I first met Philip Cobbs in January 2022, at the old Charlottesville Tomorrow newsroom several blocks down Market Street from where we are now on the Downtown Mall. I was just a few weeks into my job on staff and was working hard to get my bearings and get a good base of understanding to grow our work.

Philip had written for Charlottesville Tomorrow before, so I was a little bit familiar with his style and story. I was eager to learn from his long experience in central Virginia, and to talk about what he might like to write about next.

I had no idea that I would get a front row seat to his incredible journey into his family — and our land’s — history.

Over the next two years we met at the library, at coffee shops and breweries, in the newsroom and talked on the phone. Piece by piece, the layers of Philip’s incredible family story came through.

At the same time, we were building a program called First Person Charlottesville with our partners in Charlottesville Inclusive Media. Charlottesville Tomorrow, Vinegar Hill Magazine and In My Humble Opinion radio talk show committed together to support our local storytellers and give more people resources to share their essential experiences and knowledge with our community.

The first piece in Philip Cobb’s series about Buck Island came out in March 2024. This week, we published the final piece and have all three parts to read together. I’m honored to have been his editor, and hope that our work together propels greater understanding and greater curiosity about the lands we all call home.

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I also want to invite you to a very special celebration of this work. Philip Cobbs will be telling “The Story of Buck Island” at the Rivanna Riverfest on Saturday, May 10 at 2:30 p.m. I’ll be there, too, and you can find out more about how you can tell your stories for First Person Charlottesville.

Here’s more about the festival, which runs all afternoon into the evening at Rivanna River Company, 1520 E High St, Charlottesville. (Please take special note of the parking instructions if you are driving to the event.)

Most importantly, I want to invite you into Philip’s story of Buck Island. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Sincerely,
Angilee Shah, CEO and Editor-in-Chief

A two-lane road with a car approaching, cleared land and some trees to the side, white clouds in a blue sky. In the center of the image, a green road sign says, "BUCK ISLAND CREEK."
Credit: Kori Price/Charlottesville Tomorrow

Part 1: It was once his family’s farm — the largest Black-owned farm in Albemarle County — but now we all own part of it

On the left, an archival portrait of a woman's profile, with the text "Dr. S. G. Jones, Of Fountain No. 99. The first woman physician to pass a Medical Board in Virginia, Richmond, Va." On the right a black-and-white photo of a woman sitting on a chair with a baby in her lap, and a man in a suit standing next to them, looking at the camera.
Credit: University of Virginia Special Collections, 1909, and courtesy of Philip Cobbs

Part 2: How one family owned and ran the largest Black-owned farm in Albemarle County — for generations

A man with a walking stick looking at the camera, a fall river scene behind him.
Credit: Kori Price/Charlottesville Tomorrow

Part 3: A place where the dream of equality lived in Albemarle County

Hi, I'm Charlottesville Tomorrow's CEO and Editor-in-Chief. I’d love to know more about want you want from local news. Let’s find a time to talk. And keep up with our work by subscribing to our free email newsletter!