john taylor chapman

Story by Liesel Schmidt

John Taylor Chapman wears many hats in his professional life: elected official to the Alexandria City Council, owner of Manumission Tour Company, and community use specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools. In his personal life, Chapman fills the role of husband to his wife of four years, Monika, and father to a three-year-old son, John II.

Three years in, fatherhood has proven to be unlike anything else in his life. “It is exciting seeing my son grow up and experience life,” Chapman says. “It is also a bit intimidating, trying to make the perfect daily decisions that can affect his life: medical decisions, educational decisions, even decisions around what activities to involve him in at this age.”

Even in as much time as his work requires, Chapman feels that he is doing something important not only for the community around him but for his son. “I hope my council work improves the city and environment that he is going to grow up in,” Chapman notes, “I also hope that, as he grows up here, my son can know and understand the history of African Americans in the area of the country and how their contributions led to the community we have today. That is what my work with Manumission—and the African American Heritage Trail—is all about.

“A group of community historians just finished up the southern portion—which consists of 19 stops—of the African American Heritage Trail,” he continues. “This group came together right before the pandemic to design a selfguided tour of African American history connected to the waterfront. My work with Manumission Tour Company helped mainly with the northern portion, pulling together sites and stories that contributed to the trail.”

As his son grows from toddlerhood and becomes his own person, Chapman hopes to raise a child who, above else, knows that he is loved. “I want him to always feel that from me and know I wanted the best for him. He’s taught me so much—I like to enjoy playtime. Our once-a-week tradition is to sneak in some chocolate milk for breakfast, which his mom forbids,” Chapman says with a laugh.