For nearly 50 years, community activist and Nauck resident Joan Cooper worked for change in her neighborhood.
She also challenged others to make changes to improve the community, stating, “People have to realize, that we as community members have to do our job, too.”
During her active years Cooper helped to advocate for an integrated school system in Arlington County, drove individuals to drug and alcohol detox programs, helped patrol corner blocks of the Nauck neighborhood, and worked tirelessly to rid her streets of illicit narcotics.
“Be persistent, consistent, and insistent,” was her message, and in July 1992, through an initiative called “Crackdown on Drugs,” Cooper’s efforts and leadership on this campaign were recognized by then President George H.W. Bush, when he visited Drew Model School.
In the same year, she was also named a Notable Woman of Arlington by the County’s Commission on the Status of Women.
To learn more about Joan Cooper, make an appointment to visit the Center for Local History. located on the 1st floor of Central Library. To learn more about the Green Valley neighborhood you can also visit the the Green Valley Heritage Project page.