The Creation of Black Mistrust in Police: An Exploration of the White Policing of Black Bodies in Fairfax Co.
CML scholar Andrew Snowman presents at Historic Blenheim
Saturday, June 28, 2025 2:00 PM EDT
George Mason University master's degree candidate Andrew Snowman will present his ongoing study of Black experience with white policing in Fairfax County at the Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim in Fairfax, Va. Begun during his undergraduate studies in history, for which he was named an Outstanding Graduate, Snowman's continually expanding research begins with local slave-patrolling in the Antebellum era. Digging deep into Historic Fairfax Court House records, he has tracked the evolution of slavery enforcement tactics into policing of Black bodies through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Snowman has presented his policing research to audiences including the 2025 Virginia Forum conference and the Center for Mason Legacies Second Annual Symposium, in February, at which he was awarded the Andy Smith Prize for research. As his undergraduate capstone study, his policing research was named Best Senior Seminar Paper.
The Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim, occupying a circa-1859 home, is known for the “diary on the walls” left by Federal soldiers in 1862-63, providing insight into the lives of common soldiers. Its collection and interpretation looks at the war's effect on local White residents including the owning Willcoxon family and free and enslaved local people of African descent.
Hosted by Historic Blenheim and the Civil War Interpretive Center.
