Rev. Dr. Julie G. Grace
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Family of Mr. J. Andrew Jones, Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's great-grandfather,
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Photo courtesy: The Historic First Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Rev. Dr. Julie G. (Boyce) Grace grew up on Braxton Court until she was fourteen. Her family then moved to Pocahontas Street, a neighborhood where her grandfather owned much of the land and sold it to Black families who faced discrimination in the housing market. She attended the Bruton Heights School.
Rev. Dr. Grace has deep family roots in the Williamsburg area, and her family has been involved in the Historic First Baptist Church for generations. She is a descendant of Mr. Dunlop, a free, wealthy man. Her great uncle Alexander Dunlop was a trustee and deacon of the First Baptist Church, and her great grandfather James Andrew Jones was also a deacon of the First Baptist church and the chairman of the Deacon Board. James Andrew Jones was responsible for negotiating with Colonial Williamsburg to relocate the First Baptist Church to Scotland Street in the 1950s. Her grandmother, Elizabeth Parilla, was chairman of the Missionary Society for many years, and her mother, Julia Parilla Boyce, also held many positions in the church, including serving on the Trustee Board and the Finance Committee and offering many musical contributions. Her family involvement in the church carried down to her own love for singing, teaching Sunday School, and serving as a trustee. She also helped to organize the church's first gospel choir.
Rev. Dr. Grace was later called to the Ministry. She attended the Morehouse School of Religion where she earned her Masters of Divinity in Psychology of Religion and her Doctorate of Divinity in Conflict Transformation. In 2017 she returned to her roots in Williamsburg and now serves as Associate Minister of the Historic First Baptist Church.
In this oral history, Rev. Dr. Julie Grace reflects on her experiences growing up in Williamsburg and shares important history about her family's involvement in the Historic First Baptist Church, the loss of the Black business district at the Triangle, her experiences pursuing a Masters and Doctorate of Divinity, among other topics.
Interview with Rev. Dr. Julie Grace | Conducted by Meg Jones | August, 2021 | The Village Initiative Collection
Family of Mr. J. Andrew Jones, Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's great-grandfather
Front row: Gracie Jones Murray (Rev. Dr. Grace's aunt) holding Samad Khabir Boyce (Rev. Dr. Grace's brother), and Julia Parilla Boyce (Rev. Dr. Grace's mother)
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Grace
Mrs. Elizabeth Parilla,
Rev. Dr. Grace's grandmother
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Mrs. Julia Parilla Boyce,
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's mother
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Mrs. Gracie Jones Murray and Mrs. Julia Parilla Boyce,
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's aunt and mother
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Mrs. Michelle Reed,
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's daughter
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Ms. Rachel Faison,
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's daughter
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace and granddaughter, Londyn Faison
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
Londyn and C.J.
Rev. Dr. Julie Grace's grandchildren
Photo courtesy: Rev. Dr. Julie Grace
In this video, Rev. Dr. Julie Grace, a member of The Local Black Histories Project's Community Advisory Board, explains the importance of the telling local Black history and recalls her memories of the Triangle, a Black business district in Williamsburg.
Interview with Rev. Dr. Julie Grace | Conducted by Röy Petersen, W&M Studio for Teaching and Learning | October 22, 2021 | The Village Initiative Collection
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