Tinner Hill Historic Site
The Tinner Hill Historic Park in Falls Church, Virginia, is the site of what was home to Joseph and Elizabeth Tinner, the couple who fought segregation laws after the borders of neighbouring towns were redrawn, cutting directly through their thriving community. Their actions led to the first rural branch of the NAACP.
The Zig Zag Monument follows the original location of the segregation line. Particularly striking is the “Zig-Zag” sculpture by local artist Martha Jackson Jarvis, which represents how political leaders drew boundaries to dilute the voting power of local Black residents in 1887.
The line placed many Black residents in much larger Fairfax County, instead of the small city of Falls Church. In a large county, the Black vote would carry little weight. Interestingly, the zig-zag is also a West African symbol, which means to perform the unusual or impossible.