From the former capital of the Confederacy to the modern day cultural metropolis, Richmond, Virginia, has a racial scene with an intricate history. 

Once Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, the Confederacy moved its capital to Richmond, reinforcing the city’s role in slavery and systemic racism. Richmond’s economy relied heavily on enslaved labor, and Shockoe Bottom was a major slave-trading hub. Even after the Civil War, Jim Crow laws enforced segregation in schools, housing, and public life. Voter suppression tactics, such as literacy tests and poll taxes, disenfranchised Black residents, making it nearly impossible for them to influence policy or protect their rights. Despite these barriers, Richmond’s Black community built strong institutions: churches, schools, and businesses that fueled the fight for civil rights.

Nearly half a decade after the war, in 1904, the Virginia General Assembly passed an “Act Concerning Public Transportation,” which allowed segregation on newly introduced electric public streetcars. African Americans in Richmond were enraged and tried to speak out against the discrimination. Notably John Mitchell, Jr. and Maggie L. Walker wrote about boycotting the streetcars in the Richmond Planet and The St. Luke Herald respectively. The boycott picked up steam as Black Richmonders peacefully fought against public transportation segregation in the 1904 Richmond Streetcar Boycott. 

Richmond’s history was shaped by numerous notable Black figures, one of them being our school’s namesake: Maggie Lena Walker. She held high-ranking positions in the Independent Order of St. Luke’s, an African American benevolent organization that helped the sick and elderly in Richmond. Through the organization’s newspaper, The St. Luke Herald, she encouraged African Americans to establish their own institutions and harness their independent economic power. In 1903, she founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, which is still in operation today. She was the first woman in the United States to charter a bank. She continued working for the Order of St. Luke's but also held leadership positions in other civic organizations, including National Association of Colored Women (NACW). She also served as the Vice President of the Richmond chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Another notable African American Richmonder is L. Douglas Wilder. In 1969 when Wilder first entered politics he won in a special election for the Virginia state senate. He was the first African American state senator in Virginia since Reconstruction. In his ten years as a part of the Virginia General Assembly he was recognized as one of its most effective legislators. In 1985 he was elected lieutenant governor and four years later Wilder became Virginia's sixty-sixth governor. He was the first elected African American governor in United States history. During his time in office, Wilder was commended for his responsible financial management and success in maintaining a balanced state budget despite economic challenges. He also supported new construction projects at Virginia’s colleges, mental health centers, and state parks.  

In 1911, Richmond enacted a racial zoning law barring Black residents from moving into majority-white blocks and vice versa. After such laws were deemed unconstitutional in 1917, the city exploited Virginia’s racial integrity law banning interracial marriage to enforce segregation. A new ordinance prohibited anyone from moving to a street where most residents were of a race they couldn’t legally marry.

As a result of the racial divide in Richmond’s history, current neighborhoods are also separated. Though there aren’t any more segregation laws today, the west side of Richmond is largely dominated by White residents while the east side is home to more African Americans. Nearly 50% of Richmond’s population is Black; these neighborhoods face unequal access to quality schools, transportation, good jobs, and amenities like grocery stores and green spaces. Additionally, they are targeted for urban renewal and city improvement that forces them to be uprooted. 

Black culture is a strong part of Richmond. Organizations such as BLKRVA aim to celebrate and uplift African Americans in the RVA area. African American Richmonders also participate in national organizations like Jack and Jill of America. Through advocacy, education programs, resource distribution, and community events, Jack and Jill has raised public awareness and supported the interests of children of color, and continues to do so. The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond aims to share, interpret, preserve, exhibit, and commemorate the rich history and culture of African Americans throughout Virginia and beyond. Black contributions to Richmond’s culture date back centuries, and their legacy continues to thrive in organizations, communities, and culture.

Information retrieved from: VCU, Columbia, Digital Scholarship Lab, American Battlefield Trust, Library of Virginia, National Women’s History Museum, BLARVA, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, Jack and Jill of America, and Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia