Rev. Charles Roberts - VIA Heritage Association HOF Class of 2025
On June 20, 2025, the Rev. Charles Roberts of Douglass High School (Class of 1959) in Leesburg was one of the seven (7) honorees inducted into the Virginia Interscholastic Association (VIA) Hall of Fame Class of 2025, recognizing outstanding athletes and contributors who helped shape Virginia’s African American high school sports during segregation. The VIA was founded by Black high school principals and administrators in 1954 with operational funds from the Virignia General Assembly. The organization provided opportunities and activities to Black high schools that were otherwise inaccessible due to racial, social, and economic barriers. The VIA provided a wide range of exceptional activities such as athletics, arts, academic competitions, and student associations during a time of segregration. Virginia State University collaborated with Virginia Union academic events for math and science. The instituitions also provided training and development for the directors and coaches who ran the extra-curricular programs. VIA was the governing body for athletics and extra-curricular activities for Black high schools before public school integration. The VIA Heritage Association preserves and celebrates this legacy.
Before going into the ministry, Rev. Roberts was a Lay Speaker at Mt. Zion UMC - Leesburg. Once retired from the United Methodist Annual Conference, he returned to serve as interim pastor from October 21, 2004 - May 17, 2005.
“The Hall of Fame is a testament to the resilience, talent and dedication of those who shaped the history of the VIA,” said James Hollins, president of the VIA Heritage Association. “We are honored to recognize these individuals and their contributions to our community.” The new inductees were recognized at the VIA Heritage Association Awards Banquet in Charlottesville, VA. For more information, click on the links for the inductees at https://viaheritage.com/ and the VIA Story at https://viaheritage.com/the-via-story/.