Congresman Moran's News Commentary

Since 1976, February has been designated Black History Month. It is a four week period in which we take special recognition for the struggles overcome and contributions made by African Americans. The origins of this celebration date all the way back to 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson set aside a time in February to recognize the heritage and achievements of African Americans. It is a fact that much of the strength and character of our country comes from a rich diversity that includes the vibrant African American community.

In Falls Church, we are fortunate to have our own true symbol of Black History and the civil rights movement. Around the turn of the 20th Century, a time when the Ku Klux Klan held public support and the Town of Falls Church was busy passing segregation ordinances, a group of brave members of the African American community led by Joseph Tinner and E.B. Henderson, banded together to form the Colored Citizens Protective League (CCPL), a precursor leading to the establishment of the first rural branch of NAACP.

Tinner Hill came to be known as such when Charles and Mary Tinner purchased the hill top and former tobacco plantation shortly after the Civil War. They lived peacefully with their neighbors until roughly 1914, when states laws passed holding that local jurisdictions could segregate districts for white and colored persons, because, and I quote, “the preservation of the public morals, public health and public order, in the cities and towns of this commonwealth is endangered by the residence of white and colored people in close proximity to one another.”

While the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the ability of states and municipalities to segregate districts three years later, the action had galvanized the CCPL in the fight for equality. Their efforts eventually led to W.E.B. DuBois, founder of the NAACP, to bestow the first official rural branch of the storied civil rights organization on Tinner Hill in 1918.

Fast forward 87 years, and a group of historically minded citizens have joined together in the spirit of Joseph Tinner and E.B. Henderson as part of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. The foundation is focused on raising awareness of Tinner Hill’s historical significance, with the goal of creating a Tinner Hill Cultural Center. The center will be used to educate and entertain visitors on what life during the early 1900’s was like for African Americans in the area and as a meeting place to discuss civil rights issues. Plans are to have the center open to the public by February 2008.

I have been proud to be able to participate in this effort, directing $190,000 in federal funding to the project. The bravery of Joseph Tinner and E.B. Henderson will be forever memorialized on Tinner Hill. Falls Church, Northern Virginia and the rest of the country will have a new venue to witness the trials and tribulations African Americans experienced during this sad era in American history. If you have an interest in learning more about the Tinner Hill Foundation and the Tinner Hill Cultural Center, please visit their website at www.tinnerhill.org.