A Message from Historic Richmond

We share in the shock, outrage, and grief of the American people and in particular, the Black community, resulting from the murders of George Floyd and so many others. These are not isolated incidents, but part of an historical pattern.

Recent events have made a profound impact on us. At Historic Richmond we often say that Preservation is about People and about Places. People Matter. We are heartbroken by the pain suffered by the Black community and stand with them in their struggle to be heard, as well as in opposing longstanding injustices and systemic racism in our country.

Places Matter. In our own community, we are also heartbroken to see that many small businesses on Broad and Grace Streets – many of which are minority owned and run by hardworking people – have experienced such debilitating damage.

If the past week tells us nothing else, it tells us that it is more important than ever for the frustration and anger in voices of the Black community to be heard. We have been listening to these voices, and we acknowledge our own shortcomings and are striving to do better. In an effort to focus on both People and Places , our leadership has taken concrete steps in the past few days to support the work of, and build relationships with, several organizations that support minority owned businesses in historic districts, and whose work tells the stories of the Black community in Richmond’s historic places.

Given the current circumstances and out of respect for our community we will be postponing our webinar This Old House: A DYI Guide to Researching your Historic Home to Thursday, June 11th. This a time to reflect and focus on what is truly important, and to let the voices of the Black community be heard.