OXFORD, Miss. – Every day, tour buses crisscross
Washington, D.C., showing visitors the usual sights – the
National Mall, the White House and the U.S. Capitol
Building. Aboard those buses, tour guides dole out
interesting facts about our nation’s capital.
But one expert on the city’s history says that while none
of those facts are wrong, there’s also much more to the
story.
Like how the National Mall was once the largest slave
market in the city. Or that the second child ever born in
the White House was black.
These and other lesser known but important facts can be
found in “Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering
African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.”
(Globe Pequot, 2007), the debut book by University of
Mississippi alumnus Jesse J. Holland.
Holland plans to speak about his book at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26
at the Southeast Neighborhood Library in Washington. The
book doesn’t rewrite history; it expands on it, he said.
“As America matures, we want to know the full story, not
just the ‘George Washington chopped down the cherry tree
story.'” said Holland, a veteran political reporter who
covers the U.S. Congress for the Associated Press. “I don’t
say that what you know is wrong. But what I do say is that
there are some other things you don’t know.”
Given his day job, one might expect the Holly Springs
native to tackle a politically themed book as his first
project. That, combined with the fact that he’s not from
Washington, has prompted many to ask: Why did he write the
book?
“There were some D.C. natives who wanted to know why a
non-native would tackle this,” Holland said. “I jokingly
respond, ‘Because nobody else did.’ But it’s deeper than
that.
“When I moved to D.C., I did all the historical tours, and
I’d see different artifacts featuring African Americans – a
painting in the Capitol, a statue in Lincoln Park. But
there was no single volume that laid it all out,” Holland
said. “I figured that I couldn’t be the only one who
wanted to know these things.”
For about a year, he researched his book all over
Washington, visiting various historical sites and poring
through tons of information at the Library of Congress and
the National Archives. “Like anyone who learns something
new, I wanted to share what I found with others,” Holland
said. “That’s how the book took form.”
And how do others feel about “Black Men Built The Capitol?”
Holland said the book is about to enter its fourth printing
since its release last fall, and the feedback he’s gotten
has left him “flabbergasted.”
“To tell the truth, I didn’t know what type of reaction I’d
get,” Holland said. “But people are responding really well.
Of course, it resonates particularly well with African
Americans, but I’ve also had readers from all backgrounds
who appreciate learning these untold stories of American
history.”
As a political reporter, he expects to be extremely busy
this election season, but he’s working on other writing
projects, including books and screenplays. He lives in
Washington with his wife, Carol, and infant daughter Rita.
As an undergraduate at UM, Holland was a part of history
himself, as the second African-American to be editor of The
Daily Mississippian. He credits his experiences at UM for
setting him on his current path.
“Much of my interest in history and journalism came from my
training at Ole Miss,” he said. “This book wouldn’t exist
without the support of a lot of people at Ole Miss.”
For more about Holland, including scheduled appearances in
the Washington Metro area, visit