Black History Museum

BHMVA is more than just a museum, we’re a cultural center and full-service event venue. Whether you’re looking for a space for an executive leadership retreat, offsite corporate meeting, wedding reception or other celebratory event, BHMVA is just the place.

Happy Birthday to Ms. Rosa Dixon Bowser, the first Black teacher hired in Richmond. Her efforts helped advance education standards in the city. The first African American branch of the Richmond Public Library was named for Bowser in 1925, located at 00 Clay.

We would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Rep. Donald McEachin. He was the first African American nominated as the state’s Attorney General and only the third elected to represent Virginia in the House of Representatives. He will be deeply missed.

This week at the museum we will be closed Thanksgiving day and Friday. Join us Saturday for the Armstrong Walker Football Classic with a parade, tailgate and pee wee football game starting at 10am. Remember it’s also #SmallBusinessSaturday! See you this weekend!

This #VeteransDay we salute those who’ve served. One of the pillars of our 40th Anniversary exhibition is Blacks in the military. Visit us to learn more about the contributions of Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. USN, the first Black person to achieve the rank of admiral.

Wakanda Weekend RVA is a series of events surrounding the release of #WakandaForever. Join us Saturday, November 12th at 3pm for a lecture, “A Journey to Wakanda: Telling Our Black Future Stories”by Dr. Grace Gibson, Assistant Professor for African American Studies at VCU.

It’s election day! Voting is a right we have as United States citizens thanks to the work of leaders like Dr. Dorothy I. Height. Learn more about her with the whole family with our History @ Home activity. files.constantcontact.com/c78ab4a7201/ac…

Here’s what’s happening in our community this week. Get out and vote Tuesday! Join us Thursday for an evening with Pulitzer Prize winner, @mpwrva. Visit us now through December 2nd and experience the history of the Armstrong Walker Classic.

Join us 11/10 for a special program featuring Richmond, VA native, Michael Paul Williams. In 2021, Williams was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his columns during Richmond’s racial reckoning. events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event…

Happy Birthday to the mother of GPS. Born in Dinwiddie County, Gladys Mae West is credited with inventing the technology that allowed satellite signals to determine your location. Thank you Mrs. West and for leading the way in helping us find the way!

Our 40th anniversary exhibition, Forging Freedom, celebrates 400 years of Black history in the Commonwealth and country. Stop by and learn something new this weekend. For over 40 years, local artist, Jerome Jones, has used art to uplift others.

Are your still going to be in the area for @2ndStreetFest tomorrow? Stop by the museum and experience 40+ years of African American history in Virginia at our 40th Anniversary exhibition. Then see @DJFlash4eva at the @HippodromeRVA at 5pm.

It’s a busy week at the museum! - 9/14: 40th Anniversary Exhibition, Forging Freedom opens - 9/15: @afrikanafest opening night reception & screening of Birth of a Planet -9/17: Run Richmond 16.19 by @dhf_org Registration required for all events! ⬇️ linktr.ee/bhmva

Today we remember the lives lost on this day 21 years ago and the brave first responders who answered the call. #NeverForget 📷 : @7newsdc

We are 1️⃣ week away from the opening of our 40th Anniversary Exhibition, Forging Freedom, Justice, & Equality. Explore the evolution of Virginia’s Black history experience and, in some instances, the African American experience in America and beyond.

(2/2) This fight continued throughout the 40s and 50s and led to the establishment of a union and the dismantling of racism in the hospital. Today we celebrate their perseverance and those who have continued to fight for fair labor practices. #LaborDay.

(1/2) In 1943, 28 Black women employed at the UVA Hospital staged a walkout after the Superintendent refused their petition for higher wages, despite working the longest hours of any hospital staff. 📷: Segregated UVA Hospital cafeteria 1954. Claude Moore Health Sciences Library

Time for an update! BHMVA galleries on the 2nd floor are temporarily closed as we prepare to present a new and exciting exhibition you won't want to miss! Stay tuned for more to come.

Beat the Midnight Price Hike on August 15 and sign up for RUN RICHMOND 16.19. We’re under 40 days away! 👉 Register today, runrichmond1619.org/join-us/

Yesterday was a beautiful celebration of our former executive director, Adele Johnson’s lasting legacy. The Adele Johnson Fund Supporting Untold Stories uplifts the mission of the museum to share stories that inspire. Learn more & donate below. adelejohnson.org

The museum would like to wish a Happy Heavenly Birthday to our former executive director, Adele Johnson. We continue to celebrate Adele's legacy by embracing our mission of sharing the untold, undertold, and forgotten stories of Black Virginians that inspire. 🎨 : Liberated Flow