In 1959, 7-year-old Charles Alexander (Alex-Zan) walked into Venable Elementary School, accompanied by his mother, Elizabeth Alexander, and fellow classmates Marvin and William Townsend. He was among the first Black students to attend the newly integrated Charlottesville City Schools. On April 8, just down the road from Venable, Alex-Zan celebrated the unveiling of the Black History Pathway sign on Fourth Street between West Main and Preston Avenue. The honorary naming is part of the ongoing effort to preserve and highlight the city’s African American history. “This pathway and celebration are making sure that we maintain and observe history,” says Alex-Zan. “If we’re not careful, we’ll lose this history.”
