Cooperative Living August 2021 - 17

TravelAdvisory | Story courtesy of Brandpoint Content
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History Lesson
Five stops on an educational tour of
African American history in Virginia Beach
earching for an educational road
trip that also helps you and
your family learn about the rich
history of African Americans? You may
already know Virginia Beach as the site
of the original Jamestown settlement
in 1607, at First Landing State Park.
But there are countless stories about
the area revealing more history you
may not know.
The history of African Americans
throughout Virginia is a critical piece
of the story of how America came to be.
That story dates from 1619, when the first
documented Africans arrived at what is
now Old Point Comfort in Hampton.
To create your road trip, check out
the new self-guided tour commissioned
by the Virginia Beach Convention and
Visitors Bureau, in partnership with
the Virginia African American Cultural
Center.
Here are a few stops along this
fascinating tour of Virginia Beach:
1. FIRST LANDING STATE PARK
The park commemorating the
original Jamestown settlement was
built after the Great Depression, when
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
launched the Civilian Conservation
Corps to provide work for millions
of young men, including 250,000
African Americans. Company 1371,
an all-African American regiment,
constructed trails and built cabins
for First Landing State Park.
Although Black workers built the
park, they were not allowed to use it
until 1965. A group of local African
Americans filed a lawsuit in 1951
against the Virginiairginia Conservation
against the Virginia Conservation
CCommission fo
against the
Conservation
ommission for being denied entrance
tto the park. Th
o the park. The suit wasn't heard
uuntil 1955, and
it.it. The park reo
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co-opliving.com
1961 and camp
The park re pened its trails in
ntil 1955, and officials closed the
ppark that year
ark that year rather than integrating
961 and campgrounds in 1962.
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2. SEAVIEW BEACH AND
AMUSEMENT PARK
Between 1945 and 1965, Seaview
Beach and Amusement Park was a
vibrant, popular place where African
Americans socialized, dined and
danced during segregation. While no
longer in operation, Seaview also had
an amusement park with rides and
a midway, and featured shows by
musical icons Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy
Gillespie and Louis Armstrong.
3. NIMMO UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
Established in 1791, the Nimmo
United Methodist Church building
included a slave balcony that still
exists. By 1829, a small group of white
members and people of color formed
a separate congregation. A parcel of
land across the road from Nimmo was
acquired by the new congregation's
trustees and a church was built there,
later known as Olive Branch Methodist
Church. The group reunited with
Nimmo
Nimmo in 1894.
in
1894.
4. L & J GARDENS,
SEATACK COMMUNITY
In 1954, this neighborhood was
neighborhood was
alter H. " Crow "
created by Black businessman andbusinessman and
college graduate Walter H. " Crow "
Riddick for middle-class Blacks during
racial segregation. The picturewindowed,
split-level, pillared ranch
colonials on meticulously tended
lawns showcased a mid-20th century
community personifying the American
dream.
In December 2019, the Virginia
State Review Board determined
L & J Gardens' eligibility for listing
as a Historic District in the National
Register of Historic Places. Members
of the Riddick family and other
prominent professional Black families
live there today.
5. VIRGINIA AFRICAN
AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
This site features " Portraits from
a Place of Grace, " an art installation
by artist Rich Hollant, commissioned
by the Virginia Beach Office of Cultural
Affairs, in partnership with the Virginia
African American Cultural Center.
The portraits celebrate residents from
each of the 14 historically Black
neighborhoods in Virginia Beach,
reflecting the dignity, resilience and
hope of several generations. 
Check out Visitvirginiabeach.com
for the full list of sites.
August 2021 | Cooperative Living | 15
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PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES
PHOTO COURTESY VAACCVB.ORGVAACCVB ORG
PHOTO COURTESY VAACCVB.ORG
OTO COURTESY
PHOTO COURTESY
ZEAL HARRIS BLOG
PHOTO COURTESY
VISITVIRGINIABEACH.COM
http://www.VISITVIRGINIABEACH.COM http://www.VAACCVB.ORG http://www.it.it http://www.Visitvirginiabeach.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living August 2021

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