New book traces African American history in Fauquier County

By Laura Ruby

 A new book commemorates Fauquier County’s 250th anniversary, celebrating the heritage of its African American population.

Written by Karen Hughes White, co-founder and executive director at the Afro-American Historical Association in The Plains, and Donna Tyler Hollie and Brett M. Tyler, a sister and brother team from Maryland who trace their roots back to Fauquier, the book explores the journey of African Americans in Fauquier County, both literally and figuratively.

Compiled through historical documents, artifacts, genealogies, and oral histories, “African Americans of Fauquier County” covers many different aspects of free and enslaved African American life in the county from the mid-1700s to the 1960s.

“It’s positioned as black history, but the great thing about it is that the two [black history and Fauquier County history] are so intertwined,” Tyler said. “We think it has broad appeal. It’s not just for one community.”

For more on the book, pick up a copy of this week's Fauquier Times-Democrat Weekend Edition.

 

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