93,145 voted in the October election.

The Fourteenth Amendment has played a pivotal role in Arlington’s history, serving as the legal engine for dismantling Jim Crow and defining the rights of residents in landmark cases. Its influence in the county is most visible in three specific areas: school desegregation, public accommodations, and local governance.
School Desegregation: The Road to Stratford
While Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is the national standard-bearer for the Equal Protection Clause, the local battle began years earlier.
• Constance Carter v. School Board of Arlington County (1950): This was a critical Fourteenth Amendment "equal protection" case. Although a district judge initially dismissed it under the "separate but equal" doctrine, federal judge Martin A. Soper overturned that decision. He ruled that Arlington was failing to provide equal facilities and teacher salaries for Black students and educators.
• **Stratford Junior High (1959): Following the Brown decision and the state’s "Massive Resistance" policy, Arlington became the first jurisdiction in Virginia to desegregate. On February 2, 1959, four students—Ronald Deskins, Michael Jones, Lance Newman, and Gloria Thompson—entered Stratford Junior High. Their entry was the culmination of a decade of legal advocacy rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection.
Civil Rights and Public Spaces
The amendment was also the tool used by local activists to challenge segregation in private businesses and public gathering spots.
• **The Theater Pickets (1960–1963): Activists like Dorothy Hamm led efforts to desegregate Arlington's movie theaters (such as the Wilson and the Glebe). These efforts relied on the argument that state-enforced segregation in public entertainment violated federal rights.
• Lunch Counter Sit-ins: In 1960, organized sit-ins led to the desegregation of lunch counters across the county, applying the principle of equal access to basic public services.
Landmark Legal Precedents
Arlington has also been the site of Fourteenth Amendment cases that set national precedents for local government authority:
• Arlington County Board v. Richards (1977): This U.S. Supreme Court case involved a residential parking permit system in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood. Commuters challenged the ordinance, arguing it violated the Equal Protection Clause by discriminating between residents and non-residents. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the ordinance, ruling that a local government has a "rational basis" to protect the quality of life and environment of its residents.
Historical Context in the Landscape
The legacy of these legal battles is preserved in Arlington’s physical markers:
• The Hall’s Hill Segregation Wall: A literal reminder of the era when the Fourteenth Amendment was not yet fully realized on the ground, separating the Black neighborhood of Hall's Hill from the white Woodmont community.
• Historical Markers: Sites like Lomax AME Zion Church and the Green Valley Pharmacy stand as testaments to the communities that organized the legal and social movements necessary to force the enforcement of the amendment's protections.
Dr.Scott Edwin Taylor

05/01/2026

Halls Hill: 160 years of history! TV

04/27/2026

DESEGREGATING CHEERLEADING IN ARLINGTON

In the early 1960s, the experience of a Black cheerleader in Arlington was defined by a stark divide: the vibrant, community-centered atmosphere of the all-Black Hoffman-Boston High School versus the pioneer—and often isolating—experience of desegregating schools like Stratford Junior High or Washington-Lee.

Cheerleaders were leaders within the Black neighborhoods of Halls Hill, Johnson’s Hill, and Green Valley. They represented the excellence of a community that was being systematically under-resourced by the county.
The Desegregation Frontline: 1959–1963
For the few Black students who integrated Arlington's white schools during this window, the experience was vastly different.

To avoid in*******al social mixing, the Arlington School Board actually banned school-sponsored dances and integrated athletic competitions between 1959 and 1962. This meant that for the first waves of Black students at white schools, the traditional "social" life of a cheerleader—the pep rallies, the Friday night dances—was often stripped away or heavily restricted.

It was rare for a Black girl to be selected for a white squad in the very early 60s. Those who tried out faced a "double standard" of excellence. They had to be technically superior to their white peers while navigating an environment where the school's traditions (and sometimes its songs or mascots) were tied to a "Old South" aesthetic that was inherently unwelcoming. Debra Newman
Beat the odds and became the first African-American cheerleader in Arlington County.
She was no stranger at being a first as the brother Lance Newman ,one of the first four African-American students to attend Stratford junior high. ( the first integrated school in Virginia)

While Hoffman-Boston cheerleaders had a built-in support system, the first Black cheerleaders in integrated spaces were often "the only one." They had to endure the silent treatment from some teammates and vocal hostility from opposing fans, yet they paved the way for the more visible "revolt of the Black athlete" that would hit the region later in the decade.

By the time Hoffman-Boston closed in 1964, the "Arlington model" of integration was in full swing, but the transition meant many Black students traded the cultural warmth and leadership roles of their own institutions for the difficult work of being "the first" in a often-hostile environment.

Dr. Scott Taylor

04/23/2026

Please support !!

An original scripted reenactment brings history alive! Join us for a performance of an original play depicting an 1842 trial - Julia Roberts v. Austin Adams and Anne Harding - in which Julia Roberts, an enslaved woman, sues to win her freedom.  This script is based on original documents, notes on ...