Annual Programs
Come and celebrate with us those moments of African American liberation! Each year the Center brings our community together to learn and commune.
Green’s Cook Off
In celebration of the Southern culinary arts, we annually crown winners in the categories of best greens, mac and cheese and pound cake! This year’s cook off, our 7th, will be offered virtually.
Juneteenth
Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Liberation Day commemorates the day that enslaved people in Galveston Texas were finally emancipated. Although originated in Texas, Juneteenth became more widely celebrated in the South during the 1920s.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots by Maulana Karenga to give blacks an alternative to the existing Christmas holiday. Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza meaning first fruits. The holiday is centered around the Nguzo Saba (the seven principles of African heritage).
- Umoja—Unity
- Kujichagulia—Self determination
- Ujima—collective work
- Ujamaa —cooperative economics
- Nia- purpose
- Kuumba—creativity
- Imani—Faith
Liberation and Freedom Day
At the time of the Civil War, 53.3 percent, some 14,000 residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County were enslaved, an historical fact which remained little known until the 2016 work of the city’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces (BRC).
At the BRC’s recommendation, in 2017 the Charlottesville City Council proclaimed March 3 to be Liberation and Freedom Day.
The celebration commemorates the March 3-6, 1865, arrival of Union cavalry in the area, when town and university officials surrendered at the current site of the UVA Chapel, and thousands of enslaved residents took the opportunity to escape and follow U.S. troops as they continued their advance toward Petersburg, Virginia.
At the BRC’s recommendation, in 2017 the Charlottesville City Council proclaimed March 3 to be Liberation and Freedom Day.
The celebration commemorates the March 3-6, 1865, arrival of Union cavalry in the area, when town and university officials surrendered at the current site of the UVA Chapel, and thousands of enslaved residents took the opportunity to escape and follow U.S. troops as they continued their advance toward Petersburg, Virginia.
View Upcoming Events
Visit our events section to see our upcoming annual programs, gallery talks, exhibitions and more.
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Hours
Heritage Center
Tuesday – Friday 3.00 am – 6.00 pm
Saturday 10 am – 12 pm
Closed Sunday
Tuesday – Friday 3.00 am – 6.00 pm
Saturday 10 am – 12 pm
Closed Sunday
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