THE EXPERIENCE

The Most Complete Black Arlington Experience Available

The Heritage Evening brings together ABHE's two signature experiences into one seamless, full-day encounter with Black Arlington's history. In the afternoon, Wilma leads your group through Halls Hill on foot and with Reston Limousine service — standing at the sites, touching the wall, hearing the stories where they happened.

That evening, the group moves to The Capital Grille for a private dinner. The streets you walked become the context for everything that follows: a custom AV presentation spanning the full arc of Black Arlington, with archival reproductions — newspaper clippings, property deeds, period photographs — placed in your guests' hands as each chapter unfolds.

The afternoon puts history under your feet. The evening puts it in your hands.

THE EXPERIENCE

These Documents Sit on the Table at Dinner

"Arlington Schools Turn Away Negroes" — September 5, 1957.
Less than two years later, four children from Halls Hill walked through those doors anyway.

Wilma Jones's archival collection spans nearly 300 years of Black Arlington history. Research-grade reproductions of newspaper clippings, property deeds, period photographs, and government documents are placed in guests' hands as each chapter of the story is told.

The September 1958 Washington Post spread pictured here shows four students named Michael Jones, Ronald Deskins, Lance Newman, and Gloria Thompson. Michael Jones is Wilma's brother. This is not curated history. This is her family's archive — on the table, in your hands.

THE VENUE

The Capital Grille, Washington, DC

One of Washington's premier dining destinations. The private dining room provides an intimate, contained setting — perfect for an evening where the story is the centerpiece.

WHAT'S AT THE TABLE

How the Day Unfolds

PART ONE — AFTERNOON

The Halls Hill Walking Tour

A guided walking tour through one of the most significant Black communities in the DC region — led by a fourth-generation resident who literally wrote the book on it.

Calloway United Methodist Church — where the community was founded in 1865. The Segregation Wall — physical remnant of the 1920s racial boundary. The Halls Hill / High View Park Welcoming Area with the Memory Bricks, The Family Statue. Newly installed Halls Hill Stumbling Stones, honoring 8 Arlingtonians enslaved by Basil Hall, a part of the Memorializing the Enslaved Project, in partnership with the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington. The Stratford Four Memorial — including Wilma's brother Michael. Four of the ten stops revealed on the walk.

PART TWO - EVENING

Salon Session at The Capital Grille

A private multi-course dinner where the full arc of Black Arlington — from Green Valley to Freedman's Village, Queen City, East Arlington, Johnson's Hill, and beyond — is brought to life at the table.

Custom AV presentation — archival photographs, maps, and documents on screenArchival reproductions circulate the table as each chapter unfolds. The complete neighborhood arc from 1735 through the late 1960s. Live Q&A with Wilma throughout the eveningF&B billed separately by The Capital Grille

The Stratford Four

Wilma Jones

Historian | Author | Fourth Generation Halls Hill Resident

Wilma Jones has spent more than 20 years documenting 400+ stories of Black Arlington history spanning nearly 300 years — drawing from the Arlington Center for Local History, the Library of Virginia, and her own family's archive.

Her brother Michael is one of the Stratford Four. Her family has lived on this hill for four generations. She is not a guide who studied this history. She was raised into this history.

Author of My Halls Hill Family: More Than a Neighborhood. NPR-featured community leader. Award-winning civic activist. The most compelling storyteller you'll meet in the DC region.

Tour Details

GROUP SIZE

Up to 12 guests

DURATION

VENUE

SCHEDULING

ADD-ONS

~5 Hours with Q&A

Outdoor Walk/Reston Limousine Followed by Private Dinner at The Capital Grille

Afternoon Tour and Private Dinner

Available

BOOKING WINDOW

One Week Minimum

Partner with ABHE

Let’s design an experience for your clients

Email

Info@ArlingtonBlackHeritageExperiences.com

© 2026. All rights reserved.

Buy the books

My Halls Hill Family: More Than a Neighborhood
Little Michael Visits Fire Station 8

Code of Conduct

Review the ABHE Code of Conduct applicable for guests and organizations for ALL experiences.

Operational Standards

ABHE meets the operational standards required by DMCs, luxury tour organizations, corporate incentive and procurement teams. We carry $1,000,000 in general liability coverage and maintain absolute client privacy - no guest photography, no social media, and no disclosure of client or attendee information. Certificates of insurance available upon request.