By Mayor Derrick R. Wood

March 1, 2026

February is over.

But if Black history only lives in February, we have already missed the point.

In the span of one week, I stood in four very different rooms:

• The United States Senate

• The Governor’s Mansion

• A statewide Black History Month gala

• And an oral history presentation in Dumfries focused on Batestown

Four rooms.

Four levels of legacy.

One responsibility.

Federal Recognition: Representation in Real Time

At the Hart Building in Washington, D.C., Black history was honored in the United States Senate. I had the opportunity to connect with Jennifer McClellan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia.

A “first” in our lifetime.

In the same institution where laws once excluded us, leadership now reflects us.

The Hampton University Choir filled the chamber with voices that carried more than music — they carried continuity.

That is progress.

But recognition alone does not preserve history.

State Affirmation: Standing With Trailblazers

At the Governor’s Mansion, Virginia marked 100 years since Dr. Carter G. Woodson launched what would become Black History Month.

There, I connected with Governor Abigail Spanberger, the first woman elected Governor of the Commonwealth, and Governor Douglas Wilder, the first Black governor in American history.

These are not just historic milestones.

They are markers of leadership expanding.

Woodson understood something urgent and timeless:

If history is not documented, it will be distorted.

If it is not preserved, it will disappear.

Community Celebration: Passing the Torch

At the Virginia Black History Month Association Gala, I had the honor of serving as Master of Ceremonies.

But that evening was about more than guiding a program.

It was about witnessing the passing of the torch.

Elders who carried the movement.

Leaders shaping the present.

Young people watching closely, deciding what kind of leaders they will become.

Celebration matters.

It reminds us that Black history is not only about struggle — it is about contribution, resilience, excellence, and responsibility.

The torch is never simply handed off.

It is earned, carried, and protected.

Local Preservation: The Story of Claude C. Thomas Jr.

And then, back home in Dumfries, history became personal.

Historic Dumfries hosted an oral history presentation about Batestown — a historically Black community that helped shape the identity of our town.

The presentation centered on the life of Claude C. Thomas Jr., whose story was shared by family historian Charles Reid.

Claude grew up in Batestown, where neighbors were often connected by blood or marriage. He remembered Mine Road before improvements, long bus rides to Jennie Dean, baseball and softball games, swimming in Quantico Creek, and the small grocery store his mother operated.

He later served more than 30 years in federal government roles before returning home to serve as a Dumfries Town Councilman and Vice Mayor.

This is what local Black history looks like.

A child walking Mine Road.

A mother running a store.

A public servant returning home to lead.

When stories like this are not recorded, we lose more than biography.

We lose identity.

And as Dumfries continues to grow and redevelop, that identity matters.

Development without memory becomes displacement of identity.

Responsible leadership ensures growth and preservation move forward together.

What This Month Reinforced

Black history is not symbolic.

It is structural.

It exists in representation.

In policy decisions.

In land use conversations.

In who has access to opportunity.

From Woodson’s vision…

To Wilder’s barrier-breaking leadership…

To McClellan’s historic election…

To the story of Claude Thomas in Batestown…

This is continuity.

Federal acknowledgment.

State affirmation.

Community celebration.

Neighborhood preservation.

That is legacy.

And Now We Continue

As we turn the calendar to March, we enter Women’s History Month.

It is fitting.

Black history and women’s history are deeply intertwined — not only through struggle, but through leadership.

The mothers who sustained Batestown.

The women who ran businesses.

The educators who shaped generations.

The leaders who stepped into rooms where they were once excluded.

Leadership is not seasonal.

It is revealed in responsibility.

If your family has roots in Dumfries —

If you grew up in Batestown or along Mine Road —

If you carry stories that have never been written down —

We want to hear from you.

Your memories matter.

Your photos matter.

Your family stories matter.

History that is not shared fades.

History that is documented becomes legacy.

Black history does not end in February.

It lives in our homes.

In our neighborhoods.

In our families.

Let’s preserve it — together.

— Mayor Derrick R. Wood