Virginia Beach will honor the first chosen black man in Princess Ann County with a state marker – 13newsnow.com wvec

Virginia Beach, Washington-New State Marker will honor the first black man selected in a public position in Princess Ann County, who is now a modern Virginia beach.

Willis August Hodges is an canceller, minister and journalist who in 1867 represents Princess An County in the Constitutional Convention of Virginia.

Local historians consider Hodges a political and social path.

“He paved the way to blacks as politicians,” says Jacqueline Malbon, a member of the Edna Hendrix project, a group that works to tell the Hodges’ story to the public.

“He may be the most significant man on a national scale who came out of Princess Ann County in the 19th century,” says Mark Reed, the historic planning for the conservation of the city of Virginia Beach.

Virginia’s school board member Beach Sharon Felton compares Hodges’ achievements with those of his friend and renowned canceled Frederick Douglas. Felton, along with Malbonne and Larnell Smith, is part of the committee led by the local historian, an Hawkins-Hendricks.

Hodges, a free man, wanted others who looked like him to share in their experience. He was confronted with many opponents, but Felton said Hodges continued to fight.

“He was fighting and defending against slavery. He was somehow a lawyer for many of them trying to obtain their rights,” she said. “So he was a national figure for them to see as I am here. This is what we could become. This is what we can be.”

According to Reed, Hodges spent a lot of time in New York because of opponents in Virginia and launched his newspaper, The Ram Horn in 1847. He also published an autobiography entitled “Free Human Color”.

Hodges was Baptist Minister and married many ancestors to people in the Camppsville area.

In the world of politics, Felton describes Hodges as Trailblazer, who has set the way for future politicians, including the current and first speaker of the Black House of Virginia Don Scott of Portsmouth.

“Those African-American politicians who are in Richmond, who are in DC, stand on the shoulders of a man brave like Willis August Hodges,” she said.

Despite its influence on history, the history of Hodges is not widely known. The group of historians told 13news now his story should be taught more in the Virginia schools.

The historic pleasant hall sits near the place for the upcoming marker. Built in 1763, the building is already home to the ministries of New Jerusalem, a black church led by Pastor Dr. Veronica Campbell. She said Hodges inspired her congregation, especially knowing that people like her were not always welcome.

“That they can see that great things come out of Campville, but there are those that can rise above their circumstance and achieve great things,” she said.

The audience is invited to attend the opening of the new Virginia Historical Highway Marker in honor of Hodges on Saturday, February 8, at 10:30 am. The event will happen at the New Jerusalem ministries at 5184 Singleton Way in Virginia Beach.

The event is free of charge and will include words from Sandy Brewster-Walker’s historian, one of the descendants of Hojes.