Jason Becton, co-owner of MarieBette, has also shifted some focus to recognizing Black Americans native to Charlottesville. “I have a friend who works at the McIntire School, and he had his class do a marketing project on what we’re doing for Black History Month. The class gave a presentation and said we should have some more local people,” he said. This year, MarieBette honored Gregory Swanson, the first African American to attend the University of Virginia.