Tag: Alexandria VA

From Firefighter to Poet: Kendall Thompson

Behind the scene of the article “From Firefighter to Poet: Kendall Thompson.”

Kendall Thompson

Kendall Thompson is one of our successful Alexandrians who became a firefighter in 1986. He climbed up through the ranks at the Fairfax Fire Department to Fire Captain. He also had a strong childhood passion in writing poetry. During his pre-retirement years, he wrote his poems on his IPAD’s note application. He kept writing one poem after another. Now as a retiree, he is free to be a full-time poet.

Kendall comes from a large family. His parents Clayton Thompson, Sr and Irene Drayton had eleven children. Kendall’s siblings are:

Brenda Thompson Laster is a beautician who still practice in Alexandria, Virginia.

Clayton Thompson, Jr is a retired firefighter, currently employed by Homeland Security/Assistance Firefighters’ Grants

Jeffrey Thompson is deceased but he was a U.S. Army and laborer

Iris Thompson is retired from Alexandria City Public School as a Teacher’s Assistant

Marsha Thompson Smith is retired from Alexandria City Schools (Headquarters/School Board)

Lisa Thompson Mountain is a beautician in New Orleans, Louisiana

Norma Cheryl Thompson Blackmon deceased was retired from the U.S. Courts

Christopher Thompson is a retired firefighter and is now the Civilian Assistant to the Fire Chief of Alexandria City

Victor Thompson is a Sous Chef at a country club in Chantilly, Virginia

Michele Thompson is a paralegal in Fairfax, Virginia and she performs network marketing

Kendall is now making up for lost time he has published several books of poems. His books are:

“Why We Walk in the Street” – This book is about poems that give thoughts about these times that we are living in from the writer’s perspective. (Released June 21, 2020)

“Angry Black Man,” is a book of verse of the author’s thoughts. The book is to make you think. It is a black man’s thoughts. (Released July 7, 2020)

“Hearing Whispers,” describes the feelings that the author gets as his thoughts turn towards the loss of a loved one. Will we hear the whispers of our ancestors? Will we hear the whispers of those who have taken the journey, before us? Hearing Whispers is a part of our journey. (Released July 17, 2020)

“Revered,” is a book of verse about the author’s thoughts while this nation is trying to make sense of tumultuous year of 2020. This book will make you think. (Released August 6, 2020)

You can read more about Kendall Thompson in the Alexandria Gazette’s newspaper dated August 12, 2020 on page 8 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/081220/Alexandria.pdf.

First Principal of Parker-Gray School

Mr. Henry T. White is on the right third roll.

Mr. Henry T. White was the first Principal of Parker-Gray School. His tenure as school principal was from 1920 – 1927. Then he stayed at Parker-Gray as a teacher from 1927 – 1934. The requirements had changed in Alexandria, Virginia for principals. Principals were required to have a Bachelor’s degree. Mr. White had a three-year teacher certificate from the Wayland Seminary in Washington, DC.

When Parker-Gray School first open in 1920, the school went from primary to eighth grade. Mr. White had a double role in Parker-Gray. He was the principal and he taught the seven and eight grades. His 1920-1921 students were:

Bell, Thomas age 13 – seventh grade
Bell, Margaret age 15 – eighth grade
Butler, Llewellyn age 13 – seventh grade
Byrd, Corrine age 13 – eighth grade
Carter, Ellen age 12 – seventh grade
Colbert, Ida age 15 – seventh grade
Contee, Elizabeth age 12 – seventh grade
Dixon, Rosena age 13 – seventh grade
Ellis, William age 13 – seventh grade
Gaddis, Rosier age 13 – seventh grade
Gaines, Anna age 15 – seventh grade
Gilliam, Ruth age 12 – seventh grade
Hill, Eva age 15 – seventh grade
Hopkins, Norris age 13 – seventh grade
Jones, Marie age 14 – seventh grade
Lewis, Gladys age 15 – eighth grade
Lucas, Charles age 12 – seventh grade
Lumpkins, Patrick H. Jr age 13 – eighth grade
Majors, Lucille age 15 – seventh grade
Martin, Willrowe age 15 – eighth grade
McGee, Edgar age 12 – seventh grade
Norton, Elbert age 15 – eighth grade
Parker, Nannie age 14 – seventh grade
Redd, James age 13 – seventh grade
Russell, Mildred age 14 – seventh grade
Shanklin, Samuel age 15 – seventh grade
Speaks, Esther age 12 – seventh grade
Stewart, Florence age 15 – eighth grade
Strange, Richard age 15 – seventh grade
Strange, Wallace age 12 – seventh grade
Turner, Ernest age 15 – seventh grade
Washington, Edmonia age 15 – seventh grade
White, Kathleen V age 13 – seventh grade
Whitmore, Eliza age 15 – seventh grade

You can read more about Mr. Henry T. White in the Alexandria Gazette newspaper dated July 29, 2020 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/072920/Alexandria.pdf.

We Were Part of the Sunnyside Community: Lovell Arvid Lee

Lovell Arvid Lee

The Sunnyside community was the dream of widow, Laura C. Watson and her children. She and her children wanted to have a community were middle class Colored people could live without the burden of housing discrimination.

Laura C. Watson lived long enough to see her dream come true. The community was dedicated in 1905; and, sixteen Colored families built their homes in Sunnyside. Laura died on May 24, 1924, when Mr. Lovell A. Lee’s parents were moving in the Sunnyside community.

Mr. Lee’s family were early homeowners in the Sunnyside Community. He and his siblings Delman, Lavern and Dermot were born and raised in Sunnyside. Their parents Theodore and Mildred Lee purchased this property between the years 1923-1924. Today this area is called Arlandria.

When Mr. Lee married his wife, Shirley M. Marshall on November 19, 1956, he was living at home with his parents at 3812 Elbert Avenue. He had lived in Sunnyside for his entire childhood.

You can read more about the Sunnyside Community titled, “We Were Part of the Sunnyside Community: Lovell Arvid Lee” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated June 10, 2020 on page 6 http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/061020/Alexandria.pdf.

Saluting One of Our Fallen Vietnam Veterans: Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr.

During the Vietnam War, Alexandria had over fifty veterans that lost their lives in combat; Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr was one of them.

Raymond was a 1962 graduate at Parker-Gray High School in Alexandria. He was a popular student who was loved by many. His life was cut short when he received multiple fragmentation wounds on May 13, 1969 in Vietnam.

You can read Raymond L. Williams’s story, titled, “Saluting One of Our Fallen Vietnam Veterans: Raymond Leroy Williams, Sr” is in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper dated May 27, 2020 on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/052720/Alexandria.pdf