On Saturday, Oct. 24, as clouds gave way to a rainbow-filled sky, community members and local and state officials unveiled a long-planned statue of Jennie Dean. This statue is the centerpiece of the Manassas Industrial School and Jennie Dean Memorial Update, located at 9601 Wellington Road.

The Memorial pays tribute to Jennie Dean who, despite being born into slavery in 1848 and without the benefit of a formal education, changed the lives of countless African Americans in Manassas, Prince William County, and the region when she established the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth in 1893.


Booker departed this life on October 26, 2020 at his home with his daughter by his side. He was born on June 12, 1938 to the late Booker T. and Amy Thrower Atkinson in Fordyce, Arkansas. In addition to his parents, Booker was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Wilhelmina Smith Atkinson and a loving sister, Blanche Atkinson Battle.

Booker joined Greenville First Baptist Church in Fordyce at an early age. He held many positions in the…


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