African Americans in Virginia

Black Virginians
Total population
	1,607,581
Languages
	Southern American English, African American English
Religion
	Historically Black Protestant

African Americans are the largest racial minority in Virginia. According to the 2010 Census, more than 1.5 million, or one in five Virginians is "Black or African American". African Americans were enslaved in the state.^[3] As of the 2020 U.S. Census, African Americans were 18.6% of the state's population.^[4]

History

The first twenty African slaves from Angola landed in Virginia in 1619 on a Portuguese slave ship.^[5] Lynchings, racial segregation and white supremacy were prevalent in Virginia.^[6] The first African slaves arrived in the British colony Jamestown, Virginia and were then bought by English colonists.^[7]

Great Dismal Swamp maroons were people who fled to swamps in Virginia to escape slavery, circa 1700s until 1860s.^[8]

Education

The Laurel Grove Colored School and Church was a congregation founded by former enslaved African Americans in the 1880s in Franconia, Virginia.^[9] The school was active in the education of Black students from the early 1880s until 1932. The school building is now a living museum of a 1920s African American one room school; the site contains a cemetery; and the church operates as the Laurel Grove Baptist Church.^[10]

Notable people

William T. Amiger (1870–1929), college president, educator, Baptist minister^[11]
Chris Brown (born 1989), singer^[12]
Missy Elliott (born 1971), rapper
Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), educator, author, orator and adviser^[13]
Pharrell Williams (born 1973), musician, singer
Trey Songz (born 1984, né Tremaine Aldon Neverson), singer^[14]
Wanda Sykes (born 1964), comedian and actress^[15]
Plaxico Burress (born 1977), football player

References

^ "Black Population by State".
^ "Religious Landscape Study".
^ Claibourn, Michele P. "Blacks in Virginia: Demographic Trends in Historical Context" (PDF). Weldon Cooper Center. University of Virginia. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
^ VIRGINIA: 2020 Census
^ Virginia is the birthplace of American slavery and segregation — and it still can't escape that legacy
^ Virginia is the birthplace of American slavery and segregation — and it still can't escape that legacy
^ First Enslaved Africans Arrive in Jamestown Colony
^ Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp
^ Gardner, Amy (December 27, 2007). "In Franconia, a House Divided". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
^ "Laurel Grove Colored School and Church Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved July 29, 2025.
^ Mather, Frank Lincoln (1915). "Amiger, William Thomas". Who's Who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent. Vol. 1. pp. 6–7.
^ Aitkenhead, Decca (October 4, 2013). "Chris Brown: 'It was the biggest wake-up call'". The Guardian. Brown was born in 1989 in a small Virginia town called Tappahannock
^ Wells, Jeremy (December 7, 2020). "Booker T. Washington (1856–1915)". Encyclopedia Virginia.
^ "Trey Songz comes 'back home' for mural unveiling, block party". NBC12 Newsroom. 2020-10-22.
^ Belcher, Walt (August 17, 2001). "Wanda Sykes' Star is Rising". The Tampa Tribune. p. 3.

This Virginia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This African American–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Black Population by State".

[2] "Religious Landscape Study".

[3] Claibourn, Michele P. "Blacks in Virginia: Demographic Trends in Historical Context" (PDF). Weldon Cooper Center. University of Virginia. Retrieved May 28, 2022.

[4] VIRGINIA: 2020 Census

[5] Virginia is the birthplace of American slavery and segregation — and it still can't escape that legacy

[6] Virginia is the birthplace of American slavery and segregation — and it still can't escape that legacy

[7] First Enslaved Africans Arrive in Jamestown Colony

[8] Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp

[Gardner-2007-9] Gardner, Amy (December 27, 2007). "In Franconia, a House Divided". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[HMDB-10] "Laurel Grove Colored School and Church Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[Mather-1915-11] Mather, Frank Lincoln (1915). "Amiger, William Thomas". Who's Who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent. Vol. 1. pp. 6–7.

[theg-12] Aitkenhead, Decca (October 4, 2013). "Chris Brown: 'It was the biggest wake-up call'". The Guardian. Brown was born in 1989 in a small Virginia town called Tappahannock

[13] Wells, Jeremy (December 7, 2020). "Booker T. Washington (1856–1915)". Encyclopedia Virginia.

[14] "Trey Songz comes 'back home' for mural unveiling, block party". NBC12 Newsroom. 2020-10-22.

[rising-15] Belcher, Walt (August 17, 2001). "Wanda Sykes' Star is Rising". The Tampa Tribune. p. 3.

[note_n11-16] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah Part of the National Council of Churches

[note_n0-17] Not in communion with the rest of the Catholic Church

[note_n6-18] Those are traditions and denominations that trace their history back to the Protestant Reformation or otherwise heavily borrow from the practices and beliefs of the Protestant Reformers.

[note_n3-19] This denomination is the result of a merger between Lutheran, German Reformed, Congregational and Restorationist churches.

[note_n1-20] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak Part of the National Association of Evangelicals

[note_n4-21] This refers to the denomination's heritage and not necessarily to the language in which the services are conducted in.

[note_n5-22] This is a reformed synod within the United Church of Christ that is distinct in heritage, doctrine and practice from the rest of the denomination.

[note_n2-23] Outside the Anglican Communion

[note_n8-24] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f This is more of a movement then an institutionalized denomination.

[note_n10-25] Denominations that don't fit in the subsets mentioned above.

[note_n7-26] Those are traditions and denominations that trace their origin back to the Great Awakenings and/or are joined together by a common belief that Christianity should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church.

[note_n9-27] The Holiness movement is an interdenominational movement that spreads over multiple traditions (Methodist, Quakers, Anabaptist, Baptist, etc.). However, here are mentioned only those denominations that are part of Restorationism as well as the Holiness movement, but are not part of any other Protestant tradition.

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