The Newman Legacy

George Newman was an integral part of the Black community in Harrisonburg in the post-slavery era. Born as a free Black man in 1855, George Newman spent a large amount of time in Harrisonburg as an educator. His views on the importance of education for the progress of African Americans are espoused in the ways he both ran the school and in his writings, including A Miserable Revenge. Outside of his time as an educator and other careers, Newman was a large part of the initial development of Newtown: providing loans, signing and filing paperwork, and also paying poll taxes for those who could not afford to do so in the face of discriminatory laws passed to disenfranchise African Americans. All of this, combined with the efforts of the numerous other residents of the Northeast section of Harrisonburg created a vibrant, thriving, and self-sufficient community that was a place of joy, safety, and love that was fondly remembered by those who lived there.

In this interview with Newman’s granddaughter, Ruth M. Toliver, she relates some of her memories of her grandfather, her perspective on what Newtown was like for her as a young girl in the 1930s and 40s, and her research on George Newman and late-nineteenth century Black life in Harrisonburg.

Much of Newman’s life was dedicated to helping his fellow man, trying to make the world a better place for those who come after him and build the resources that would sustain that change. The goal of this companion website is to help understand how what was going on historically influenced Newman and his civic and community-building work in Harrisonburg, as well as how his views and beliefs are reflected in the novel itself. It is also important to remember how Newman’s legacy has been affected in the wake of the post-slavery Jim Crow era, and the urban renewal projects in Harrisonburg of the 1950s and 60s. Keeping this history in mind, this page had one question in mind while interviewing Ruth Toliver and Professor Susan Zurbrigg: “How can we honor the legacy of George Newman today?” Their words, combined with the rest of the material found on this companion website, help shed additional light on how George Newman’s legacy still continues to shape Harrisonburg to this day.

You can listen to clips from our interviews with Ruth Toliver and Susan Zurbrigg by clicking the play buttons to the left. To listen to the full interviews or to read along with the transcripts, use the buttons below.