Green Valley in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Recreation
County facilities for African Americans during segregation were limited. Jennie Dean Park offered outdoor play fields and tennis courts. Neighbors also gathered to enjoy seasonal sports, express support for local teams, and participate in social dancing. These shared recreational activities were an important part of life in Green Valley.
[Captions:]
Music was a popular pastime for both youth and adults. Seen here is a group of female students in the 1950s posing with their trumpets. During segregation, Ernest Johnson (far left) led the African American section of the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Green Valley Ball Park held amateur African American baseball games. Pictured above is the Green Valley Black Socks team (circa 1940s). The ball park became part of present day Jennie Dean Park. Jennie Serepta Dean, the namesake of the park, was a former enslaved person who founded the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth.
Children also enjoyed informal recreational activities such as roller skating (circa 1950).
The Veterans Memorial YMCA was dedicated in 1949. The "Y" (Macedonia Baptist Church Family Life Center as of 2020) featured a 25-meter swimming pool and other recreational facilities. It provided one of the only opportunities for African American children to go swimming, as they were not allowed at neighboring pools.
Pictured here are the Miss Recreation pageant contestants of 1959. Pageant contestants, from left to right, are Miss Hoffman-Boston, Miss Jennie Dean, Miss Barnard, and Miss Langston.
Erected by Arlington
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.
Location. 38° 50.91′ N, 77° 5.162′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Green Valley. It can be reached from South Kenmore Street just north of 24th Street South, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2410 S Kenmore St, 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, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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,
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Places of Worship (here, next to this marker); Living and Learning (here, next to this marker); Community Businesses (a few steps from this marker); Origins of Green Valley (within shouting distance of this marker); Drew School (within shouting distance of this marker); FREED, 2021 (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Macedonia Baptist Church (about 500 feet away); Arlington Lodge 58 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Origins (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 22, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 247 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 22, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
