Our largest effort is the Edwin Washington Project, started in 2014,  which is done in partnership with Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and others, primarily to examine the experiences of African-Americans in segregated schools, 1865-1968.  However, it also examines the experiences of whites as well, because a fair comparison is important to the study of history. We plan to expand that interest to other counties in Virginia.    EdwinWashingtonSocietyBrochure.

Major changes are underway on the project website.  Your patience is requested while we complete this effort over the next few weeks.

We hosted a major conference on Black Educational Achievement in education in November 2018 and in 2023 Georgetown University Press will public a book of ours called Dirt Don’t Burn, which examines the history of Black education going back to the days of enslavement.  We also speak about Black education in Loudoun at the annual conferences of the Country School Association of America and have published studies in their journal.  We are also on facebook.

The Society has been intimately involved in helping redesign the Douglass High School building in Leesburg.  We have done this through what has been known as the Commemorative Committee, which has made many recommendations on how to commemorate the history of Douglass.  As of May 2023, the Commemorative Committee will cease operations with the formal rededication on May 20th.  At that time, the task of commemoration will be handled by the Consortium, a committee made up of the Loudoun Douglass Alumni Association (chairs), the Edwin Washington Society and the Loudoun Chapter of the NAACP.

Also in the spring of 2023, the society and the other members of the consortium will move into official offices at Douglass.  The society’s room will be used as a research center.