A new state historical marker will be unveiled on November 21, 2025, at Oakwood Cemetery in Charlottesville, Virginia. The marker will honor James T. S. Taylor. Taylor was born in 1840 and was a free Black shoemaker. He served as a sergeant in the 2nd United States Colored Infantry during the Civil War. He also worked as a newspaper correspondent, reporting on Black soldiers and writing about racial issues.
After the war, Taylor was active in Charlottesville’s Republican Party. He was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867-68, where he supported Black voting rights and civil rights. In 1881, he supported the Readjuster Party, which aimed to end the poll tax and improve public education…