Four honored at first Black History recognition
Four residents are recognized for their role in the community
DINWIDDIE — It was a packed room at the Pamplin Administration Building March 17 as four citizens were honored as hometown heroes for Black History Month.
Churches, family members and other loved ones arrived Tuesday as the Board of Supervisors recognized Elnora Stewart Perry, the Rev. Herbert W. Anderson, Gloria Cottman Jones and Sam Shands for their role in the community and African American history. The event was originally scheduled for February but, due to the snow, it was delayed.
“This is our first Black History honorees time in the county, and it’s the first one that you all [the audience] are a part of tonight,” said Brenda K. Ebron-Bonner, vice chairman of the board. “The four people that were selected, we just looked at their history and we thought that they would be excellent people for the first time. I’d like to thank them for their faith, their hope and their love for doing what they did.”
Elnora Stewart Perry was the first African American Extension agent hired by Dinwiddie County. She worked for 35 years training elementary aged children and adult women in cooking, sewing, canning, family budgeting and other life skills. A Virginia State College (now Virginia State University) graduate, she earned a degree in home economics. She is currently a charter member of the Dinwiddie Chapter of the NAACP and Life Member of the national organization.
Sam Shands was elected in 1995 as the first African American sheriff in Dinwiddie County and served until 2007. A Southside High School graduate, Shands farmed until 1962 when he was drafted into the Army and served two years as part of the 25th Infantry Division – The Wolfhounds. He began working for Dinwiddie County in 1964 as a jailor/dispatcher. He received training as a jailor at the Richmond City Jail and as a road deputy at John Tyler Community College.
The Reverend Herbert W. Anderson is a well-known figure in the religious community of the county. He is a member of the Rocky Branch Baptist Church in Sutherland, former pastor of The Center Star Baptist Church and retired as pastor of The Historic Sharon Baptist Church in Dinwiddie County after 31 years. The Petersburg native earned a bachelor’s degree in religious education and an honorary doctorate of divinity from the Virginia Seminary and College of Lynchburg. He also served four years in the Army during the Korean War.
Gloria Cottman Jones, a former teacher in the county, was a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) during the Civil Rights movement and attended two meetings in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Eastside Elementary School (currently the Eastside Community Enhancement Center). Jones, who lives in the Piney Beach area, is known by County Administrator Kevin Massengill as the “Spark-plug of Piney Beach” because of her dedication to the youth. She even braved the snow and ice to give information on a grant that would provide after-school programming for children in her community.
“We’ve seen a lot of history come out of here,” said District 1 Supervisor Harrison A. Moody. “The four people that were named made a great contribution to the county and we’re forever indebted to you all for that. We really thank you for your sacrifice and your time. It’s great to have this type of history in the county.”
Amir Vera may be reached at avera@progress-index.com or (804) 722-5155.
