By Aaron Stark

This past Saturday, The Mary Riley Styles Public Library held an author event in its lower-level conference room to promote the publication of Edwin Bancroft Henderson II’s nonfiction biography, “The Grandfather of Black Basketball: The Life and Times of Dr. E.B. Henderson,” which follows Edwin Bancroft Henderson, his grandfather. The event was open to high school students and adults but primarily attracted elderly individuals.

The event was held in the lower conference room of the library and had a large attendance of just under 50 people. Additionally, it was recorded for Falls Church Community Television. Henderson II attributes the attention to his family’s ties to Falls Church.

“When I saw all the seats taken, I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but I was very pleased,” Henderson II said. “I know that people are interested in this story because it’s a local story. There’s a portion of the history here in the book that’s very much about the history of Falls Church. It’s a direct connection with the city and the library and local history.”

Henderson II, who is a resident of Falls Church and the founding president of the Falls Church-based Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, used the majority of the hour presenting a slideshow detailing the many chapters of his grandfather’s life, particularly his introduction of basketball to African Americans and activism.

Henderson originally learned the game of basketball at Harvard University before bringing the sport to blacks in D.C. In 2013, Henderson II helped to have his grandfather enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport.

In 1918, Henderson founded the first rural branch of the NAACP in Fairfax County. He also performed a large portion of his activism through writing. In 1939, he authored “The Negro in Sports,” and claimed to have published thousands of letters to editors in newspapers in Virginia and D.C. advocating for racial equality.

Henderson II also covered Henderson’s history as a citizen of Falls Church.

The Mary Riley Styles Library hosted Henderson II in the past for a presentation on the city’s history of practicing eminent domain, which is when the government seizes private property, typically land, and transforms it for public use. Henderson II covered the topic at the author event as well, focusing on the weaponized use of the practice to target and exclude African Americans.

“I did a presentation here a few years back about eminent domain here in Falls Church,” Henderson II said. “It basically was about what I was talking about in my presentation. How they took portions of my family’s land to put in Lee Highway. That was pretty well attended too, but nowhere near as big as [the author event].”

Henderson II chose to hold his event at Mary Riley Styles Library because of his deep ties with the library and the City of Falls Church.

“I’ve worked closely with a number of the people here in the library. A lot of it from my association being on the Falls Church Historical Commission for almost 20 years,” Henderson II said. “When I told them I was coming out with a book, they said, ‘We need to have you come and do a book talk.’ It was really a no-brainer. I know all the people here. I live here.”

After the slideshow, Henderson II opened up the conversation for a Q&A session followed by a book signing to close out the event.

Henderson II originally wrote his book because he felt his grandfather wasn’t recognized enough for his work.

“I did this to honor my grandfather because I felt that [it] was long overdue. Just like when we got him into the Basketball Hall of Fame, I felt that was long overdue,” Henderson II said. “My whole thing was to let people know his legacy, whether it’s athletics and sports, civil rights, [or] literary accomplishments.”
Henderson II hopes his work will give readers a unique perspective of history from an African-American lens.

“A lot of history is history that has not been written about from an African-American perspective. By writing my book, I get to tell [the] story my way,” Henderson II said. “That’s why I wrote the book, that’s why the history of Falls Church that I wrote about is written the way that it’s written. Because a lot of times it’s written from someone else’s perspective. It’s very important to tell your own story.”