Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia has a long history with great historical importance. It is the city of my birth, so Norfolk,
Virginia is my hometown. I remember as a young child of hearing stories about Norfolk. Today, it is certainly
time to show its history and its culture in 2016. It is a city that has the second largest population in any city
of Virginia. It has the largest Naval base in the world. It is found in the Elizabeth River, the Chesapeake Bay,
and it surrounds the Lafayette River. To the North of Norfolk, we have Newport News, Hampton,
Williamsburg, and other locations. To the east of Norfolk lies Virginia Beach. To the south of Norfolk is
Chesapeake. Portsmouth and Suffolk is to the west of Norfolk too. All of these locations make up the major
cities of Hampton Roads (which is the region that is found in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North
Carolina). Norfolk is an independent city with many diverse people. It has been through economic issues,
racial tensions, and educational problems. Yet, it is still in existence today. As a military oriented city, NATO
people, Naval people, Army people, and other people of the military are found here. Numerous
neighborhoods in Norfolk (like from Downtown to Norview, Park Place, Ocean View, Berkeley, Olde
Huntersville, Park Place, Lamberts Point, Sherwood Forrest, Berkeley, Titus town, Young Park, Coleman
Place, Ballentine Place, etc.) go back long decades and centuries. Today, Norfolk is growing and it was
founded in 1682. It is the corporate headquarters of Norfolk Southern Railway, which is one of North
Americas principal Class I railroads and Maersk Line, Limited (which manages the worlds largest fleet of
U.S. flag vessels). Norfolk, Virginia is surrounded by interstate highways, bridges, and tunnels.

In the beginning, Norfolk, Virginia was inhabited by Native Americans. Native Americans lived in Virginia
from ca. 9,500 B.C. In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh (or an European explorer) searched for a place to establish a
permanent English settlement in North America. In mid-July of that year, two of his ships landed in
Roanoke Island (or Dare County today). They found the Chesepian Native Americans there according to the
journal of Arthur Barlowe (or one of Raleighs commanders). Barlowe mentioned that the local Chesepians
claimed that a nearby city called Skicoak, which was the Chesepians greatest city. The real location of
Shicoak has been undetermined. The colony of Raleigh disappeared mysteriously. Jamestown settlers came
to Cape Henry (or in Virginia Beach) by April 1607. They found no traces of Skicoak. William Stracheys The
Historie of Travaile into Virginia Britanica from 1612 mentioned that the Chesepians had been wiped out
by Chief Wahunsunacock (or known as Chief Powhatan), the head of the Virginia Peninsula based Powhatan
Confederacy in the intervening years. The Powhatan had huge power in Hampton Roads centuries ago.

The image to the left is a statue of Pocahontas.

The Colonial Era

The Native Americans continued to live in the land, but more Europeans traveled into Virginia. From 1607
to 1775 was the time period of the colonial period in Norfolk, Virginia. The Governor of the Virginia Colony
in 1607 was Sir George Yeardley. In that year, he formed four incorporations (called citties) for the
developed part of the colony of Virginia. The citties were to form the basis of the government of the colony.
This government of the colony was part of the newly created House of Burgesses. The southeastern portion
of Hampton Roads was under the Elizabeth Cittie incorporation. In 1622, Adam Thoroughgood (1604-1640)
of Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England was one of the first Englishmen to settle in the area of South Hampton
Roads which included Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, etc. Adam was an indentured
servant and he had to pay for the passage to the Virginia Colony. After being an indentured servant, he was
a leading citizen of the fledgling colony.
At the same time, there were struggles at Jamestown. The Virginia Colony became bankrupt and had its
royal charter revoked by King James I in 1624. Virginia became a crown colony. At this time, King James
gave 500 acres of land to Thomas Willoughby in what is now the Ocean View section of the city. Willoughby
spit is named after Thomas Willoughby. During this time, the population of the Virginia colony about 5,000
people. In 1629, Thoroughgood was elected to the House of Burgesses for Elizabeth Cittie. Five years later,
in 1634, the King had the colony reorganized under a system of 8 shires, with much of the Hampton Roads
region becoming part of Elizabeth City Shire. In 1636, Thoroughgood was granted a large land holding along
the Lynnhaven River for having persuaded 105 people to settle in the colony. Thoroughgood is also credited
with suggesting the name of Norfolk, in honor of his birthplace. New Norfolk County was created when the

South Hampton Roads portion of Elizabeth City Shire was partitioned off in that same year. During this
reorganization, King James gave another 200 acres to Willoughby.
This land would be the city of Norfolk in the future. By 1637, New Norfolk County was split into two
counties. They were Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County. The modern city of Norfolk is located
in Lower Norfolk. The English couple William and Susannah Moseley migrated with their family to Lower
Norfolk County in 1649. On the Eastern Branch Elizabeth River or 5 miles from Norfolk, they built a manor
with the Dutch style gambrel roof. This was called Rolleston Hall. It stood up for more than 200 years until it
was burned down in the late 19th century. The evil of slavery existed in Norfolk too. By 1670, a royal decree
from England wanted the building of storehouses to receive imported merchandise... and tobacco for
export" for each of the colony's 20 counties. This marked the beginning of Norfolk's importance as a port
city, due to its natural deepwater channels. Soon after 1673, the "Half Moone" fort at the site of what is
now Town Pointe Park. This fort was constructed due to feared attack by the Dutch, but this threat did not
materialize. Norfolk quickly grew in size, and by 1682 a charter for the establishment of the "Towne of
Lower Norfolk County" had been issued by Parliament. Norfolk was one of only three cities in the Virginia
Colony to receive a royal charter, the other two being Jamestown and Williamsburg. The town at first was
part of a land northeast of the point of the confluence of the Eastern and Southern Branches of the
Elizabeth River (that point is in downtown). By 1691, a final county subdivision took place when Lower
Norfolk County was split to form Norfolk County (which is present Day Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of
Portsmouth) and Princess Anne County (or present day Virginia Beach). Norfolk was incorporated in 1705
and re-charted as a borough in 1736. In 1756, Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddle presented the growing city of
4,000 (or Norfolk) with a 41 inch long, 104 ounce silver mace. The mace was a symbol of the royal authority
and is currently displayed in the Chrysler Museum of Art.
By 1774, Norfolk developed into one of the most prosperous cities in Virginia. It was a major shipbuilding
center and an important trans-shipment point for the export of goods like tobacco, corn, cotton, and
timber from Virginia, North Carolina, to the British Isles and beyond. Goods from the West Indies like rum
and sugar including finished manufactured products from England were imported back through Norfolk and
shipped to the rest of the lower colonies. Much of the West Indies and American colonial products that
flowed through the harbor were by this time produced with the use of slave labor.

The Revolutionary War

Norfolk was a strong base of Loyalist support throughout the start of the American Revolution. A Loyalist is
a person who lived in America, but this person supported the British Crown plus the redcoats. In the early
summer of 1775, Lord Dunmore (the last Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia) tried to reestablish
control of the colony from Norfolk. In November, a battle took place at Kemps Landing. This provided
Dunmore and the loyalists a clear victory. Yet, the war was escalating. The governor immediately issued
Dunmores Proclamation. This promised freedom to any rebel-owned slave who joined His Majestys forces.
At the end of November, Dunmore set up a stronghold in Norfolk. He demolished 30 houses in the course
of its construction. A few days later, based on false intelligence received, Dunmore's 600 soldiers were
defeated in the Battle of Great Bridge, where 102 of Dunmore's soldiers were killed or injured, compared
with just one injured soldier for the patriots. Dunmore and their loyalists fled Norfolk and boarded their
ship, thus ending 168 years of British colonial rule in Virginia.

A Painting (to the right) of the burning of Norfolk, Virginia in 1776.

Dunmore remained in the river off Norfolk with a small squadron of armed ships and on New Year's Day
1776, Lord Dunmore's ships began a bombardment that escalated into the Burning of Norfolk. British
troops also went ashore to burn down all the waterfront buildings- and thus played right into the hands of
their enemies. The rebels were quite happy to see a largely Loyalist city destroyed, happier still to be able
to blame it on the British, and over the next two days they encouraged the spread of fires, while looting
unburned houses. The Virginia Assembly found that of the 882 houses burned during the two days, only 19
had been set alight by the British. A further 416- in effect all that remained standing- were destroyed in
February 1776 to prevent the British from using them as cover if they returned. Only Saint Paul's Episcopal
Church survived the bombardment and subsequent fires, however the church was dented by a cannonball
fired by the Liverpool. In 1792, the Myers House was constructed after the Revolutionary War. It was one of
the first brick buildings to be constructed after the Revolution. It was built by the famous Moses Myers
(who was a shipping merchant who came to Norfolk in 1787 from New York).

The Antebellum Period

The antebellum period of Norfolk, Virginia lasted from 1783 to 1861. 4 years after the Revolutionary War, a
fire existed on the citys waterfront. It destroyed 300 buildings and the city experienced a serious economic
setback. By the turn of the 19th century, Fort Norfolk was constructed by the Federal government to guard
the harbor. In 1800, the First Baptist Church on Bute Street was established in Norfolk as the citys first
predominantly black congregation. In 1801, the first Continental Navy Yard was established in Norfolk, VA.
During the 1820s, the agricultural communities of South Hampton Roads experienced a recession. This
resulted in the emigration of families from the region to other areas of the South like in the frontier areas
being opened for settlement. From 1820 to 1830, there was a drop in overall population of about 15,000 in
Norfolk, despite the fact that other urban areas experienced significant population growth. Southern states
like Virginia including other states had slavery. Virginia had a mixed agricultural economy. Some people
wanted slavery to be phased out via law (like Thomas Jefferson Randolphs 1832 resolution) or repatriate
black people to Africa to establish a colony in Liberia. The American Colonization Society (ACS), established
in 1816, was the largest of groups founded for that purpose. Many emigrants from Virginia and North
Carolina embarked for Africa from Norfolk. One such emigrant was Joseph Jenkins Roberts (an African
American man), a native of Norfolk who would go on to become the first president of Liberia. Active
emigration through the ACS came to an end following the Civil War. In 1824, French soldier and statesman
Marquis de Lafayette (who was involved in the American and French Revolutions) revisited Norfolk and
Portsmouth. He goes to a Grand Ball.

After the Nat Turner slave rebellion, the Virginia Legislature in its 1831-1832 made it illegal to teach African
Americans to read and write. People still fought back against that unjust decision. Mary Kelsey (Mary
Peake) was a Norfolk free black woman who taught slaves and free African Americans to read and write.
In 1840, Norfolks population was 10,920 for the borough proper (not including the rest of the county).
Education and culture developed. By 1841, there was an ambition new school building completed for
Norfolk Academy. It was designed by Homas U. Walter. He wanted it to be a replica of the temple of
Theseus in Athens. In 1845, Norfolk was incorporated as a city. In 1850, the citys population was about
14,000 persons including 4,000 enslaved African Americans and 1,000 free African Americans. There was
the growth of transportation. In 1832 the steam ferry Gosport began service, linking Norfolk and
Portsmouth. In 1851, the Commonwealth authorized the charter of an 80-mile (130 km) railroad connecting
busy port of Norfolk and the growing industrial city of Petersburg. Completed in 1858, this important line
was the predecessor of today's Norfolk Southern Railway. By 1855, yellow fever existed in Norfolk,
Portsmouth, and other areas of Hampton Roads. It caused by the ship Benjamin Franklin coming into
Portsmouth for urgent repairs. The citys health officer found something strange. The ship was held in
anchor in harbor for 11 days. The captain claimed that the ship was free of disease. Days of the ships
docking, yellow fever came to people whose homes were near the wharf. In July, the epidemic was in full
outbreak in Hampton Roads. Over 3,000 people in the region and 2,000 of them in Norfolk died. In its peak,
100 people died per day in Norfolk alone. In January 10, 1854, a judge sentenced Margaret Douglas or a
Norfolk native white woman to serve a month in jail for teaching African American children to read and
write. In 1856 the Sisters of Charity founded St. Vincent's Hospital, in part as a reaction to the previous
year's epidemic. The population didnt reach its 1850 census again until after the Civil War.
Near the Harbor Park baseball field, there were Underground Railroad escape routes. The Underground
Railroad was a system of paths in America where slaves would go into, so they can escape into North and
some went into Canada. His network was made up of black people and white people in creating safe
houses. There were scouts, and other leaders who freed thousands of slaves. In Norfolk, Virginia, the route
was in Higgins Wharf and Wrights Wharf leading to the Elizabeth River. So, slaves would go into the area
near Harbor Park. They would secretly board ships sailing for the North like the Augusta. The ships would
charge legal passengers $7 dollars for passage to New York (meals included) in the mid-nineteenth century,
departing Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 6:30 a.m. Abolitionists helped the Underground Railroad
in massive ways.

We will fight for liberation and

justice for all.

The image to the right shows the images of Union soldier William Harvey Carney. He was born
in Norfolk, Virginia. He escaped slavery won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery
during the Civil War on July 18, 1863 (the first Black soldier to receive the coveted award).
Sargent Carney, a member of the 54th Massachusetts Colored infantry was wounded twice
during the charge on Fort Wagner, S.C. while rescuing the Union Flag. Brother William Carney
is a great hero and he passed away on December 9, 1908 in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
RIP William Harvey Carney

The Civil War

The American Civil War was one of the most important events in human history. Norfolk, Virginia had a
huge amount of history in the Civil War. By early 1861, Norfolk voters instructed their delegate to vote for
the ratification of the ordinance of secession. Soon, Virginia voted to secede from the Union. Richmond
became the capital of the Confederacy and the Civil War started. When Virginia joined the Confederacy,
they demanded the surrender of all Federal property in their state, including the Norfolk Navy Yard (then
called Gosport Shipyard). Failure for an elaborate Confederate ruse orchestrated by civilian railroad builder,
and future Confederate general (William Mahone) the Union shipyard commander Charles Stewart
McCauley ordered the burning of the shipyard and the evacuation of its personal to Fort Monroe across the
Hampton Roads. The capture of the shipyard allowed a tremendous amount of war material to fall into
Confederate hands including the remains of the burned and scuttled naval frigate USS Merrimac.
In 1861, Mary A. Peake taught newly freed African American children and adults under an oak tree in
Hampton. This was later called Emancipation Oak. In 1863, this was the location of the first reading of the
Emancipation of Proclamation in the South. It would be the future home of Hampton Normal and
Agricultural Institute or Hampton University today. In the spring of 1862, the remains of the USS Merrimac
were rebuilt at Norfolk Navy Yard as an ironclad. It was remained the CSS Virginia. The Battle of Hampton
Roads began on March 8, 1862.

The battle would ultimately ended in a stalemate however, as neither navy was able to do significant
damage to the other due to the heavy armor plating. Over the next several months, CSS Virginia tried in
vain to engage the Monitor, but the USS Monitor was under strict orders not to fight unless absolutely
necessary. On May 6, while the Union Army under General B. McClellan was fighting the Peninsula
Campaign, President Abraham Lincoln visited Fort Monroe (in Hampton, Virginia) across Hampton Roads.
Recognizing the value of Norfolk, Abraham Lincoln decided to create a plan to capture the city and thus
eliminate the base of the CSS Virginia. On May 8, Union ships including the USS Monitor and batteries on
Fort Wool opened fire on the Confederate batteries on Sewells Point. Only the approach of the CSS Virginia
drove the Union ships back to the protection of Fort Monroe. At this point, Lincoln directed the invasion to
be on Willoughby Spit (or on Ocean View), away from the Confederate batteries, the next day. On the
morning of May 10, 1862, General John Wool landed 6,000 Union soldiers on Willoughby Spit. Within
hours, the Union troops arrived at Norfolk. Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city without firing a shot.
For the duration of the Civil War, the city was held under Martial law. The Union (under the command of
General Benjamin Butler) occupied Norfolk, Virginia from 1862 to 1865. African Americans made up 16
percent of the Unions North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Many private and public buildings were
confiscated for federal use, including nearby plantations. Mayor Lamb did manage to successfully hide the
city's colonial era silver mace underneath a fireplace hearth to avoid having it confiscated or melted down
by union troops. Enslaved African American in Norfolk didnt wait until the end of the war to be
emancipated.
With the arrival of Union troops, thousands of slaves escaped to Norfolk and Fort Monroe to claim their
freedom. Even before the arrival of northern missionaries, African American began to set up schools for
children and adults both. In 1864, General Benjamin Butler of the Union (he was the commander of Union
forces) turned over the citys white schools to the African American community. At the end of the Civil War,
those schools were taken back by the white community. Later, African Americans developed their own
schools in their own neighborhoods.

Reconstruction and the Early 20th Century

Reconstruction in Norfolk, Virginia saw the construction of African Americans schools and other forms of
black infrastructure. In 1867, the American Missionary Association with the assistance of the Freedmans
Bureau opens four schools in Norfolk to serve African American children. The end of Reconstruction in
Norfolk came in 1870. In 1871, Norfolk created formal public education for black children. African
Americans school advocates Joseph T. Wilson and Thomas Bayne lead the effort to create a school for
African Americans in each ward of the city. In 1879, the Virginia General Assembly approved a plan that
mandated public schools to be established statewide for all children. Yet, it wasnt enforced equally and
schools were segregated by force. There were no parts of the policy to advocate for equal funding and
facilities. This was in violation of the 14th Amendment, which required states to apply their laws equally to
all people and not discriminate on the basis of race or color. Union troops withdrew from Norfolk and
Virginia was readmitted to the Union. During this time, African Americans throughout Hampton Roads were
elected to state and local offices. Gradually, they were restricted from office and voting by the whites'
paramilitary violence and intimidation, and increasingly discriminatory legislation, including Jim Crow Laws
to control work, segregated public facilities and transportation, and other aspects of life. In 1883, the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church opened Mission College in Norfolk to provide secondary
education for African American children.
In 1902, Virginia joined other Southern states in creating a new constitution. This new constitution
disfranchised all African Americans via creating new blocks to voter registered that were selectively and
subjectively applied against black people in Virginia. White supremacists wanted evil oppression against
black people. From 1900 to 1904, estimated black voter turnout in the Presidential elections in Virginia

dropped to zero. African Americans would not regain the ability to exercise suffrage and full civil rights until
their activism in the Civil Rights Movement secured passage of federal legislation in the mid-1960s. Despite
this severe restriction, many African Americans created families, churches, schools, community
organizations and stable lives for themselves. Many became landowners and farmed small plots in the
Norfolk area. The area's turn to mixed agriculture before the Civil War created a more favorable
environment for small plots and mixed produce. In 1883, the first car of bituminous coal arrived form the
Pocahontas fields over the Norfolk & Western Railway and by 1886, the tracks were extended right up to
the coal piers at Lamberts Point to handle the increasing volume, creating one of the largest coal
transshipment ports in the world. In 1894, classes began in the city's first public high school. That same
year the new technology of the electric street railway was introduced to Norfolk and would, within ten
years, link Norfolk with Sewell's Point, Ocean View, South Norfolk, Berkeley, Pinner's Point (all of which
were independent communities within Norfolk County at that time), and the neighboring City of
Portsmouth.
In 1907, the Abraham Doumar family moves to Norfolk and sets up an ice cream concession at Ocean View
Park. In 1904, at the St. Louis Exposition, the Doumars were credited with inventing the ice cream cone. In
1905 they made the first ice cream cone machine, which is still in use at Doumar's Restaurant today. 1907
brought both the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell's Point. The large Naval Review
at the Exposition demonstrated the peninsula's favorable location, laying the groundwork for the world's
largest naval base. 1907 was the 300th year anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. That exposition
brought many people to Hampton Roads like President Theodore Roosevelt, congressmen, Senators, and
diplomas from 21 countries. Henry Huttleston Rogers and Mark Twain also attended the expo. Many naval
ships from different countries were present for the celebration. The area where the exposition took would
become Naval Air Station Hampton Roads, later Naval Station Norfolk, ten years later in 1917, during the
height of World War I. During the early 20th century, many changes came into Hampton Roads.
In 1911, John T. West Elementary School Principal David Gilbert Jacox petitioned the state School Board for
high school classes. In 1914, the Virginia State Board of Education approved his request to form the first
accredited African American high school in Virginia. It graduated it first high school in 1914 named John T.
West High School. It was renamed Booker T. Washington High School in 1917. In 1924, Booker T.
Washington High School was moved to the newly constructed building on Princess Anne Road. There was a
junior high school in the north wing of the building.

John Mercer Langton was the first African American to represent Virginia in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
There were resort areas growing in the remote areas along the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Norfolk residents embraced the concept of the day trips to the beaches. Ocean View on the bay in Norfolk
County was originally surveyed for lots before the war. Yet, there was an establishment of a 9 mile (14 km)
long narrow gauge steam passenger railroad service between downtown Norfolk and Ocean View. It
crossed of what was then known as Tanners Creek (later renamed Lafayette River) brought the masses.
The railroad was at first called Ocean View Railroad. It was later called the Norfolk and Ocean View
Railroad. A small steam locomotive named the General William B. Mahone hauled ever increasing volumes
of passengers, primarily on the weekends. Similarly, the Norfolk & Virginia Beach Railway inaugurated rail
service in 1883 to the rural community of Seatack located on the Atlantic Ocean in the Princess Anne
County. The oceanfront area at Seatack was the areas first resort hotel. Attendance in the hotel improved.
The steam powered services between downtown Norfolk and the beaches at Ocean View and Seatack were
later replaced by electric powered trolley cars. These in turn, were later replaced by highways and the
automobile. Cottage Toll Road, later largely superseded by Tidewater Drive led to Ocean View. Leading
from Norfolk to Seatack, where the resort strip became known as Virginia Beach, in 1922, the new hardsurfaced Virginia Beach Boulevard was a major factor in the growth of the Oceanfront town and adjacent
portions of Princess Anne County.

Ocean View gradually evolved into a streetcar suburb, and was annexed by Norfolk in 1923. Virginia Beach
became an incorporated town in 1906, and an independent city of the second class in 1952, sharing courts
and some constitutional officers with Princess Anne County. 11 years later, the 2-square-mile (5.2 km2) city
was politically consolidated with county (which was 100 times larger in land area)to form the modern City
of Virginia Beach, now the City of Norfolk's neighbor to the east, part of a wave of political consolidations in
the Hampton Roads region which took place between 1952 and 1976.

This is at the corner of Church Street & Brambleton Avenue

Decades ago, Norfolk, Virginias Church Street was home to a wide diverse array of culture, businesses,
restaurants, and other strong institutions. Church Street was once called the Harlem of the South. Church
Street had a community that produced its own culture and has a great history. He Church Street Five back
then was a band that backed some he legendary vocalists and artists like Gary US Bond and Jimmy Soul. The
Church Street Five were the house band for Legrand Records, and various other labels owned by Frankie
Guida. Members of the Church Street Five were Gene Barge on sax, Leonard Barks on trombone, and
Emmet Shields on drums. The band got its name from the church where Shields played in a band, Bishop
Grace House of Prayer, a church at the intersection of Church Street and Princess Anne Road in Norfolk, VA.

There can be no information to describe fully about Norfolk without mentioning about the Attucks Theater.
When I was a child, I walked near the Attucks Theater all of the time on Church Street. It's located on 1010
Church Street, Norfolk, VA. I have been inside of the Attucks Theater also. It has been called "The Apollo
Theater of the South" for years and decades. African American architect Harvey Johnson designed the
Attucks Theater. It was constructed by 1919. Legendary performers performed there like Cab Calloway,
Duke Ellington, Mamie Smith, Nat King Cole, and Redd Foxx. The Attucks Theater is named in honor of
African-American Crispus Attucks. Crispus Attucks was the first American to lose his life during the 1770
Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre contributed to the start of the American Revolutionary War. For 34
years, the theatre remained a vibrant performing arts facility, but it ceased functioning in 1953. In 1977, the
United States Congress deemed The Attucks Theatre a National Historic Landmark. There was a decay in
some of the areas of the theater during 1990's. Yet, during the late 1990's and during the early 21st
century, a campaign grew by many gracious people to revitalize the theater. Then, there was a restoration
period of three years. Finally, in 2004, the Attucks Theater was reopened to the public. The reopening was
established by a a partnership between the City of Norfolks Department of Cultural Facilities and the
Crispus Attucks Cultural Center, Inc. Today, musicians from across the world go and perform in the Attucks
Theater. A diverse array of meetings occur in the theater too.

We believe in Freedom and Justice.

The Civil Rights Movement in Norfolk, Virginia
The Civil Rights Movement in Hampton Roads, Virginia has been going on for decades and centuries. Aline
Black in 1939 filed a lawsuit challenging the Norfolk Public School Boards teacher policy of unequal pay for
equal work. She was a Booker T. Washington high school teacher. Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP (the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) take a leadership role in defending Aline
Black. She loses the cases. Marshall appeals the decision. The board fired Black in June of 1939 in retaliation
for the suit. The Virginia Court of Appeals rules against her uses her firing as the basis of the denial of her
appeal. She retired in 1941, but her outrage and memory will not be forgotten. She was a great black
woman who stood up for freedom. By 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision
determined that racial segregation in public schools (and public accommodations) was unconstitutional.
Yet, Virginia pursued a policy to avoid desegregation that would be the racist Massive Resistance policies.
This policy involved the creation of new state laws called the Stanley Plan (that prohibited state funding for
integrated public schools, even as some school districts began to contemplate them). It was a few years
after Brown until the policy was tested. Norfolk's private schools had been integrated four years before as
the city chose to voluntarily comply with the Brown decision. However, a number of public school divisions
(school districts) around the state had been reluctant to do so for fear of losing state funds. In 1958,
Federal District Courts in Virginia ordered schools in Arlington, Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Warren County,
to desegregate. In the fall of 1958, a handful of public schools in three of these widespread areas opened
for the first time on a racially integrated basis. In response, Virginia Governor J. Lindsay Almond Jr. ordered
the schools to be closed, including six of the Norfolk Public Schools: Granby High School, Maury High

School, Norview High School, Blair Junior High School, Northside Junior High School, and Norview Junior
High School. During the 1950s, the SCLC (or the Southern Christian Leadership Council) had meetings in
Norfolk, Virginia. In Norfolk, the state action had the impact of locking ten thousand children out of school,
which raised outcry by the public to a high level. As some children attended makeshift schools in churches,
etc., the citizens voted whether to reopen the public schools. The ballot made clear that the
Commonwealth of Virginia would stop funding integrated schools.

This was Norfolk, Virginia during the 1950's.

On January 19, 1959, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals declared the state law to be in conflict with
Virginia's state constitution. The Court of Appeals ordered all public schools to be funded, whether
integrated or not. Governor Almond capitulated about ten days later and asked the sitting General
Assembly to rescind several "Massive Resistance" laws. On February 2, 1959, Norfolk's public schools were
desegregated when 17 black children entered six previously all-white schools in Norfolk, Virginia. The
Norfolk 17 is the name of the 17 black heroes of the school desegregation struggle in Norfolk, Virginia. They
were young males and young females. There was a lot of racism back then (and today). They worked with
the NAACP to fight for social change. They or the young students tried to gain entrance into the mostly
white schools of the city. They attended school at Bute Street Baptist Church during the winter of 1958. On
February 2, 1959, the Norfolk 17 became the first African American students to attend the previously allwhite schools in the largest school district in the state of Virginia. They were cursed at, spit at, and
ostracized. Yet, they had a strong religious faith in God. They graduated and moved forward with their lives.
Their names are Andrew Heidelberg, Louis Cousins, Betty Jean Reed, Patricia Godbolt, Johnnie Rouse, Carol
Wellington, Reginald Young, Delores Johnson, Alveraze Frederick Gonsoul, Edward Jordan, LaVera Forbes,
James Turner Jr., Olivia Driver, Lolita Portis-Jones, Patricia Turner, Claudia Wellington, and Geraldine Talley.

Virginian-Pilot editor Lenoir Chambers editorialized against massive resistance, and he earned the Pulitzer
Prize. The fight for civil rights continued. By 1965, only 5 percent of black students in Virginia were
attending integrated schools. The Pupil Placement Board refused to create real desegregation in the 1960s.
"In actuality," writes
historian Robert A. Pratt,
"race was the only criterion
considered; the Pupil
Placement Board assigned
very few black students to
white schools in Virginia
while it remained in
operation." Roy Wilkins,
executive secretary of the
national NAACP said,
"Virginia has the largest and
most successful token
These are children who were part of the Norfolk 17 going into public
integration program in the
schools. These photos have been found in the Virginian Pilot photo
country."
storage room. These images are rare and many people havent seen
these pictures before.

Title VI of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964, and the
Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965
denied federal funds to
schools determined to be resisting integration. This resulted in a bit more compliance by Virginia schools.
White flight existed when white people moved into mostly white suburbs in the 1960s and more white
students went into private schools. Black people disagreed with oppressive discrimination. CORE was active
in Norfolk, VA. In 1960, Governor Almond ordered all schools to integrate in Virginia. By 1960 only 23% of
the eligible black voters were registered. This was primarily because of discrimination in voter registration,
initiated since the 1902 Virginia Constitution. The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, abolished the poll tax,
and the 1965 Voting Rights Act expanded that number, but the lingering effects of voting restrictions
resulted in widespread inequities. SNCC and other groups organized sit-ins in Norfolk and in Hampton
Roads in general. They did this in 1961. African Americans arranged sit ins at Norfolks Woolworths,
Portsmouths Mid-City Roses, and in other stores. Some protests were peaceful marches. There was
violence between racists and the black social activists who wanted real change. Civil rights didnt just deal
with equality involving education and public accommodations. We want equality involving jobs, politics,
and housing. In June of 1961, Elaine Jones graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. She became
the first black woman to be admitted and accepted at the University of Virginia Law School. In 1993, she
became President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), or
the nations oldest civil rights law firm. She was the first woman to head the organization.

This picture on the far left shows journalist Mal Nicholson (who came to the March on
Washington on August 21, 1963) holding the Journal and Guide newspaper covering the
event back then. The pictures of the people from left to right are Jacqueline Lee,
Cecelia Tucker, and Mal Nicholson.
On August of 2013, Jacqueline Lee (a retired teacher), Old Dominion University administrator Cecelia
Tucker, and retired journalist Mal Nicholson showed their
insights on the March on Washington, segregations, hope,
and hope in interviews to the Virginian Pilot. In September
16, 1963, 2400 students (along with adults like Mrs. Evelyn
Butts and Mrs. Marie Young) from Booker T. Washington
High School walked out of the school and marched to the
school board building to protest overcrowding, inadequate
facilities, and continued school segregation. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. visited Norfolk, Virginia many times. He visited
Norfolk for the first time in the summer of 1961. He went to
the City Arena (or the Harrison Opera House today) where he
led a rally with 2,500 people (which was sponsored by the
SCLC). The programs included local clergy and Dr. Milton A.
Reid of Petersburg or the President of the Virginia Christian
Leadership Conference. His last time he went into Norfolk
This is the historic First Baptist Church of
was in October 1966. He spoke at the New Calvary Baptist
Norfolk, VA. It is a registered national
Church at the installation ceremonies for Dr. Milton Reid as
landmark and it is one important
pastor. He answered questions from reporters and Norfolk
institution in the city. Architect R. H. Hunt
designed the building and it was
dedicated in 1906. Its style is a
Romanesque Revival style.

State College students at a press conference. Hundreds of people crowded the church and lined Virginia
Beach Boulevard, hoping for a glimpse of the civil rights leader. He wanted to go into Norfolk, Suffolk, and
other Virginia cities on March 30, 1968 in order for him to promote the Poor People's Campaign. Yet, he
went into Memphis during that time to fight for the economic rights of the Memphis sanitation workers.

Legendary Heroes

Aline Elizabeth Black lived from 1906

to 1974. She fought for equal pay as
an educator. Her fight for justice was
historic and heroic for people of
Norfolk and the rest of Hampton
Roads. As a supporter of the local
NAACP in Norfolk and the Education
Association of Norfolk, she loved the
beauty of education. Aline Black
inspires us to this day.

The woman in the center picture (standing up) is the great civil
rights activist Evelyn Thomas Butts (1924-1993). She was the
woman who helped to overturn Virginias evil poll tax. By March of
1966, the Supreme Court banned the poll tax nationwide. Evelyn
Butts worked in many civic, community, and political organizations
throughout her life. The image to the far right shows Evelyn Butts
(on the left) with Mrs. Marie Young to the right protesting Jim Crow
in September 21, 1963. They picketed in front of the Norfolk Public
Schools administration building. Evelyn Thomas received numerous
awards and she is buried in Norfolks Forest Lawn Cemetery. Evelyn
Butts was a legendary black woman.

There was the election of Attorney Joseph A. Jordan, Jr. to Norfolk's City Council. His election made Jordan
the first African American in the 20th century to win a seat on the council. He eventually became vice
mayor and was, by 1977, appointed as judge on Norfolk's General District Court. Dr. William P. Robinson, a
Norfolk State professor, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1969 also becoming the first
African American to win that seat in the 20th century. The first African American to achieve the distinction
of being the first in Portsmouth was Dr. James E. Holley, III in 1968. Holley would go on to become
Portsmouth's first African American mayor. These elections, as well as the appointments of prominent
African Americans to the school board, the city planning commission, heralded the beginnings of changes

for African Americans in Norfolk. These historic developments are great. Yet, the struggle continues. One
great civil rights pioneer who recently passed away in 2014 was Andrew Heidelberg. He was one of the
Norfolk 17. He was part of Norview High School.

Dr. Dorothy Boulding Ferebee was another woman who was born in Norfolk, VA. She was a physician and a
civil rights pioneer. His father was a railroad superintendent named Benjamin Richard Boulding and her
mother was a teacher in Norfolk, Virginia named Florence Boulding. She lived in Boston, Massachusetts and
she graduated from Simmons College in 1920. Ferebee was affiliated with Howard University's Medical
school, starting in 1927 as an instructor of Obstetrics, and later as the medical director of the Howard
University Health Service from 1949-1968, all while maintaining her own private practice. She worked hard
to provide medical services to African Americans in Washington, D.C. She then served as the second
president of the National Council of Negro Women, from 1949 to 1953, succeeding its founder, Mary
McLeod Bethune. She also served as the director of health services at Howard University Medical School
from 1949 until 1968. From 1969 to 1972, Dr. Ferebee served at the national fourth vice president of Girl
Scouts of the United States of America. She was the first recipient, in 1959, of Simmons College's Alumnae
Achievement Award. The college also awards several scholarships in her name each year. In 1968, John
Charles Thomas of Norfolk graduated from Maury High School. In 1983, Governor Charles Robb appointed
him as the first African American to the Virginia Supreme Court. On July 26, 1997, Attorney J. Hugo Madison
works to desegregate Norfolks schools passes. He plays an important role in the development of Norfolk
State University and serves on its board.

The MacArthur Memorial Museum

The MacArthur Memorial museum was the location that I came to when I was child in elementary school
(during a field trip). Douglas MacArthurs wife (whose name was Jean MacArthur) was born in Norfolk,
Virginia. It was established in 1964, which was in the same year that he passed away. His legacy has been
mixed filled with important accomplishments and controversies. The Memorial was located in the former
Norfolk City Hall building. The memorial today has the tomb of General MacArthur and his wife in the
rotunda. The museum has nine galleries about his life and career. It has exhibits, photos, uniforms, medals,
flags, medals, weapons, sculpture, and personal artifacts. The Memorial also has a tribute to the men and
women who served with General MacArthur in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Admission
to the Memorial is totally free. It is located in 198 Bank Street in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia.
To get a full exploration of the life of General MacArthur, we have to start from the beginning of his life to
his passing in 1964. MacArthur was historic in that he was a military leader who directly challenged the
constitutional authority of the President of the United States. General MacArthur legacy will be the
combination of the good things that he did (like his tolerance of the Philippine people. A lot of Filipino
Americans do live in Norfolk and they are very hardworking human beings) and the many serious mistakes
that he has made. At many occasions, he has shown elaborate tactical methods. He was born in January 26,
1880. His mother was Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur and his father was Arthur MacArthur Jr. Arthur was
an U.S. Army captain. Arthur served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Douglas MacArthur
was a student at the West Texas Military Academy in the late 1890s and he was named valedictorian with
a final year average of 97.33 out of 100. He entered West Point in June 13, 1899. Arthur MacArthur, Jr.,
had been one of the highest ranking officers in the United States army and was appointed first military
governor of the Philippines. His family connections helped the young Douglas MacArthur in his early career
and by World War I he had reached the rank of Brigadier General. Douglas MacArthur emerged from the
war as the most highly decorated US soldier, but not without a cost to his troops. During one successful
attack on the Germans during World War I, on PBS documentary points out, one-third of his command was
killed or wounded.

One of the most evil actions of

General MacArthur was his
suppression of the Bonus march.
This march involved tens of
thousands of unemployed WWI
veterans who wanted to demand
that Congress appropriate money
for early payment of a cash service
bonus. This proposal of course
was opposed by President Hoover.
Many of these veterans were
destitute and they rightfully
deserve economic compensation.
Hoover
allowed
Douglas
MacArthur to crush the veteran
protesters in Washington, D.C.
MacArthur was wrong to assume
that the protest was part of a
communist
conspiracy.
McArthur was the Army Chief of
Staff back then. In 1932, he sent
his troops across the Anacosta
River to destroy the encampment
sheltering the families of the
veterans. In the attack, two babies
suffocated from tear gas and a boy
was bayoneted through the leg.
This was an outrage and this
caused Franklin Delano Roosevelt
to win the 1932 election easily.
The attack on the Bonus March

prompted Washington
Post columnist Drew Pearson to
denounce
MacArthur
as
dictatorial and insubordinate.
The general filed a $1.75 million
libel suit against Pearson and
another Post columnist. The two
sides eventually came to a seedy
compromise with MacArthur
agreeing to drop the suit and
Pearson promising not to publish
love letters the general had
written to his Philippine-born
mistress (who was Isabel. She was
an Eurasian woman). General
MacArthur was a conservative, so
he opposed Roosevelt on many
issues.
They remained friends despite
their
political
differences.
Roosevelt
knew
about
MacArthurs reactionary views,
but he used him because of his
military
skills.
MacArthur
supported the New Deals Army
operation
of
the
Civilian
Conservation
Corps.
Yet,
MacArthur didnt want to cut the
military budget to fund the
domestic programs of the New
Deal. In response, MacArthur

lectured Roosevelt that "when we

lost the next war, and an
American boy, lying in the mud
with an enemy bayonet through
his belly and an enemy foot on his
dying throat, spat out his last
curse, I wanted the name not to
be MacArthur, but Roosevelt." In
response, Roosevelt yelled "you
must not talk that way to the
President!" MacArthur offered to
resign, but Roosevelt refused his
request, and MacArthur then
staggered out of the White House
and vomited on the front steps.
Later, they would get along with
each other better. As early as
1935, President Franklin Roosevelt
sent MacArthur to organize the
defense of the Philippines. He was
the countrys military adviser. In
July 1941, just before America
would fight Japan militarily,
Franklin
Delano
Roosevelt
appointed him as commander of
all U.S. forces in the Pacific.
General
Douglas
MacArthur
mobilized the Philippine Army.
MacArthur received 100 B-17
flying Fortress to help defend the
Philippines.

World War II began and most of MacArthurs troops were deployed to protect the two main islands of
Luzon and Mindanao (in the Philippines). By October 1941, General Douglas MacArthur informed General
George Marshall that he now had 135,000 troops, 227 assorted fighters, bombers and reconnaissance
aircraft and this provided a "tremendously strong offensive and defensive force" and claimed that the
Philippines was now the "key or base point of the US defense line." Japan attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet on
December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Japanese Air Force also in the next day carried out air
strikes on the Philippines. This destroyed half of MacArthurs air force. MacArthur was criticized for this as
he was told to move his air force after the raid on Hawaii the previous day. The Japanese Army soon
invaded the Philippines and they soon held the three air bases in northern Luzon. By December 22, 1941,
the Japanese Army landed at Lingayen Gulf and quickly gained control of Manila from the inexperienced
Filipino troops. Although only 57,000 Japanese soldiers were landed on Luzon it had little difficulty
capturing the island.

The Norfolk Naval Base is the largest naval base on Earth. It was built in 1917.

During World War II, MacArthur retreated from the Philippines after a Japanese invasion, because of the lax
amount of supplies and resources to defend the Philippines during that time (not out of cowardice).
General Douglas MacArthur ordered a general retreat to the Bataan peninsula. In February 22, 1942,
MacArthur was ordered to leave Bataan and go into Australia. PBS reported that before the general left his
besieged troops in the Philippines for Australia aboard a navy PT boat he accepted a $500,000 secret
payment awarded him by Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon. This fact only came to light long after
MacArthur's death when a historian obtained a corroborating document that had been preserved by one of
MacArthur's aides. Many soldiers during this time consider him a show off (some called him Dugout in a

way of him leaving the Philippines) while others praised him. General Jonathan Wainwright remained
behind with 11,000 soldiers and managed to hold out until the beginning of May.
The American forces were re-organized and MacArthur was appointed Supreme Commander of the
Southwest Pacific Area and Admiral Chester Nimitz became Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet.
Along with Admiral Ernest King Commander-in-Chief of the US Navy, Macarthur and Nimitz, decided that
their first objective should be to establish and protect a line of communications across the South Pacific to
Australia. This resulted in the battles of Coral Sea and Midway, where the Japanese Navy lost all four of her
carriers. From 1942-1944, Allied forces fought the Japanese in an island hopping method that was
supported and developed by MacArthur. Allied forces landed at Guadalcanal in August 7, 1942. By the
spring of 1944, Allied forces got New Guinea. MacArthur had to wait until 1944 until he began the
campaign to recapture the Philippines.
He also ended an attempt to run for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1944. The Allies forces
captured the island of Leyte or an island between Luzon and Mindanao. On January 9, 1945 Allied troops
landed on Luzon, the largest of the islands in the Philippines. The Japanese Army, under General Tomoyuki
Yamashita, fought a vigorous rearguard action but within a month MacArthur and his troops had crossed
the Central Plain and were approaching Manila. Yamashita and his main army now withdrew to the
mountains but left enough troops in Manila to make the capture of the city as difficult as possible. An
estimated 16,000 Japanese soldiers were killed before it was taken on March 3, 1945. MacArthur forces
and Filipino troops took Manila in March of 1945. The fascism of the Japanese forces would soon be totally
defeated.
After the Philippines was captured by the Allies, MacArthur fought in Okinawa in Japan. It was a bloody
battle was 49,000 Americans died and 111,000 Japanese people were killed. MacArthur opposed the use of
atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as new research found such barbaric acts (of dropping atomic
bombs on defensive populations) as unnecessary.

World War II was the bloodiest war in human

history.

He defeated Japanese forces and oversaw the reconstruction of Japan. Harry Truman appointed him as
head of the Allied occupation of Japan. He organized the war crimes tribunal. He allowed the execution of
Tomoyuki Yamashita (on February 23, 1946), which was controversial. He allowed Emperor Hirohito to live
for the sake of stability as the Emperor of Japan was viewed as a god for many Japanese people, but
Hirohito wasnt imprisoned either. Hirohito would pass away in 1989. He lived for 87 years on this Earth.
Japan grew rapidly after World War II. MacArthur allowed democratic institutions, religious freedom, civil
liberties, land reform, and rights for women in Japan. Trade unions grew in Japan. He also legalized the
Japanese Communist Party.
Yet, there were problems with the reconstruction plan in Japan. When Japanese unions threatened a
political general strike in February 1947, MacArthur outlawed the work stoppage, warning that defiance
would provoke action of the most drastic nature against individual and organized interests. He intervened
to place severe restrictions on the activities of the Japanese Communist Party and other left-wing
organizations.
In 1948 MacArthur proposed a stabilization plan for the Japanese economy based on recommendations
by American bankers. It included a wage freeze, increased working hours and mass layoffs. Unemployment
benefits and other social expenditures were slashed to balance the budget. Some 700,000 workers were
sacked as a result of this policy.
To help enforce these measures MacArthur instituted a purge of Communist Party members from the labor
movement in Japan. In 1950 the occupation government intervened to sack 11,000 Communist Party
members, including 2,500 union officials. As a result the militant Stalinist-led Sanbetsu union confederation
was destroyed.
Japanese businesses grew profits. Today, Japan has massive technological development and some of their
military is growing for the first time in decades.

During the Korean War, both Truman and MacArthur attacked North Korea. Truman believed the general's
assurances that the Chinese would not intervene, and if they did, would be routed by superior American
arms and equipment. However, MacArthur ignored Truman's qualification that US troops not approach the
Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China. The Chinese responded (the first fight between
America and China during the Korean War was in November 1, 1950) and pushed MacArthurs troops back
way into Southern Korea. One-third of the West Point class of 1950 was killed during the Chinese offensive
across the Yalu. If not for overwhelming air superiority the US forces would have been completely crushed.
Many Americans died in the Korean War and about 2 million Korean civilians died in the brutal Korean war.
Truman concluded that it would be in the best interests of US imperialism to sign a peace agreement with
China and North Korea, leaving the peninsula divided. He justifiably feared that an attack on mainland
China, as advocated by MacArthur and the Republican right, could lead to a confrontation with the Soviet
Union and a possible nuclear war.
MacArthur, informed by Truman in advance of his plan to propose a truce, intervened to sabotage this
policy by issuing an ultimatum to China to negotiate or face bombing and invasion. A few weeks later
Congressman Joseph Martin, Republican House leader, made public a letter he received from MacArthur. In
it the general strongly endorsed a speech given by the congressman in which he declared, among other
things, that Truman should be indicted for
treason for not pursuing a policy based on
total victory in Korea. Joe McCarthy back
then heavily criticized Truman for his actions
during the Korean War. MacArthur defied
the Presidents authority (by publicly
criticizing President Truman) and Truman felt
that he had no choice, but to fire General
MacArthur. MacArthur portrayed himself as
the innocent victim of backstabbing
politicians. The Republicans asked him to
address both houses of Congress and he was
feted to a massive ticker tape parade in New
York City. MacArthur considered using
atomic weapons in North Korea, which even
President Eisenhower felt was over the top.
In 1953, an armistice ended the Korean War
This image showed General MacArthur, who
and divided the peninsula into North and
observed the naval shelling of Inchon from USS
South (which exists to this very day). Douglas
Mount McKinley. This event took place on
MacArthur would retire from the military.
September 15, 1950 and he is with Brigadier
The first of two meetings between President
General Courtney Whitney (on the left) and
John F. Kennedy and Douglas MacArthur was
Major General Edward M. Almond (on the
held shortly after the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
right).
MacArthur was extremely critical of the
military advice given to Kennedy, and
cautioned the young President to avoid a
U.S. military build-up in Vietnam, pointing
out that domestic problems should be given
a much greater priority. We know the folly of the Vietnam War. Shortly before his death, MacArthur gave

similar advice to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Douglas MacArthur died at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center on April 5, 1964, of biliary cirrhosis in Washington, D.C. His body is now laid to rest in the rotunda of
the Douglas MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, Virginia. So, as we know, history is interesting to study. The
lesson of his life is that we should show strength, but also true discernment, progressive actions, and be
anti-imperialist.

The Later 20th Century

From 1960 to the present, Norfolk, Virginia has gone through many changes. Midtown Tunnel began
operations in 1962. Norfolks downtown waterfront (which is the traditional center of shipping and port
activities in the Hampton Roads region) played host to numerous port and shipping related users. There
was the growth of containerized shipping in the mid-20th century. Then, the shipping uses located on
Norfolks downtown waterfront became obsolete as larger and more modern port facilities opened
elsewhere in the region. In the second half of the century, Norfolk had a vibrant retail community in its
suburbs. Norfolk was also the birthplace of Econo-Travel, now Econo Lodge, one of the nations first
discount motel chains. During this time, there was the growth of suburban shopping destinations. So,
during the late 20th century, downtowns Granby Street commercial corridor suffered economically, which
is located just a few blocks inland from the waterfront. Granby Street traditionally played the role as the
premiere shopping and gathering spot in the Hampton Roads region and numerous department stores such
as Smith & Welton (18981988), Rice's (19181985) and Ames and Brownley (18981973), hotels and

theaters once lined its sidewalks. However, new suburban shopping developments promised more
convenience and comfort to the population that had moved to the suburbs. Pembroke Mall in Virginia
Beach, the region's first climate-controlled shopping mall, and JANAF Shopping Center in Norfolk's Military
Circle area, were built in this era.
Starting in the 1970s, Norfolk worked to revive its urban core. To compete with suburban shopping
destinations, Norfolk city leaders tried to create a similar mall experience on Granby Street. The city
rebranded its commercial core the "Granby Street Mall", closed Granby Street to through-traffic and
created a pedestrian mall. In 1986, the School Board ended busing for kids in grades K-5. This caused the resegregation of some primary schools. The Granby Street Mall did not succeed and the mall endured
hardship through the late 1970s and early 1980s. Then, the city focused on the waterfront and its piers and
warehouses. Norfolk, using federal urban renewal funds, began large scale demolitions downtown. This
included many housing that, in the mid-20th century, did not have indoor plumbing or access to running
water. The former City Market, Norfolk Terminal Station (the Union railroad station) and The Monticello
Hotel were also demolished. At the water's edge, nearly all of the obsolete shipping and warehousing
facilities were demolished and replaced with a new boulevard, Waterside Drive. Among the buildings
erected were the Waterside Festival Marketplace (an indoor mall similar to Baltimores Inner Harbor
Pavilions), Waterfront Town Point Park (an esplanade park with wide open riverfront views), and Norfolk
Omni Hotel. On the inland side of Waterside Drive, the demolition of the warehouses and wharves made
way for many buildings.

In 1971, Norfolk Scope conventional hall opens. To this day, the Scope hosts concerts, job fairs, and other
events. The Virginia Opera was formed in 1974. The Dominion Tower would be built in 1987 and the
Norfolk Southern Tower was built in 1989. In 1993, Harbor Park stadium opens. In the same year, Bobby
Scott became the U.S. representative for Virginias 3rd congressional district. Bobby Scott is a very wellknown politician from Virginia. During the mid-1990s, Norfolk wanted to rejuvenate Granby Street. In late
1996, it was announced that a new downtown shopping mall would be built, in which Nordstrom would to
open a store. The mall was named the MacArthur, which was named after the fiver star World War II
General John MacArthur. His tomb was located across the street from the proposed site. Nearly $100
million dollars in public funds was committed to infrastructure improvements and construction of parking
garages to support the shopping mall. The MacArthur Center opened in March 1999 as a three-story
enclosed shopping mall with an 18-screen stadium seating movie theater.

Norfolk, Virginia in the 21st Century

There are many changes in Norfolk, Virginia in the 21st century too. Cinemark 18 (cinema) is in business in
Norfolk by the year 2000. 150 West Main Street was built in the year of 2002. It is a 20 story building. There
are many businesses in the location. A branch of SunTrust occupies part of the ground floor and their name
is one the banner sign at the top of the building. Todd Jerichos Bistro (or a full service restaurant) is found
in the building too. The building has 24/7 security and a backup generator provides electricity during power
outages. The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to
107,000 in 2004 and 2005. Also in April 2007, the city completed construction on a $36 million state-of-theart cruise ship terminal alongside the pier. Partly due to this construction, passenger counts dropped to
70,000 in 2006, but is expected to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years.
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia is Olde Huntersville. It is located near downtown
Norfolk. It has existed since the 19th century. It is found to the east of Church Street and Elmwood
Cemetery. It is south of the Lindenwood neighborhood and to the west of Tidewater Drive. Back in ca.
1761, part of Huntersville was belonged to Samuel Boush. It was made up of small frame houses around
Church Street during the 1800s. It had a botanical and zoological park called Lensers Park and an old
Burying Ground. It had many industries like a railroad and a brewery (which was torn down). By the early
1900s, most of the land was owned by Caucasians. There were a diversity of demographics like whites,
European immigrants (like Jewish immigrants), Asians, and black Americans. Huntersville was annexed to
Norfolk in 1911. In 1916, a team of canvassers were able to raise $3,500 in donations from the residents of
the area in two days, in order to build a hospital, a huge amount for that time. Today, the neighborhood is
lived by most by African Americans. It is served by a city of Norfolk community center. The center provides
many social services, including HIV testing, and employment counseling by the Urban League. The Head

Start program has a program in Huntersville. It is a neighborhood that still fights against poverty and crime.
Yet, its residents and civic league members continue to fight for more improvements in the neighborhood.

She is Dr. Melinda Boone or the Superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools.

I will always represent the 7 Cities, and the rest of

Hampton Roads (as found in Southeastern
Virginia and the Northeastern part of North
Carolina).

In April 2007, construction of the new $36 million Half Moone Cruise Terminal was completed downtown
adjacent to the Nauticus Museum, providing a state-of-the-art permanent structure for various cruise lines
and passengers wishing to embark from Norfolk. In 2016, people are still courageously fighting for better
education, for better health care, and for an end to gun violence in Norfolk, Virginia. Recently, people have
marched against gun violence in the Church Street area (near Downtown). The Tide light rail service began
operations in August 2011. The light rail is a starter route running along the southern portion of Norfolk,
commencing at Newtown Road and passing through stations serving areas such as Norfolk State University
and Harbor Park before going through the heart of downtown Norfolk and terminating at Sentara Norfolk
General Hospital. The HRT Light Rail is the first light rail in a city of Virginia in history. In October 8, 2015,
Dr. Melinda Boone became Norfolks fourth African American school superintendent. Dr. Boone is the first
African American woman to be a superintendent in Norfolk Public Schools.

This is a nine year old Sister who is planning on sending over 1,000 Barbie dolls to
people in Hampton Roads, Virginia throughout foster homes and shelter. Her great deed
of compassion should be acknowledged greatly. Her name is Gianna Graham.

Bless Africa

The Culture of Norfolk

The culture of Norfolk, Virginia has a long history. African Americans make up over 100,000 people in
Norfolk. Norfolks total population is about 246,000 people. For black culture, there is obviously the Attucks
Theater which was built in 1919. It is the oldest theater in Norfolk that was designed, developed, financed,
and operated entirely by black people. Norfolk State University makes up a large part of black culture in
Norfolk, Virginia as well. Norfolk State University is the 10th largest historically black university in the
nation. It is a university that my relatives attended and graduated from. It is a university with a lot of great
history and culture. I have been to Norfolk State University plenty of times. It was founded in 1935 and they
are also known as the Spartans. NSU is a member school of Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the
Virginia High-Tech Partnership. Norfolk State's undergraduate and graduate programs are divided into
eight schools/colleges like School of business, School of Education, etc.
The school also offers 36 undergraduate degrees, with a new degree being offered in Optical Engineering.
Many well-known alumni from Norfolk State University include Alex Moore, Yvonne B. Miller, Tim Reid,
Randall Robinson, Chandra Sturrup, Naim Akbar, Anthony Evans, and so many other human beings. Also,
Norfolk State University is home to the Harrison B. Wilson Archives and African Art Gallery and a display of
African-American history, folklore, and culture can be found at the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library. The Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is found on the corner of Brambleton Avenue and Church Street. It is 83
feet high and it is a granite monument. It gives tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights
leaders who fought for freedom and justice. The memorial conceived by Joseph A. Jordan, Jr., former
Norfolk Councilman and General District Court Judge, is inscribed with quotations of Dr. King and contains a
fountain at its base.

The image above shows Old Dominion

University. ODU has been in
existence since the 1930s.

Norfolk State University is shown in

the image above. NSU is a wellknown HBCU or a Historically Black
College or University.

The Cannonball Tail on 401 East Freemason Street has a tour of the historic sites in Downtown Norfolk that
relates to Norfolks rich and multifaceted history. There is the West Point Monument at Elmwood
Cemetery. It is recognized as one of the Souths only known tribute to African-American veterans of the
Civil and Spanish American Wars. This is part of a Virginia Civil War Trail site, which is marked by a statue of
Norfolk native and first African America Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant William Carney of the 54th
Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The cornerstone of the monument of Sgt. William Carney
was set on Decoration Day, May 30, 1909, and was completed in 1920. The St. John African Methodist
Episcopal Church is found on E. Bute Street. It was created during the 19th century. St. John back in the
19th century was known was the Mother Church for African Methodism in Virginia. Also, the First Baptist
Church of Norfolk is the historic church. It was formed in 1800. It included free black people, slaves, and
some whites. It is a resisted national landmark which includes a small museum of artifacts.

Nauticus is found in One

Waterside Drive in Norfolk,
Virginia. It is a maritime themed
science center and museum. Its
found in Downtown Norfolk. It
opened to the public in June 1994.
Nauticus also opened the Half
Moone Cruise and Celebration
Center in April 67, 2007. This is an
80,000-square-foot
(7,400 m2),
passenger-friendly facility features
views of the Elizabeth River and
other features.. The second floor
of Nauticus has the Hampton
Roads Naval Museum. The third
floor has a host of exhibits, tanks,
theaters, and a weather station.

The Virginian Zoological Park is

located near the Lafayette
River. It opened in 1900, is a
65-acre (260,000 m2) zoo with
hundreds of animals on display
including
the
critically
endangered Siberian tiger and
threatened white rhino among
others.

Since 1933, the Chrysler Museum of Art has

existed. In 1971, automotive heir, Walter P.
Chrysler Jr.(whose wife, Jean Outland
Chrysler, was a native of Norfolk), donated
most of his extensive collection to the
museum. This single gift significantly
expanded the museum's collection, making
it one of the major art museums in
the Southeastern United States. The
museum has undergone expansion and
renovation with its reopening in May 10,
2014. The Chrysler museum has over
30,000 objects that span over 5,000 years
of world history. Exhibits from Black history,
European history, Asian history, etc. are
found in the Chrysler museum.

When I younger, I visited Norfolk Botanical Garden before. It is a location filled with 155 acres of land,
which is a botanical garden with arboretum. Its located in 6700 Azalea Garden Road in Norfolk, Virginia.
Originally, it was called Norfolk Azalea Garden. In 2005, it has been listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 2005. It was opened in 1938 when the city of Norfolk set aside a 75 acres (300,000 m2) of
high, wooded ground plus 75 acres (300,000 m2) of reservoir for a city garden. In 1938, under a Works
Progress Administration (WPA) grant, 200 African-American women and 20 men cleared the site. By March
1939, 4,000 azaleas, 2,000 rhododendrons, several thousand miscellaneous shrubs and trees, and 100
bushels of daffodils had been planted. In 1958 the Old Dominion Horticultural Society took over
maintenance and changed the garden's name to Norfolk Botanical Garden. The garden did at one point
contain 175 acres, but the neighboring Norfolk International Airport expanded and took away 20 acres. A
number of gardens were added through the 1950s and 1960s, including a Japanese garden, desert plants
garden, colonial garden and rose garden. A diversity of gardens and plants are found in Botanical Garden
today. There are various tours of the garden with guides and a train vehicle too. There is a Border Walk tour
too.

By Timothy

We wont stop, because we cant stop.

Bless Black History Month

Black History is American History and

it is part of World History too. We should
all appreciate and Celebrate Black History
all year round.

In dedication to Patricia Godbolt White, Andrew

Heidelberg, and the rest of the Norfolk 17.