The city of Richmond, VA is inviting travelers this February—and all year long—to celebrate its strong Black history, which can be appreciated via a range of experiences, including visits to The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia; the American Civil War Museum; and the self-guided Richmond Slave Trail. Visitors can also marvel at street art from Black artists, such as Hamilton Glass’ “Mending Walls,” or visit the historic Jackson Ward Neighborhood, and support the growing number of Black-owned restaurants and shops.
The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia—former home of the (now removed) Robert E. Lee statue—serves as a gateway to the history, heritage and accomplishments of African Americans in Virginia. The museum’s collection includes art, artifacts, textiles, photographs, rare books and music. It also hosts traveling exhibitions, literary talks and other events. Located in the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood, the museum is housed in The Leigh Street Armory.
The Valentine Museum offers a walking tour of Richmond’s Jackson Ward, which was the nation’s first historically registered Black urban neighborhood. Once known as the “Black Wall Street of the South” and “Birthplace of Black Entrepreneurship,” the district was a center for Black enterprise and entertainment from the early 1920s to the late 1940s. In recent years it has gained notable attractions such as the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, honoring the first African American woman to charter a bank and serve as bank president, the Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Monument and a range of Black-owned restaurants such as Mama J’s and Soul Taco. The Jackson Ward Collective was formed in 2020 to continue its rebirth, helping Black entrepreneurs get started and build Black businesses.
Travelers can also enjoy a visit to the American Civil War Museum—the first museum of its kind to explore the war through Union, Confederate and African American perspectives; the self-guided Richmond Slave Trail, which includes 17 markers along the path that display somber and illuminating information on the history of slavery in Richmond; and the African Burial Ground, once home to the public gallows and now covered with tributes to General Gabriel, who was executed on this spot in 1800 after organizing a revolt of enslaved people.
Other options include exploring Richmond’s Black monuments. The new Emancipation and Freedom Memorial—one of the few nationwide monuments commemorating enslaved people—features two 12-foot bronze statues representing a man and woman with an infant newly freed from slavery. The statue was dedicated in late September, shortly after the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed from Monument Avenue. Other noteworthy monuments include Slavery Reconciliation Statue; Henry Box Brown, an enslaved man who climbed into a two-foot-by-three-foot crate and mailed himself to freedom in Philadelphia in 1849 after his wife and children were sold; Kehinde Wiley’s reimagined “Rumors of War” monument of a young African American dressed in urban streetwear outside the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Virginia Civil Rights Memorial on the Capitol grounds; Bill “Bojangles” Robinson monument; and Arthur Ashe monument, the lone monument still standing on Monument Avenue after the Confederate statues were torn down.
Guests can explore Richmond’s street art scene, which includes murals by Black artists, such as Hamilton Glass’ Mending Walls—a public art project that brings together artists from diverse cultural backgrounds in creating murals that address issues of racial injustice and how we can move forward through understanding and collaboration. Visitors can also experience Richmond’s Black culture scene with a visit to the Elegba Folklore Society.
They can visit Ruby Scoops and Suzy Sno, owned by Chef Rabia Kamara to enjoy 100 percent natural and handcrafted ice-cream. At Lillie Pearl, Chef Michael Lindsey marries the flavors of his childhood with West African and Southern influences to create the restaurant's menu. Ms. Girlee’s Kitchen offers authentic soul food; and JewFro—inspired by the heritage of co-owners Trey Owens, who is black, and Ari Augenbaum, who is Jewish—is a Jewish-African deli and coffee shop by day and offers fusion cuisine by night.
Visitors can shop for natural products like bath bombs, hair care and skincare sets at Adiva Naturals. At the wine bar and gallery C’est Le Vin guests can marvel at artworks while enjoying a sip. Little Nomad offers a curated collection of children’s apparel, books and toys. For statement pieces, handbags and accessories, visitors can head to Sassy Jones Boutique.
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