‘The Black Belt of Virginia’ details untold African American history

‘The Black Belt of Virginia’ details untold African American history

Danville native Jeff Bennett grew up hearing stories about his ancestry from his parents. His mother told him that he got his height — Bennett stands 6 feet, 3 inches tall — from his oldest known ancestor, Flem Adams Sr., who was born into slavery in Pittsylvania in 1830 and died a free man in 1916.  Adams stood 7 feet tall, wore a size 22 shoe, had to duck through doorways and wore people’s used jeans as cutoff shorts, Bennett’s mother told him…

Danville Native's New Book Brings Overlooked African American History to Light

A Danville-born writer has published a book documenting chapters of African American history in Virginia that he says were absent from his own schooling. Jeff Bennett's book, "The Black Belt of Virginia: Untold Stories of African American History," was released this year. According to Cardinal News, it draws on ancestral stories, community oral histories, and archival materials to tell those stories. Bennett, who now lives in Alexandria and spec…