Black superintendents in southwest Virginia make strides in and out of the classroom Crystal Edwards, Zeb Talley and Verletta White are all leading example for their students Updated: Tags: ROANOKE, Va – During Black History Month, 10 News continues to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of African-American leaders across southwest Virginia. Superintendents in our corner of the Commonwealth are teaching lessons that go far beyond what can be learned in a textbook. The path to becoming a teacher wasn’t always clear for Lynchburg Superintendent Crystal Edwards. “I did not think I could have a sustainable lifestyle based on teaching but could on engineering,” Edwards said.