Southeast Newport News: Difference between revisions

From Voices in the Dust
Jump to navigation Jump to search
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
 
(47 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
== Location and History ==
== Location and History ==
Southeast Newport News, also known as East End, is located on the northern shore of the James River near the harbor of Hampton Roads. Records from the 1600s place Newportes Newes near the mouth of the James River soon after the founding of Jamestown,<ref>Citation</ref> the first permanent English settlement in what would become the U.S. Some say the name comes from Captain Christopher Newport bringing “good news” of supplies to struggling colonists. Others note that maps and company papers from the time show similar spellings tied to early English and Irish place names.<ref>Citation</ref>  
Southeast Newport News, also known as East End, is located on the northern shore of the James River near the harbor of Hampton Roads. Records from the 1600s place "Newportes Newes" near the mouth of the James River soon after the founding of Jamestown,<ref name=":2">Citation</ref> the first permanent English settlement in what would become the U.S. Some say the name comes from Captain Christopher Newport bringing “good news” of supplies to struggling colonists. Others note that maps and company papers from the time show similar spellings tied to early English and Irish place names.<ref>Citation</ref> The area drew many displaced African Americans whose farms and homes had been repossessed by the Commonwealth following the Civil War.


Newport News remained a small riverside community until the late 1800s when industrialist Collis P. Huntington extended the [[Railroad Companies|Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O)]] down the Virginia Peninsula to a deep-water pier on the James River in Southeast Newport News.<ref>Citation</ref> In 1881, the railroad extension connected a new coal pier in a small unincorporated community that would become Southeast Newport News with previously isolated bituminous coalfields in near the New River and Kanawha River in West Virginia.<ref>Citation</ref> Huntington also founded a shipyard in 1886,<ref>Citation</ref> which became Newport News Shipbuilding and operates today building naval and commercial ships and submarines.<ref>Citation</ref> Newport News transformed into a busy port city.  
Newport News remained a small riverside community until the late 1800s when industrialist Collis P. Huntington extended the [[Railroad Companies|Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O)]] down the Virginia Peninsula to a deep-water pier on the James River in Southeast Newport News.<ref>Citation</ref> In 1881, the railroad extension connected a new coal pier in the small unincorporated community that would become Southeast Newport News with previously isolated bituminous coalfields in near the New River and Kanawha River in West Virginia.<ref>Citation</ref> Huntington also founded a shipyard in 1886,<ref>Citation</ref> which became Newport News Shipbuilding that operates today, building naval and commercial ships and submarines.<ref>Citation</ref> Newport News transformed into a busy port city.  


The U.S army used Southeast Newport News as a Port of Embarkation in both World War I and World War II, with nearby Camp Patrick Henry serving as a troop-staging area. In World War II, well over a million service members passed through Camp Patrick Henry and the Southeast Newport News Port of Embarkation on their way overseas, and the population of Newport News and local industries grew to meet wartime demands.  
The U.S army used Southeast Newport News as a Port of Embarkation in both World War I and World War II, with nearby Camp Patrick Henry serving as a troop-staging area.<ref>Citation</ref> In World War II, over a million service members passed through the region on their way overseas. The population of Newport News and local industries grew to meet wartime demands.  


=== The City Development Shift of Newport News ===
Large parts of Southeast Newport News were [https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/map/VA/NewportNews/areas#mapview=full&loc=14/36.9867/-76.4218 redlined in the 1930s by the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC)]. Redlining limited residents opportunities to access mortgage loans and led to significant financial and institutional disinvestment in Southeast Newport News<ref>Hankerson, [https://www.whro.org/local-news/2020-06-18/decades-of-housing-discrimination-still-ripples-through-black-communities-in-hampton-roads Decades Of Housing Discrimination Still Ripple Through Black Communities In Hampton Roads], WHRO, June 18, 2020.</ref> and in redlined neighborhoods across the U.S.<ref>Citation</ref> Redlining has been associated with environmental degradation and pollution in U.S. cities today, with formerly redlined neighborhoods having measurably worse air quality,<ref>Citation</ref> more sources of air and water pollution,<ref>Citation</ref> and worse health outcomes<ref>Citation</ref> than other neighborhoods, despite housing discrimination being illegal since 1968.
The move of the heart of the city from Southeast Newport News to Central Newport News is largely due to industrialization and the consolidation with the city of Warwick in 1958. Southeast Newport lost lots of its development as suburban development began to grow up north, which led to urban development in what is now known as. The consolidation of the city of Newport News and Warwick into one city (taking the name Newport News) allowed the city to have a great amount of urban development. The former Warwick area became a place for new suburban neighborhoods and shopping centers to be created.
 
=== Consolidation with Warwick ===
In 1958, the urban and industrial City of Newport News consolidated with rural Warwick, creating a city with the boundaries of what is now known as Newport News. Newport News was racially segregated by housing, school, and zoning policies and practices. White Newport News residents and businesses moved into the northern areas that were formerly Warwick, and Black residents were forced to remain near downtown Newport News, including Southeast Newport News, which began to decline from disinvestment. Today, the former areas of Warwick are largely middle-class suburbs, while residents of Southeast Newport News have experienced limited economic opportunities, crime, poverty, pollution, and lack of development in the area.<ref>Le Moal, [https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1614&context=master201019 Consolidation: Race, Politics, and Suburbanization in the Newport News-Warwick Merger], James Madison University, Masters Thesis, 2018.</ref> 
 
=== Today ===
Southeast Newport News is a predominantly African American (80%) with a median household income of $36,420, which is below that of the City of Newport News ($64,962).<ref>U.S. Census Bureau, [[:File:Census Tract 305, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|Census Tract 305]], Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.</ref><ref>U.S. Census Bureau, [[:File:Census Tract 306, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|Census Tract 306]], Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.</ref><ref>U.S. Census Bureau, [[:File:Census Tract 303, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|Census Tract 303]], Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.</ref><ref>U.S. Census Bureau, [[:File:Census Tract 304, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|Census Tract 304]], Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.</ref><ref>U.S. Census Bureau, [[:File:Census Tract 301, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|Census Tract 301]], Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.</ref> The neighborhood is currently undergoing several redevelopment projects, the [[Ridley Circle and the Marshall-Ridley Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI)|Marshall-Ridley Choice Neighborhood Initiative]] and projects as part of the City's Southeast Community Comprehensive Plan.<ref>Citation</ref>
 
=== Coal Dust Pollution ===
Residents of Southeast Newport News are exposed to air, water, and soil pollution from multiple industrial sources near the neighborhood including two major coal export terminals, [[Coal Terminals in the Port of Virginia|Dominion Terminal Associates]] and [[Coal Terminals in the Port of Virginia|KinderMorgan Bulk Terminals]], Newport News Shipbuilding, and Interstate 664 (I-664), which encloses Southeast Newport News on two sides and is heavy trafficked by diesel freight trucks. Pollution from Newport News Shipbuilding and I-664 has been cited so as to diminish residents’ specific concerns about [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust]].<ref>Citation</ref>
 
In 2005, the [https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/hampton-peninsula/ Peninsula Health District Virginia Department of Health] reported that Southeast Community residents visited the emergency room for asthma at a rate double that of both Newport News and Virginia. However, while this study continues to be cited in the media,<ref>Citations</ref> the document appears to be lost.<ref>Citation: maybe include email exchange with Health district?</ref> Residents have identified [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust pollution]] as among their most important concerns<ref>Mansyur et al., [[:File:Mansyur et al 2016 community research Newport News.pdf|Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Identify Environmental Justice Issues in an Inner-City Community and Inform Urban Planning]], ''Family and Community Health'', 39, 3, 169–77, 2016.</ref> and want action taken to mitigate [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust]] and its effects on their [[Health impacts: particles and coal dust|health]] and well-being.<ref name=":0">Fields et al., [[:File:Fields-et-al-2024-practicing-repair-advancing-community-based-solutions-on-coal-dust-pollution-in-hampton-roads.pdf|Practicing Repair: Advancing Community-Based Solutions on Coal Dust Pollution in Hampton Roads, Virginia through a Practitioner-in-Residence Program]], ''Environmental Justice,'' 0, 0, 1–11, 2024.</ref> Residents have expressed frustration with the lack of opportunities for meaningful participation in decision-making processes and hopelessness around the [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust]] issue, [[Interviews and oral histories|sharing stories]] of politicians and other decision makers refusing to act.<ref name=":0" />
 
Community organizing around the coal dust issue has been led by Garden-Shores Civic League in the 1950s, the Tenant Councils of Dickerson Courts and Harbor Homes and Ridley Circle in the 1980s, the Southeast CARE Coalition, and most recently through a collaboration of organizations including the [[Repair Lab]], EmPower All, and the Virginia Black Leadership Organizing Collaborative (VA BLOC) under the slogan of Coal Dust Kills.


== Community ==
== Community ==


=== Landmarks ===
=== Landmarks ===
:'''Newport News Victory Arch:''' The Arch was originally built in 1919 with wood and plaster by volunteers to greet the returning soldiers, and returning soldiers from World War I would arrive and march through the arch in victory parades. During this time, black soldiers were not allowed to pass through due to segregation. The arch was later reconstructed in 1962 to what it is now, and an eternal flame was added in 1969 on Memorial day.
:'''[https://nnparksandrec.org/directory-parks/listing/king-lincoln-park/ King-Lincoln Park]:''' King-Lincoln Park is a water-front park with playgrounds, a beach, fishing pier, and stage. In the summer, outdoor events and performances are held here. The park is named after Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln and features two sculptures, The Dream, a statue of Dr. King by Antonio Tobias Mendez of Hampton, Virginia and "The Emancipation Oak," a statue of President Lincoln by Richard Hollant of Newport News.<ref name=":1">[https://morrisondentalgroup.com/newport-news/local/king-lincoln-park/ King-Lincoln Park], Morrison Dental Group, 2026.</ref> In 1945, King-Lincoln Park was created as the first public park in Newport News open to African Americans during segregation, an effort led by local community leaders Reverend W. W. Finlator and Reverend Lawrence Henry.<ref name=":1" /> The park has been a place for community events including Black civil rights actions. In 1960, more than 2,000 people marched from King-Lincoln Park to City Hall to demand an end to racial segregation and discrimination in housing, education, and employment.<ref name=":1" />
:'''Historic Endview:''' This is a significant Civil War site, and one of Newport News' last colonial buildings. During the Civil war the building was headquarters and a hospital for confederate generals. It is currently a museum that showcases the history of the building through tours and events.
:'''Newport News Victory Arch:''' The Victory Arch was originally built in 1919 with wood and plaster by volunteers to greet soldiers returning from World War I, who would arrive and march through the arch in victory parades. Black soldiers were not allowed to pass through the Victory Arch because of racial segregation. The Victory Arch was later reconstructed in 1962 to its current version and an eternal flame added on Memorial Day in 1969.
:'''King-Lincoln Park:''' Water-front park with a number of amenities including tennis courts, playgrounds, a beach, and a fishing pier to name a few. In the summer, outdoor events and performances can be held at the park on its stage. The park gets its name from Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln, two important leaders who paved the way for equality. Throughout history, and even today, the park has served as a place for African Americans to seek refuge and gain hope for the future. In 1945, it was the first park in Newport News designated specifically for African Americans during segregation. Later on, the park served as a place for demonstrations and rallies to occur. Today, it continues to be a place where community and culture can be celebrated by all.
:'''Downing Gross Cultural Center:''' A multi-purpose cultural space owned by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Newport News. The building usually serves as an event venue, but also has meeting rooms available to rent and houses permanent exhibits. The center emphasizes the importance of collaboration within the community and creativity.


=== Famous Residents ===
=== Famous Residents ===
:'''Ella Fitzgerald:''' Ella Fitzgerald, dubbed the “First Lady of Song," was an American singer, songwriter, and composer. She is most known as a popular female jazz singer. Ella was born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25, 1917. She got her start performing at amateur night at the Apollo and that launched her into her highly successful and influential career. The City of Newport News commemorates Ella with a mural downtown and has also named the theater in Downing-Gross community center after her.
:'''Ella Fitzgerald:''' Known as the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald was a singer, songwriter, and composer. She was born in Southeast Newport News on April 25, 1917. She got her start performing at amateur night at the Apollo. The City of Newport News commemorates Fitzgerald with a mural downtown, named the Downing-Gross Cultural Center theater in her honor, and hosts an annual [https://downinggross.org/events/72s6434zzyhkddxz2bz54c9wjh6827 Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival]. In 2008, the City of Newport News renamed 24<sup>th</sup> Street (the street of her childhood home) to Ella Fitzgerald Way.  
:'''Pearl Bailey:''' Pearl Bailey was an American actress, singer, and comedian. She was known for appearing on Broadway, movies, and her own television show, called the Pearl Bailey Show.
:'''Pearl Bailey:''' Pearl Bailey was an actress, singer, author, and comedian. She was born in Southeast Newport News on March 29, 1918. She appeared on Broadway, movies, and her own television show, called the Pearl Bailey Show (1971).<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066698/ The Pearl Bailey Show], IMDb, 1971.</ref>
:'''Michael Vick:''' He was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. Established a professional football career as an NFL quarterback. He would later come back to hometown to serve as head football coach for Norfolk State University. He has also given back to his hometown community through the creation of the Michael Vick Teen Center. An area added to the Boys & Girls Club in Newport News that is made to give teens in the area resources to further their education or find success somewhere in the workforce.
:'''Michael Vick:''' Michael Vick is a former professional football player, who was born and raised in Southeast Newport News. Vick is currently the [https://nsuspartans.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/michael-vick/1282 head football coach of the Norfolk State University Spartans]. Vick donated to the Boys & Girls Club, crediting the organization's role in his life growing up, to open the renovated and renamed [https://www.bagclub.com/2019/04/15/michael-vick-teen-center-unveiled-at-newport-news-natives-former-boys-and-girls-club/ Michael Vick Teen Center]. In a press release, Vick said: "My time at the Boys and Girls Club was so pivotal at a crucial point in my life when I had to learn people skills, and learn to communicate, and learn discipline, and learn what trust was all about. [...] It happened for me, so I wanna do it for them."<ref>Arevalo et al., [https://www.bagclub.com/2019/04/15/michael-vick-teen-center-unveiled-at-newport-news-natives-former-boys-and-girls-club/ Michael Vick Teen Center Unveiled at Newport News Native’s Former Boys and Girls Club], Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Penninsula, press release, April 12, 2019.</ref>


=== Events ===
=== Events ===
:'''Southeast Community Day:''' [https://www.southeastcommunityday.com/ Southeast Community Day] is an annual parade in Southeast Newport News celebrating the community's strengths and unity through that includes  local school marching bands, business owners, and community organizations. There is also festival with vendors, food, and music.
:'''[https://downinggross.org/events/72s6434zzyhkddxz2bz54c9wjh6827 Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival]:''' The [https://downinggross.org/events/72s6434zzyhkddxz2bz54c9wjh6827 Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival] is a two-day festival at the [https://downinggross.org/ Downing-Gross Cultural Center] featuring jazz, soul and blues musicians in honor of Ella Fitzgerald.
:'''[https://www.southeastdayparade.com/ Southeast Community Day]:''' [https://www.southeastdayparade.com/ Southeast Community Day] is an annual parade in September celebrating the community's strengths and unity. The parade features local school marching bands and dance troupes, community leaders, politicians, and business owners, and community organizations. There is also festival with vendors, food, music, and other activities.


== Historical Records ==
== Historical Records ==
:'''[https://aahsnn.wildapricot.org/ African American Historical Society of Newport News]:'''  
:'''[https://aahsnn.wildapricot.org/ African American Historical Society of Newport News (AAHSNN)]:''' The mission of [https://aahsnn.wildapricot.org/ AAHSNN] is: "to research, preserve, protect, and pass on the history of African Americans in Newport News, Virginia." The [https://aahsnn.wildapricot.org/ AAHSNN] is: "dedicated to sharing our rich history on to the youth and uncovering it so that it is accessible to future generations."
:'''Downing Gross Cultural Center:'''
:'''[https://downinggross.org/ Downing Gross Cultural Center]:''' This is a multi-purpose cultural space run by the City of Newport News Parks and Recreation Department. The center serves as an event venue and hosts permanent and rotating exhibits, often about local history and issues. The center is home to the Ella Fitzgerald Theater and [https://downinggross.org/events/72s6434zzyhkddxz2bz54c9wjh6827 Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival].
:'''[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/home Hampton Roads Oral History Project (HROHP)]:''' This collection is an audio-based history project, documenting the impact of the civil rights movement on area residents. It was established in the fall of 2012 by Christopher Newport University Prof. Laura Puaca in collaboration with the [https://newportnewshistory.org/newsome-house-museum-cultural-center/ Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center] and the [https://downinggross.org/ Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center]. Most of the interviews were carried out by students.
:'''[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/home Hampton Roads Oral History Project (HROHP)]:''' This collection is an audio-based history project, documenting the impact of the civil rights movement on area residents. It was established in the fall of 2012 by Christopher Newport University Prof. Laura Puaca in collaboration with the [https://newportnewshistory.org/newsome-house-museum-cultural-center/ Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center] and the [https://downinggross.org/ Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center]. Most of the interviews were carried out by students.
:Multiple interviews mention coal for heating,<ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/mwblowe Mary Walker Blowe interviewed by R. Joshua Sipe], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, September 28, 2015.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/kwbrown Kathleen and William Brown interviewed by Sam Raimondo and Ben Perkins], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, November 17, 2016.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/mdixon Mittie Jean Ward Dixon interviewed by Charlene Jackson and Antonia Comfort], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 17, 2016.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/hfoster Helen H. Foster interviewed by Lauren Picard and Hannah Patton], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 22, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/ehill Elwood Hill interviewed by R. Joshua Sipe], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 22, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/bjohnson Bertha Johnson interviewed by Samantha Cain and Rachel Marsh], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 13, 2012.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/amciver Albert McIver, Jr. interviewed by R. Joshua Sipe and Alexander Szymanski], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 18, 2014.</ref> coal mining,<ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/wedwards Willie Edwards interviewed by Shantel Hudgins and Alanah Daniels], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 30, 2012.</ref> and coal trains.<ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/wmorgan William Morgan interviewed by R. Joshua Sipe], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 22, 2015.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/legaither Lovett Ernest Gaither interviewed by Erik C. Branting and Frank D. Pelli, Jr.], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 26, 2012.</ref><ref>[https://chris.cnu.edu/s/hrohp/page/rmaskgriffin Rosetta Mask-Griffin interviewed by Caitlyn Hickey and Zachary Keener], The Hampton Roads Oral History Project, October 22, 2014.</ref>
:'''[https://www.livingtogetherlivingapart.com/ Living Apart: Geography of Segregation in the 21st Century]:''' Created by Prof. Johnny Finn and students at Christopher Newport University, this resource focused on racial segregation in U.S. cities and features maps of redlining, race, poverty, pollution, heat, and tree canopy in Hampton Roads.
:'''[https://newportnewshistory.org/newsome-house-museum-cultural-center/ Newsome House Museum & Cultural Center]:'''
:'''[https://newportnewshistory.org/newsome-house-museum-cultural-center/ Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center]:''' The [https://newportnewshistory.org/newsome-house-museum-cultural-center/ Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center] hosts exhibitions, special events, and community functions in Southeast Newport News. The building is the former residence of prominent African-American lawyer J. Thomas Newsome and his wife Mary Winfield Newsome. Mr. Newsome was a Black civil rights leader and his home was a hub of community and social justice organizing.


== Documents ==
== Documents ==
* [[:File:Mansyur et al 2016 community research Newport News.pdf|Mansyur et al., Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Identify Environmental Justice Issues in an Inner-City Community and Inform Urban Planning, ''Family and Community Health'', 39, 3, 169–77, 2016]]
* [[:File:Census Tract 301, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 301, Norfolk, VA. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023]]
* [[:File:Census Tract 303, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 303, Norfolk, VA. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023]]
* [[:File:Census Tract 304, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 304, Norfolk, VA. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023]]
* [[:File:Census Tract 305, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 305, Norfolk, VA. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023]]
* [[:File:Census Tract 306, Newport News, VA - Profile data - Census Reporter.pdf|U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 306, Norfolk, VA. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023]]
* [[:File:Fields-et-al-2024-practicing-repair-advancing-community-based-solutions-on-coal-dust-pollution-in-hampton-roads.pdf|Fields et al., Practicing Repair: Advancing Community-Based Solutions on Coal Dust Pollution in Hampton Roads, Virginia through a Practitioner-in-Residence Program, ''Environmental Justice,'' 0, 0, 1–11, 2024]]
== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 22:38, 19 January 2026

Location and History

Southeast Newport News, also known as East End, is located on the northern shore of the James River near the harbor of Hampton Roads. Records from the 1600s place "Newportes Newes" near the mouth of the James River soon after the founding of Jamestown,[1] the first permanent English settlement in what would become the U.S. Some say the name comes from Captain Christopher Newport bringing “good news” of supplies to struggling colonists. Others note that maps and company papers from the time show similar spellings tied to early English and Irish place names.[2] The area drew many displaced African Americans whose farms and homes had been repossessed by the Commonwealth following the Civil War.

Newport News remained a small riverside community until the late 1800s when industrialist Collis P. Huntington extended the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) down the Virginia Peninsula to a deep-water pier on the James River in Southeast Newport News.[3] In 1881, the railroad extension connected a new coal pier in the small unincorporated community that would become Southeast Newport News with previously isolated bituminous coalfields in near the New River and Kanawha River in West Virginia.[4] Huntington also founded a shipyard in 1886,[5] which became Newport News Shipbuilding that operates today, building naval and commercial ships and submarines.[6] Newport News transformed into a busy port city.

The U.S army used Southeast Newport News as a Port of Embarkation in both World War I and World War II, with nearby Camp Patrick Henry serving as a troop-staging area.[7] In World War II, over a million service members passed through the region on their way overseas. The population of Newport News and local industries grew to meet wartime demands.

Large parts of Southeast Newport News were redlined in the 1930s by the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC). Redlining limited residents opportunities to access mortgage loans and led to significant financial and institutional disinvestment in Southeast Newport News[8] and in redlined neighborhoods across the U.S.[9] Redlining has been associated with environmental degradation and pollution in U.S. cities today, with formerly redlined neighborhoods having measurably worse air quality,[10] more sources of air and water pollution,[11] and worse health outcomes[12] than other neighborhoods, despite housing discrimination being illegal since 1968.

Consolidation with Warwick

In 1958, the urban and industrial City of Newport News consolidated with rural Warwick, creating a city with the boundaries of what is now known as Newport News. Newport News was racially segregated by housing, school, and zoning policies and practices. White Newport News residents and businesses moved into the northern areas that were formerly Warwick, and Black residents were forced to remain near downtown Newport News, including Southeast Newport News, which began to decline from disinvestment. Today, the former areas of Warwick are largely middle-class suburbs, while residents of Southeast Newport News have experienced limited economic opportunities, crime, poverty, pollution, and lack of development in the area.[13]

Today

Southeast Newport News is a predominantly African American (80%) with a median household income of $36,420, which is below that of the City of Newport News ($64,962).[14][15][16][17][18] The neighborhood is currently undergoing several redevelopment projects, the Marshall-Ridley Choice Neighborhood Initiative and projects as part of the City's Southeast Community Comprehensive Plan.[19]

Coal Dust Pollution

Residents of Southeast Newport News are exposed to air, water, and soil pollution from multiple industrial sources near the neighborhood including two major coal export terminals, Dominion Terminal Associates and KinderMorgan Bulk Terminals, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Interstate 664 (I-664), which encloses Southeast Newport News on two sides and is heavy trafficked by diesel freight trucks. Pollution from Newport News Shipbuilding and I-664 has been cited so as to diminish residents’ specific concerns about coal dust.[20]

In 2005, the Peninsula Health District Virginia Department of Health reported that Southeast Community residents visited the emergency room for asthma at a rate double that of both Newport News and Virginia. However, while this study continues to be cited in the media,[21] the document appears to be lost.[22] Residents have identified coal dust pollution as among their most important concerns[23] and want action taken to mitigate coal dust and its effects on their health and well-being.[24] Residents have expressed frustration with the lack of opportunities for meaningful participation in decision-making processes and hopelessness around the coal dust issue, sharing stories of politicians and other decision makers refusing to act.[24]

Community organizing around the coal dust issue has been led by Garden-Shores Civic League in the 1950s, the Tenant Councils of Dickerson Courts and Harbor Homes and Ridley Circle in the 1980s, the Southeast CARE Coalition, and most recently through a collaboration of organizations including the Repair Lab, EmPower All, and the Virginia Black Leadership Organizing Collaborative (VA BLOC) under the slogan of Coal Dust Kills.

Community

Landmarks

King-Lincoln Park: King-Lincoln Park is a water-front park with playgrounds, a beach, fishing pier, and stage. In the summer, outdoor events and performances are held here. The park is named after Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln and features two sculptures, The Dream, a statue of Dr. King by Antonio Tobias Mendez of Hampton, Virginia and "The Emancipation Oak," a statue of President Lincoln by Richard Hollant of Newport News.[25] In 1945, King-Lincoln Park was created as the first public park in Newport News open to African Americans during segregation, an effort led by local community leaders Reverend W. W. Finlator and Reverend Lawrence Henry.[25] The park has been a place for community events including Black civil rights actions. In 1960, more than 2,000 people marched from King-Lincoln Park to City Hall to demand an end to racial segregation and discrimination in housing, education, and employment.[25]
Newport News Victory Arch: The Victory Arch was originally built in 1919 with wood and plaster by volunteers to greet soldiers returning from World War I, who would arrive and march through the arch in victory parades. Black soldiers were not allowed to pass through the Victory Arch because of racial segregation. The Victory Arch was later reconstructed in 1962 to its current version and an eternal flame added on Memorial Day in 1969.

Famous Residents

Ella Fitzgerald: Known as the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald was a singer, songwriter, and composer. She was born in Southeast Newport News on April 25, 1917. She got her start performing at amateur night at the Apollo. The City of Newport News commemorates Fitzgerald with a mural downtown, named the Downing-Gross Cultural Center theater in her honor, and hosts an annual Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival. In 2008, the City of Newport News renamed 24th Street (the street of her childhood home) to Ella Fitzgerald Way.
Pearl Bailey: Pearl Bailey was an actress, singer, author, and comedian. She was born in Southeast Newport News on March 29, 1918. She appeared on Broadway, movies, and her own television show, called the Pearl Bailey Show (1971).[26]
Michael Vick: Michael Vick is a former professional football player, who was born and raised in Southeast Newport News. Vick is currently the head football coach of the Norfolk State University Spartans. Vick donated to the Boys & Girls Club, crediting the organization's role in his life growing up, to open the renovated and renamed Michael Vick Teen Center. In a press release, Vick said: "My time at the Boys and Girls Club was so pivotal at a crucial point in my life when I had to learn people skills, and learn to communicate, and learn discipline, and learn what trust was all about. [...] It happened for me, so I wanna do it for them."[27]

Events

Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival: The Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival is a two-day festival at the Downing-Gross Cultural Center featuring jazz, soul and blues musicians in honor of Ella Fitzgerald.
Southeast Community Day: Southeast Community Day is an annual parade in September celebrating the community's strengths and unity. The parade features local school marching bands and dance troupes, community leaders, politicians, and business owners, and community organizations. There is also festival with vendors, food, music, and other activities.

Historical Records

African American Historical Society of Newport News (AAHSNN): The mission of AAHSNN is: "to research, preserve, protect, and pass on the history of African Americans in Newport News, Virginia." The AAHSNN is: "dedicated to sharing our rich history on to the youth and uncovering it so that it is accessible to future generations."
Downing Gross Cultural Center: This is a multi-purpose cultural space run by the City of Newport News Parks and Recreation Department. The center serves as an event venue and hosts permanent and rotating exhibits, often about local history and issues. The center is home to the Ella Fitzgerald Theater and Ella Fitzgerald Music Festival.
Hampton Roads Oral History Project (HROHP): This collection is an audio-based history project, documenting the impact of the civil rights movement on area residents. It was established in the fall of 2012 by Christopher Newport University Prof. Laura Puaca in collaboration with the Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center and the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center. Most of the interviews were carried out by students.
Living Apart: Geography of Segregation in the 21st Century: Created by Prof. Johnny Finn and students at Christopher Newport University, this resource focused on racial segregation in U.S. cities and features maps of redlining, race, poverty, pollution, heat, and tree canopy in Hampton Roads.
Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center: The Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center hosts exhibitions, special events, and community functions in Southeast Newport News. The building is the former residence of prominent African-American lawyer J. Thomas Newsome and his wife Mary Winfield Newsome. Mr. Newsome was a Black civil rights leader and his home was a hub of community and social justice organizing.

Documents

References

  1. ↑ Citation
  2. ↑ Citation
  3. ↑ Citation
  4. ↑ Citation
  5. ↑ Citation
  6. ↑ Citation
  7. ↑ Citation
  8. ↑ Hankerson, Decades Of Housing Discrimination Still Ripple Through Black Communities In Hampton Roads, WHRO, June 18, 2020.
  9. ↑ Citation
  10. ↑ Citation
  11. ↑ Citation
  12. ↑ Citation
  13. ↑ Le Moal, Consolidation: Race, Politics, and Suburbanization in the Newport News-Warwick Merger, James Madison University, Masters Thesis, 2018.
  14. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 305, Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.
  15. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 306, Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.
  16. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 303, Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.
  17. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 304, Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.
  18. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Census Tract 301, Norfolk, Virginia, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Census Reporter Profile, 2023.
  19. ↑ Citation
  20. ↑ Citation
  21. ↑ Citations
  22. ↑ Citation: maybe include email exchange with Health district?
  23. ↑ Mansyur et al., Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Identify Environmental Justice Issues in an Inner-City Community and Inform Urban Planning, Family and Community Health, 39, 3, 169–77, 2016.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Fields et al., Practicing Repair: Advancing Community-Based Solutions on Coal Dust Pollution in Hampton Roads, Virginia through a Practitioner-in-Residence Program, Environmental Justice, 0, 0, 1–11, 2024.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 King-Lincoln Park, Morrison Dental Group, 2026.
  26. ↑ The Pearl Bailey Show, IMDb, 1971.
  27. ↑ Arevalo et al., Michael Vick Teen Center Unveiled at Newport News Native’s Former Boys and Girls Club, Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Penninsula, press release, April 12, 2019.
Retrieved from "https://voicesinthedust.org/index.php?title=Southeast_Newport_News&oldid=2835"