Johnson, Buckner, Hudson & Wiggins family reunion marks 70 years in Virginia

The Johnson, Buckner, Hudson & Wiggins Family Reunion will gather July 17-19 in Arlington, Virginia, to mark its 70th anniversary and honor a multigenerational Black family legacy built on genealogy, faith and preservation. The reunion highlights a rare seven-decade tradition and the family’s effort to document ancestors through records, oral histories and archives.

Why it matters: - The Johnson, Buckner, Hudson & Wiggins Family Reunion has lasted 70 years, a rarity for any family reunion. - The reunion centers a documented African American family history that spans generations and preserves oral, church, military and photographic records. - The 2026 gathering returns descendants to Virginia, where much of the family’s American history began.

What happened: - Descendants will gather July 17-19, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. - The event is called “A Platinum Celebration: 70 Years Rooted in History, United in Love.” - The reunion began on July 4, 1956. - The reunion was held annually at Pleasant Gift Church from 1956 through 1992. - Rev. Clarence Buckner founded the church connection that helped anchor the reunion. - Rev. Robert Buckner, his son, pastored the church for more than 49 years. - The family has since met in Oak Brook, Illinois, across the United States, in Puerto Rico, on a family cruise and virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The details: - The family traces its roots to four foundational lineages: Johnson, Buckner, Hudson and Wiggins. - Robert Johnson was born in Africa in 1820. - Rolly Buckner was born in Rankin, Mississippi, in 1810. - Charles Hudson was born in Tennessee in 1815. - Charles “Charlie” Hudson enlisted in the Union Army on Jan. 1, 1864, and served in the 6th Mississippi Colored Infantry, later redesignated as the 58th United States Colored Infantry Regiment. - The Wiggins line traces to Mariah Ellis, born in Maryland in 1811. - Serena Ellis, Mariah Ellis’ daughter, became the mother of Earlene Wiggins Hudson and Joe Wiggins with Dan Wiggins. - Around 1901, Rev. Clarence Buckner married Julia Johnson, creating the first documented link between the Johnson and Buckner families. - Rev. John Wesley Johnson, Julia’s brother, later married Julia Calhoun, daughter of Rebecca Buckner Calhoun. - Marie Buckner and Julia Kate Buckner married brothers Percy Hudson, Sr. and Eugene Hudson, Sr. - Laura Bell Buckner married George Washington Hudson. - Vida Mae Dondle, niece of Marie and Julia Kate, married William Hudson. - Donald Hudson, chief historian of the JBHW Family Reunion, said the family actively preserves its history and uses each reunion to reconnect generations and document genealogy. - Pamela White Curb, reunion leader, said the reunion has honored the past while inspiring future generations. - The JBHW Foundation, Inc. supports family history, scholarships, education and community service. - The family says its descendants include educators, theologians, pharmacists, attorneys, state representatives, mayors, Fortune 500 executives, teachers, social workers, public policy advocates, law enforcement officers, military members, nonprofit leaders, pastors, musicians, entertainers, entrepreneurs, inventors, engineers, real estate investors, public relations executives, accountants, physicists, biomedical scientists, nurses, chefs, computer scientists, fashion designers and HBCU and PWI graduates.

Between the lines: - The reunion functions as both a family gathering and a preservation project. - The scale of the records and the emphasis on lineage show a deliberate effort to keep Black family history intact across generations. - The return to Virginia signals a symbolic homecoming tied to the family’s earliest documented U.S. history.

What's next: - The reunion will continue July 17-19 with descendants gathering in Arlington. - The family is expected to carry its preservation, scholarship and service work forward through the JBHW Foundation, Inc. - The 70th anniversary gives the family a new marker for future reunions and historical documentation. - More information is available through the family’s social links.