Anti-Data Centers rally/program at Brawner Farm Parking Lot Oct. 29, 3-5 p.m.

Join Prince William Conservation Alliance on October 29 from 3-5 pm at Brawner Farm at Manassas National Battlefield Park to hear how our journey towards a more perfect union starts in Pageland.

Often the stories post-Civil War are left untold.

Speakers will cover topics from the Civil War to the Settlement to Thoroughfare to Pageland, weaving together the complicated tapestry that is the fabric of America, and highlighting current threats of industrialization and sprawl development that aim to unravel it.

Descendants of Carver Road and Thoroughfare will speak on behalf of their communities and the legacy of Pageland to offer us a unique perspective of these historic communities. While no one is left to speak for Jennie Dean, her vision lives on in the triangle of triumph from Pageland, Thoroughfare and Carver Road Settlement.

Nathan Grayson, with roots in Carver Road known as the Settlement, will tell the story of this unique community tucked into a corner of Gainesville along Route 29. The Settlement was formerly one of Northern Virginia’s most significant, most stable Black communities where freed slaves “settled” after Emancipation and where their descendants continue to live today, in an area surrounding Carver Road.

Frank Washington, spokesperson for the Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare, will share the history of Thoroughfare, established as a self-sufficient stand-alone farming community by freed slaves and Native Americans. From Thoroughfare, we’ll hear the story of Jennie Dean and her struggle to uplift her community and create opportunities for economic freedom.

These are the stories of people who endured hardships, pain, and suffering, and instilled a legacy of pride, love, hope, and faith in God that a better life could be created for their families.

The Settlement, Thoroughfare, and Pageland are a gateway to our collective shared history.