| Historic Jackson Ward is one of Richmond, Virginia's | | | | was THE place to go for young, hip black men and |
| oldest and well-preserved neighborhoods. Located | | | | women in the 1920's. Just as Harlem was the center |
| east of Belvidere, west of Shockoe Bottom, and north | | | | for black art and music in 1920's New York, Jackson |
| of Broad, Jackson Ward is home to some of | | | | Ward was the same for Virginia. |
| Richmond's most beautiful historic buildings, in addition to | | | | While Harlem had The Cotton Club, The Stork Club, |
| being the historical center of African-American culture | | | | and the Silver Slipper; Richmond had Happy Land, Top |
| during the early 1900's. | | | | Hat, and Shorties. Jackson Ward saw many famous |
| While the neighborhood was settled by European | | | | acts perform at these clubs. Cab Calloway performed |
| immigrants, the neighborhood has been a | | | | in town. So did Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Ella |
| predominantly black neighborhood, and home to many | | | | Fitzgerald, and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, among many |
| influential figures over the years. Maggie Walker, the | | | | others. Robinson was actually a Richmond native who |
| first African-American woman to run a bank, lived | | | | got his start dancing local bars in Jackson Ward and |
| there. Giles Jackson, the first African-American to | | | | other neighborhoods in Richmond. He became famous |
| practice law before the Supreme Court of Virginia, | | | | all over the United States, appearing in plays and films. |
| lived and practiced there. We get this information, and | | | | Other Richmond natives that contributed to the cultural |
| much more, from a book found in the Virginia | | | | boom of the 1920's were the members of Roy |
| Commonwealth University James Branch Cabell | | | | Johnson's Happy Pals. A swing orchestra, they were |
| Library's Special Collections titled Jackson Ward | | | | 10 Richmond natives - Jackson Ward natives, in fact, |
| Historic District. While the book focuses mainly on the | | | | who beat out Duke Ellington's orchestra in a 1929 New |
| architecture and political significance of the | | | | York band contest. You can hear their music on Jazz |
| neighborhood, many other sources refer to Jackson | | | | compilations or you can buy their songs on |
| Ward's rich cultural and artistic heritage - the things that | | | | Today the historic neighborhood is home to wonderful |
| brought the neighborhood to be called "The Harlem of | | | | restaurants, grassroots art galleries, and many artists |
| the South." | | | | and homeowners who are dedicated to revitalizing |
| The Dementi family made a name for themselves as | | | | one of Richmond's finest neighborhoods. One woman, |
| photographers of the wonders and people of | | | | Jenni Mennella, wrote about a tour she took of |
| Richmond. Wayne Dementi and a fellow named | | | | Richmond in 2002 - the point of which was to visit |
| Brooks Smith put a book together called Facts and | | | | some sites in Richmond that are key to understanding |
| Legends of The Hills of Richmond, which is, in essence, | | | | Virginia's African-American culture. In addition to seeing |
| a love story devoted to Richmond. In it, the authors | | | | many of the historical sites, she also ate at Croaker's |
| discuss Jackson Ward, and confirm what many | | | | (one of Jackson Ward's fine eateries) on 2nd and |
| different online sources tell us - that Jackson Ward | | | | Leigh, and heard Soul Fantastic perform. |