This one-hour walking tour will take attendees on a tour of downtown Norfolk, showcasing well-known city landmarks with respect to civil rights in the African-American and LGBT communities. The first segment of the tour includes the part of the city formerly infamous for its red light district and bars subjected to pre-Stonewall police raids, the law firm that helped the LGBT community, and the site of famous protests. The tour also includes a discussion of famous members of the Norfolk community and their achievements and back stories not easily found in the history books.
The second segment of the tour focuses on sites of African-American history, including the courthouse that heard the case dealing with school desegregation in Virginia, the site of "the last lynching in Norfolk;" and a site that was once the site of a slave auction, then later became the site of African American business. The tour will conclude with a viewing of various civil rights monuments in the City. This is a tour not to be missed.
Sponsored by the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee.