Northern Piedmont Community Foundation Manger of Programs and Communications Renard Carlos participated in an MLK Community panel discussion hosted by Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Fauquier County. The panel discussion entitled "For Justice, I will Make a Difference" was part of this year's 34th community MLK celebration hosted by Mount Zion. The panel consisted of Fauquier County Sheriff Jeremy Falls, Executive Director of Community Touch Tyronne Champion, and clergy members Vincent Holland, Keith McCullough, and Jim Lunde. Carlos offered the following thoughts on the event and the impact of celebrating Black History month across the four counties in the NPCF footprint.

It was an honor to share the stage with such a great group of community leaders. Like the MLK panel discussion, community dialog is vital to a healthy community. Bringing individuals together from various life experiences to talk about relevant issues facing our community can be wonderful. NPCF's four-county footprint has a rich historical and cultural history. While working at NPCF, it has been a privilege to work with various nonprofits working to preserve and share that history. I have enjoyed working with groups such as the Carver Center in Culpeper, Virginia, and the Rappahannock African American Heritage Center in Castleton, Virginia.

The Rappahannock African American Heritage Center building served as the location of Scrabble School. Scrabble School served as the primary educational institution for African American children in Rappahannock County during segregation. Scrabble School was part of an extensive collection of predominantly two-room schoolhouses constructed between 1917 and 1932 throughout the United States known as Rosenwald Schools. Rosenwald Schools came to fruition through the shared vision of Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald. Rosenwald Schools were created to improve the educational opportunities for African American children during segregation in the United States. Roughly 700,000 African American children are estimated to have attended Rosenwald Schools.

The Carver Center, located in Culpeper, Virginia, served as the George Washington Carver Regional High School and remains a symbol of pride for many African American students who attended the learning institution. The high school, which derives its name from the famous African American inventor George Washington Carver opened in 1948 and served as a secondary education opportunity for minorities in the four counties during segregation in the United States. African American students living in Culpeper, Rappahannock, Orange, and Madison could attend Carver Regional High School.

Many African American students who had attended the 1-2 room Rosenwald Schoolhouses throughout the counties, such as Scrabble School located in Rappahannock, would now have an opportunity to continue their education by attending George Washington Carver Regional High School. George Washington Carver Regional High School closed in 1968 when full school integration took effect. The school now operates as the Carver Center featuring the Carver 4-County Museum, which details the history of secondary education for minorities in the four counties of Culpeper, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock during public education segregation.

Each of these organizations offers a rich glimpse into African American History in their respective counties. What stands out to me the most from those experiences is that we each share more history in common than we know. I look forward to continuing to celebrate and learn more about this shared history highlighted throughout Black History month!