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Washingtons Blackest Name How A Legacy Shapes Identity
The article traces how George Washington’s name became a symbol for African American identity after slavery. It notes census figures showing 90 percent of Washingtones are Black, discusses postwar naming choices, will provisions freeing slaves, and experts’ views on whether the surname reflects ancestry or social association. It includes quotes from historians and contemporary Washingtons pondering pride, memory, and identity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
George Washington
America
U.S
Washington
George
John
Virginia
England
Ron Chernow
Chernow
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Oney Judge
Martha Washington
Martha
Judge
Treasury Department
New Hampshire
Mount Vernon
Mary Thompson
Henry Wiencek
Wiencek
Melvin Patrick Ely
College of William and Mary
Booker T. Washington
Booker
Booker Washington
Booker Taliaferro
Thompson
Ira Berlin
University of Maryland
Berlin
Tony Burroughs
Census Bureau
Jackson
Williams
Shannon Washington
New York City
Brooklyn
New York