Resources
Black History Month 2025 Resources Map
There’s so much happening throughout February 2025 to celebrate Black History Month that we decided to put a map together showing events, exhibitions, and Black-owned restaurants, businesses, services, and attractions in the Richmond Metro area. Use the four corners symbol in the top righthand corner of the map image below to expand the map full-screen. You can also access the map at this link: bit.ly/BHM25mapSSRL. See an event or business missing from the map? Email sarah@southsidereleaf.org to request it be added.
Map Key:
Dark Blue star markers = Events in Richmond
Light Red star markers = Events in Chesterfield
Yellow star markers = Events in Henrico
Dark Red crossed spoon/knife markers = Black-Owned restaurants
Green camera markers = Exhibitions
Purple markers (various symbols) = Black-owned business, services, and attractions
Joy is Resistance
In our current moment, with so many people, institutions, and progress under daily attack, joy is resistance. Celebrating our history and the brilliance of our Black communities nourishes us to keep fighting another day. We know that to make sense of this moment and effectively organize, advocate, and advance our movements for justice, we must be engaged students of all that has come before us. Our ancestors are our greatest teachers if we seek their wisdom. We look forward to experiencing joy and learning something new alongside you this month—every month—as we continue our work of improving the quality of life of our Southside neighbors.
Tree Planting Guide and Care
City Environmental Offices
Richmond Grows Gardens: The City of Richmond’s community garden program makes city-owned property available to residents for urban agriculture. The gardens under Richmond Grows Gardens host regular workdays, events, and may offer private or communal garden plots.
RVAH20: The City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) launched the RVAH2O campaign to educate the community about ways to keep its waterways pollution-free and to achieve “cleaner water faster.”
Office of Sustainability: The Office of Sustainability works at a systems level to change the underlying policy and structural mechanisms within city government and the community in the areas of climate action, resilience, and equity.
Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities: The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is home to more than 170 parks, open spaces, athletic fields, playgrounds and tot lots.
Urban Forestry Division: The Urban Forestry Division (UFD) maintains approximately 120,200 city-owned trees and is responsible for planting approximately 2,000 new and replacement trees.
Mapping Tools
Educational Opportunities
The Richmond Tree Stewards are trained volunteers working to promote and improve the health of city trees so our urban forest will survive and thrive. Tree Stewards work closely with Urban Forestry and with other organizations interested in the health of our community forest. Southside ReLeaf provides scholarships to Southside residents for training. Stay tuned for more information to apply for the next Tree Steward Training Course.