Hack and James Henry Holloman achieved something extraordinary after the Civil War. Once enslaved, they became the first Black landowners in Southampton County, Virginia. Even more remarkable, they also stood among the county’s first Black voters, shaping a new path for freedom and civic life.
Their purchase of the plantation where they had once been enslaved turned “Overhome” into more than property. It became a symbol of resilience, justice, and transformation. This bold step gave their family and community a new sense of belonging and dignity.
As family historian accounts share, Hack and James Henry “stood up for the rights of others.” They used their land and voices to empower their neighbors, proving that real freedom required not only survival but active participation in building a future.
Black Landownership in Post-Slavery Southampton County
The Holloman brothers’ land purchase was revolutionary in a county still scarred by slavery and racial violence. Southampton County was the site of Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831, a turning point that shook the South. Against that backdrop, their act of buying land carried both courage and defiance.
Owning land meant independence. It meant creating wealth, feeding families, and building stability for generations to come. For Black Southerners, it also meant claiming the rights long denied by slavery. The Hollomans’ achievement stood as a challenge to systems built to keep them powerless.
In a time when intimidation and injustice kept many from progress, their ownership sent a message: freedom had to be lived, not only declared.
The Power of the Vote in Reconstruction-Era Virginia
Hack and James Henry Holloman did not stop at landownership. They became among the first Black men in Southampton County to vote.
Riding their “jumper,” a one-seat buggy, they made regular trips to Courtland to stay informed. They believed freedom was incomplete without civic participation. Casting a ballot was not just a right—it was an act of self-determination.
Their commitment to voting laid a foundation for political engagement in their family and community. It affirmed that equality required voice, not silence. Their actions helped define what democracy could mean for formerly enslaved people in Virginia.
Family Reunions Preserve Black History
For mother
Family members pass down stories of slavery, resilience, and triumph. They tell of Jason Holloman, who resisted his master before being sold away. They honor Maria, who raised three sons alone in bondage. And they remember Hack and James Henry, whose courage turned pain into power.
As descendant Tonia Wellons explained:
“Proudly sharing our stories is an act of both resistance and necessity. Our history must be preserved.”
These reunions serve as living classrooms where memory becomes a blueprint for survival and hope.
Faith, Community, and Legacy
The Hollomans
Tonia Wellons, President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, credits this legacy with shaping her own commitment to justice and service. She describes her family’s story as “both deeply personal and universally significant.”
Through their land, votes, and voice, Hack and James Henry Holloman defined a legacy larger than themselves. Their story is not only about survival but about transformation—turning oppression into leadership, and hardship into opportunity.
