Pennsylvania. In 1939, his grave was found by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) with the assistance of the editor of The Etude magazine, James Francis Cooke. His grave was landscaped and a monument was erected. The Lions Club of Virginia also assisted in this effort. The Lions Clubs of Virginia sponsor a music contest for school students called the "Bland Contest" in honor of James A. Bland. The Annual Bland Music Scholarships Program was established in 1948 to assist and promote cultural and educational opportunities for the musically talented youth of Virginia. James Bland was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. A housing project in Flushing, Queens, is named after him. A separate housing project in Alexandria, Virginia, is also named for Bland. Footnotes External links Sources Carry Me Back to old Virginny webpage, Lions Club Lions Clubs of Virginia – Bland Music Scholarships Program Bland Houses 1854 births 1911 deaths Songwriters from New York (state) African-American songwriters Blackface minstrel performers Blackface minstrel songwriters 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Howard University alumni People from Flushing, Queens Tuberculosis deaths in Pennsylvania 20th-century African-American male singers 19th-century African-American male singers American male songwriters