by Holly Weatherwax, Staff Writer
If you live in Reston, you may know it as a great place to live. What you may not know is how groundbreaking it was for racial integration in its early years. This vital aspect of Reston’s history is often overlooked, yet it remains a defining part of the community’s legacy.
When Reston was dedicated in 1965, Virginia still had segregated schools. Although the Supreme Court had declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional in 1954, Virginia responded with a policy of “massive resistance” to integration. Dozens of lawsuits challenged the state’s stance, and by the late 1960s, Virginia schools were finally integrated.
From the start, Reston’s founder, Robert E. Simon, made it clear that his new community would be open to Black residents. Simon purchased 6,750 acres of farmland in 1961 and began laying the foundation for what would become Reston. At the time, most Virginia neighborhoods had restrictive covenants that barred Black families from buying homes.
When amendments to the Civil Rights Act outlawed these covenants in 1968, Reston stood apart—it had never enforced such discriminatory policies.
In honor of Black History Month, the Reston Museum presented a Feb. 26 program titled, “Reston at the Forefront of Community Desegregation,” at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. Speakers included Beverly Cosham, a Reston resident since 1967 and current chair of the Reston Community Center, as well as a celebrated cabaret singer, actress, and arts advocate. Also speaking was Ken Plum, a longtime Reston resident who served in the Virginia House of Delegates for one of the longest tenures in its 400-year history.
Cosham shared how she moved to Reston from Washington, D.C., after seeing an advertisement for a musical in The Washington Post. She came to audition, was drawn to the inclusive vision of the community, and soon decided to move. Her family and friends were concerned, believing Virginia was too entrenched in segregation for her to thrive. One of her first performances in Reston was “The Greatest Game in Town,” staged in a former horse barn off Reston Avenue (now South Reston Parkway), near today’s Reston Animal Hospital.
As more Black families settled in Reston, community groups formed to provide support while the rest of Virginia caught up. Organizations like the Black Focus Group, which sponsored the annual Reston Black Arts Festival, along with churches and Jack and Jill of America, helped foster an inclusive environment for Reston’s early Black residents.
Cosham remained in Reston, though she left for 18 months with her white husband to allow time for societal attitudes—and law enforcement—to align with the Supreme Court’s 1967 Loving v. Virginia ruling, which struck down laws banning interracial marriage. Once they felt safe, they returned and raised their family in Reston.
Dedicated to the arts and community, Cosham has been a long standing supporter of the Reston Community Center. She concluded her portion of the event by reading “The Hill We Climb,” the poem Amanda Gorman delivered at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Plum continued the discussion with an overview of Virginia’s history of segregation and the long, slow process of dismantling discriminatory laws and property covenants. He cited a Dec. 5, 1965 article by The New York Times’ first architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable, who described Reston as “one of the most striking communities in the country,” noting that it had to “shatter precedents to make its plan work.”
During the discussion, speakers referenced the Seven Principles of Reston, as outlined by Robert E. Simon:
Reston would have housing for all.
Reston would allow residents to “Live, Work & Play” in the same community.
Reston would prioritize the importance and dignity of individuals in its planning.
Reston would be beautiful, with nature preserved and fostered.
Reston would provide ample opportunities for leisure and recreation.
Reston would have amenities from the outset, including a golf course, art, and more.
Reston would be financially successful.
Over the years, Reston has strived to uphold these principles. Despite the legal barriers of the time, its commitment to “housing for all” was successful, making it one of Virginia’s first integrated communities. It is remarkable to reflect on how far Reston has come, from its origins as Sunset Hills Farm in a segregated state to the thriving, diverse community it is today.
To learn more about Reston’s history, visit the Reston Museum at Lake Anne Plaza where you can explore the community’s early days and support future programs.
Personal Note: I moved to Reston in 1970 as a child, unaware of Simon’s principles—I was simply friends with everyone. It wasn’t until I attended high school and later college outside Reston that I realized not every place was as inclusive. That culture shock underscored just how unique Reston truly is.
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