Yvonne Tabb Alston

Yvonne Alston

Yvonne Tabb Alston was born on November 26th, 1947 in Newport News at Mary Magdalene Hospital. Her family moved to Nicholson Street from N. Boundry and a half where they were renting after she was born. Her Mother was named Edner Dillard Tabb, from North Carolina. Her father was James Danry Tabb Sr. originally from Magruder, now known as Campperry, where his father purchased a home. Her grandmother’s family is buried in Campperry as well. Her father was a waiter at the Williamsburg Inn, then The Lodge, and finally the Holiday Inn. Her mother attended an African American beauty school in Richmond, where she was recruited to come to Williamsburg as a beautician.

Interview with Yvonne Alston | Conducted by Dr. Amy Quark | March 23, 2023 | The Villiage Initiative Collection

In 2023, Yvonne Tabb Alston generously provided an oral history as part of The Village Initiative’s Local Black Histories Project. Ms. Alston paints a picture of robust community life on Nicholson Street, in the northeast corner of the City of Williamsburg in the 1950s. She recalls her parents’ home as a community hub. Her mother operated a busy beauty parlor in the family’s basement, and her father offered his home as a refuge for Colonial Williamsburg employees with nowhere to go between shifts in a segregated community. She reflects on the loss of this community as families were pushed off of Nicholson Street as Colonial Williamsburg expanded its footprint in the city.

On June 27, 2021, Mrs. Yvonne Tabb Alston participated in an oral history night for the Bruton Heights Class of 1965. The Bruton Heights alumni reflected on their experiences at school and in the community during the Civil Rights era. The event was co-hosted by Mr. Curtis Lassiter and his family and The Village Initiative's Local Black Histories Project.

Participants included Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Yvonne Alston, Mr. Anthony Conyers, Mrs. Fredi Epps-Jackson, Mrs. Kaye Pierce Molley, Mrs. Verne H. Parker, Dr. Elwood Lewis, Mrs. Mable V. Wynne, Mrs. Sandra Braxton Trower, and Mrs. Thomasine Lewis.

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