Join me on TikTok as I share the history of Arlington County, Virginia from the perspective of a fourth-generation Halls Hill resident. Over the past five years, I have presented workshops and keynotes and everything in-between to tell the story of Arlington to various organizations. Now, I am taking it to TikTok!
I had this idea over a year ago. On January 2, 2022, I posted this TikTok about Freedman’s Village. My intent was to continue posting these types of mini-history lessons, but it was a lotta work! So it didn’t get done.
So today, I am restarting this effort as a series, “Arlington Virginia History…From the Black Side.” I hope you follow me on TikTok – just use your phone camera with the QR code below to get to the Wilma_J_ account
My TikTok QR Code
And in any case, enjoy today’s video about the origin of Arlington County.
Little Michael Visits Fire Station 8 is Available on Amazon.com
I’m excited to announce that my fourth self-published book, (and my first children’s picture book!) “Little Michael Visits Fire Station 8,” is NOW available on Amazon.com!
In 2019, I was working with Arlington Humanities and the Arlington Public Schools Career and Technical Education (CTE) program on the Cigar Box Project. One of the CTE teachers, Kris Martini, asked if I’d ever considered writing a children’s book with some of the stories from my book, “My Halls Hill Family: More Than a Neighborhood.” Well, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
This storybook is the first in a series of children’s picture books about Halls Hill, a formerly segregated neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia.
I knew I wanted to figure a way to dramatize the people, organizations, and institutions, in a way that would be fun to read but also teach a little bit about life in Arlington in the period covered in the My Halls Hill Family book. Most importantly, I wanted to develop the story in a way that little ones could understand.
The stories will be dramatizations of real people, organizations, and institutions from the period 1866 to 1966 when the neighborhood was walled in and discriminated against by the government and society due to institutional racism.
In the first book in the series, Little Michael Visits Fire Station 8, readers will be introduced to Langston School and Fire Station 8, which were both real places in the community. Captain Alfred Clark is an important character in the book, due to his heroism which was featured in the Washington Post. One of the teachers at the segregated Langston School who is highlighted in the book is Mrs. Evelyn Reed Syphax, who was married to Fire Station 8 Firefighter Archie Syphax. She was a leader in education in Arlington and became the first African American member of the Arlington School Board. Little Michael Jones and his friends, Lance Newman, and Ronnie Deskins are also in the book. They were three of the four children who desegregated schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1959.
There’s a field trip today And Michael’s delighted But it’s not the hook and ladder truck in the bay That has him excited! It’s a request that he asks of others all-day Join him on the trip to Fire Station 8 And see if what he wants comes his way!
Little Michael Visits Fire Station 8 Book Trailer
Michael is excited about the field trip and through his excitement, he learns about the importance of representation.
CHECK OUT WILMA AT THE ARLINGTON CENTRAL LIBRARY ON THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022 AT 6 PM
Register for the Juneteenth Event at the library here -> REGISTER
The new Arlington Independent Media television show UNTOLD: Stories of Black Arlington will premiere on Sunday, November 29th at 9 PM. Watch in Arlington on Verizon channel 38 or Comcast channel 69, or on the web at Arlington Media’s website.
I’m pretty much a “blue sky” kinda person. I try to see the positive in everything. Most of the time. And sometimes that means that I am a little more optimistic than realistic about my target timelines for meeting goals and objectives. This time I missed the mark.
My goal to debut the new TV show, UNTOLD: Stories of Black Arlington in mid-September was a little too aggressive. I couldn’t get everything completed in time. There was required training to be authorized to produce the show. I needed to complete preshow research. Secure guests. And then develop the production, review with my supervising producer, and secure an editor. Although I thought I could accomplish everything in four weeks, it took twice that time frame.
Although I am a little tardy, I am thrilled to announce that we are scheduled to tape the first episode tomorrow, October 5th! Our show topics this first season include revealing information on a little known division of the Arlington Recreation Department known as the Negro Recreation Section. We’ll expose perspectives about attending and teaching in segregated schools. And we’ll learn what it took to build, grow, and pass on a business to the next generation, despite barriers, discrimination, and institutional racism, from Black businessmen who did just that in Arlington.
I am hopeful everything goes well tomorrow to kick off the taping. We have an exciting schedule planned for 15 episodes in season one. I don’t have the entire season nailed down in stone yet, so if you have ideas, send them to me! Please email me at Wilma@WilmaJ.com.
I will update everyone on when we have a confirmed date for the premiere of the first episode. Thank you for all your support!
Read more Halls Hill history in My Halls Hill Family: More Than a Neighborhood
I’m very honored to help spread the story of the Halls Hill community in radio and podcast interviews.
Mr. Jarrett Carter, Sr, host of the Historically Black College and University Digest Podcast and invited me on the show to discuss ‘Halls Hill’ and the Power of Black Communities. The influence of community leaders who were graduates of these important education institutions was important to the young people who had dreams and goals outside the neighborhood. In addition, the importance of the mindset of the people was highlighted. Check it out here —>>> LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW.
Next, the Arlington, Virginia radio station program, “Choose to Be Curious,” hosted by Lynn Borton, featured me in a discussion about being curious about your neighborhood. This talk really nails it when the idea of the importance of saving family and community stories. You can check it out here right now —>>> LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
More shows are coming soon. Drop a comment below and let me know what you think.
