Green Valley in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Welcome to Jennie Dean Park
Ernest E. Johnson: His work let Arlington play.
In 1949, Arlington County formally established a Department of Recreation. Mirroring the public school system, all classes, clubs and activities sponsored by the Department were segregated. In 1950, the Negro Recreation Section was created. Its director was Ernest E. Johnson, a vital figure in the County's African American community, who ultimately oversaw the desegregation of Arlington's public recreational facilities in the early 1960s.
On May 8, 1982, Arlington celebrated Ernest E. Johnson Day with a parade that began at the Walter Reed Recreation Center and ended at the Carver Recreation Center, a softball game that afternoon, a senior tea, and a testimonial dinner that evening.
[Sidebar:]
Under the Department of Recreation's Neighborhood Playground Program, 30 playgrounds operated in the summer of 1950, with Jennie Dean Park the only facility for African Americans. It wasn't just sportsmusic, storytelling, group singing, picnics, movies, special events and performances were part of the outdoor programs. Softball leagues, tournaments, field trips, pageants and talent show were featured as well.
Erected by Arlington, Virginia.
Topics. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 38° 50.574′ N, 77° 5.36′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Green Valley. It is on 27th Street South east of South Nelson Street, on the left when traveling west. On the grounds of Jennie Dean Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2710 South Nelson Street, Arlington VA 22206, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Welcome to Jennie Dean Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Welcome to Jennie Dean Park (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Welcome to Jennie Dean Park (about 400 feet away); Wheelhouse, 2021 (about 500 feet away); Jennie Dean Park (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Edmund Douglas Campbell (about 700 feet away); Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
