A People’s Guide to Richmond and Central Virginia: Volume 6

An expansive guide for resistance and solidarity across this storied region.

Richmond and Central Virginia are a historic epicenter of America’s racialized history. This alternative guidebook foregrounds diverse communities in the region who are mobilizing to dismantle oppressive systems and fundamentally transforming the space to live and thrive. Featuring personal reflections from activists, artists, and community leaders, this book eschews colonial monuments and confederate memorials to instead highlight movements, neighborhoods, landmarks, and gathering spaces that shape social justice struggles across the history of this rapidly growing area.

The sites, stories, and events featured here reveal how community resistance and resilience remain firmly embedded in the region’s landscape. A People’s Guide to Richmond and Central Virginia counters the narrative that elites make history worth knowing, and sites worth visiting, by demonstrating how ordinary people come together to create more equitable futures.

Melissa Ooten directs a social justice leadership program and teaches in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at the University of Richmond.

Jason Sawyer is Assistant Professor of Human Services at Old Dominion University. His work centers community organizing, arts education, and transformative social justice work.