Jennie Dean
Title
Jennie Dean
Description
Jennie Dean made secondary education possible for African Americans in Northern Virginia. Born enslaved in Loudoun County, Jennie Serepta Dean (April 15, 1848–May 3, 1913) became involved with education at about the age of 30 when she founded a Sunday school in Prince William County. From there she established more religious schools, several of which grew into church congregations. She also taught classes in cooking and sewing. Dean began planning a new institution[Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth] that would teach skilled trades to African Americans. She, her sister, and one other person started building local support for the idea in 1888.
Manassas Industrial School
Manassas Industrial School
Source
Virginia Changemakers: https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/changemakers/items/show/213
Collection
Citation
“Jennie Dean,” Fairfax County African American History Inventory, accessed October 24, 2026, https://fairfaxaahi.centerformasonslegacies.com/items/show/248.