African-American Diversity Guide

Prior to the Civil War, Jackson Ward, the 40-block community within walking distance of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, was a melting pot of nationalities, including free African Americans, German and Irish immigrants and white Richmonders. After the war, this African American community became known as "the Harlem of the South" and the birthplace of black capitalism, also earning it the nickname "America's Black Wall Street." Here in "The Ward," Maggie L. Walker became the first female bank president when she established the bank now known as Consolidated Bank & Trust. Jackson Ward also was the birthplace of dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Broadway actor Charles Gilpin.

Learn more about the contributions of African Americans to the history of the Richmond Region at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia or the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. Explore more than 150 years of history during a tour of eight African American cemeteries, including the final resting places for Maggie L. Walker, Arthur Ashe Jr. and many other prominent Richmonders and African Americans.

If you're visiting the Richmond Region during the summer or fall, don't miss the many festivals and events planned to celebrate African American heritage, past and present. Every Friday evening from May through August, savor the sounds of Fridays at Sunset, an outdoor concert series held at downtown's Kanawha Plaza. If you're looking for family fun, don't miss the Down Home Family Reunion, an annual festival celebrating African American folklife, every August. In October, Richmond's African American community comes alive during the annual Second Street Festival, which celebrates the 1920s through 1940s with music, food and shopping. And for holiday visitors, celebrate Kwanzaa during the annual Capital City Kwanzaa Festival. Many of these celebrations are planned by the Elegba Folklore Society, a non-profit organization that offers cultural arts programming and educational opportunities to promote a deeper understanding of the rich diversity of these African American traditions. Check out our cultural festivals sampler.