At this historic church, Juneteenth is for everyone

If you find yourself at the corner of North 32nd and East Broad Streets late on a Sunday morning—any Sunday morning—you will hear what sounds like a rock concert emanating from within the impressive brick church standing sentinel over the intersection. However somber and stately the The Mount Carmel Baptist Church (TMCBC) looks from the outside, though, the din from within proves, in no uncertain terms, that its congregants bring the energy when celebrating their faith.

Next week, one of Church Hill’s oldest Baptist congregations¹ is throwing a celebration of a different kind. The 160th anniversary of Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the day the US Army freed the country’s last slaves from their Texas slaveholders a year and a half after the Emancipation Proclamation, lands on June 19th each year. This year, that’s next Thursday. So on Wednesday night (6/18) TMCBC is throwing a first-of-its-kind celebration of the holiday, and you’re invited—Baptist or not.

“Part of being a good neighbor is actually creating space where neighbors can come and share and talk and learn and grow together,” said Pastor Marvin L. Gilliam, Jr., in a recent phone interview with The Lookout, explaining his vision for TMCBC’s Juneteenth Dinner & Movie event, which will feature a screening of Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom and an appearance by former Richmond Poet Laureate Roscoe Burnems at the church’s main building at 3200 E. Broad St. “People like to eat food, people like to have conversation, and people like to watch films and to learn, and so we're hopeful that that this will be an opportunity for that.”

As far as conversation goes, Gilliam anticipates there will be plenty to talk about. Ditto. This year marks the fifth year since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis touched off social unrest across the country, and as both The Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Richmond Free Press recently reported, that movement’s push for more/better police oversight and sustained transformation of the city’s racial relation has largely stalled. Meanwhile, the East End is gentrifying at a rapid pace. The church, which served Richmond from a location in Jackson Ward from 1887 through the late 1950s, when it was forced to relocate to make way for the construction of Interstate 95, is balancing its responsibilities to its congregants and its neighborhood.

“A number of our members don't necessarily live in the neighborhood” as a result of displacement, said Gilliam. “We do have a few that still live in Church Hill, but a great majority of people that are coming into Church Hill from eastern Henrico and from other places around the region… For individuals who grew up in the community, who've known the community long before even before I arrived, they see the community being one way.” Change is hard, especially given Richmond’s racially fraught history of redlining and other forms of housing discrimination. Gilliam hopes that TMCBC’s Juneteenth event will be an “opportunity to open up lanes of communication and conversation around how history impacts the way that things have played out” in the neighborhood. After all, the pastor added, the change is already very much underway. “We can’t blame people for buying houses.”

These may sound like heavy topics, but don’t expect a struggle session next Wednesday evening. Juneteenth is a celebration, and that’s the atmosphere that Gilliam, congregant Liz Petty (who he credits with conceiving of and helping to organize the event), and TMCBC are planning for. In addition to the screening, and a spoken-word performance from Burnems, the pastor envisions “build[ing] connection around the table” with the neighborhood. “My hope is that you know, as we share food around the table, we get to know one another,” he said.

Attendance is open to everybody, whether you worship as a Baptist, or not at all. This absolutely includes white folks, in case you were wondering. “I’m a firm believer that Black history is American history,” said Gilliam. To join TMCBC’s Juneteenth celebration, all you have to do is register at the church’s website. And it’s free; as a house of worship, TMCBC always accepts donations, but its pastor was emphatic that none is required or even suggested. “This, for us, is a ministry. It is an outreach,” said Gilliam. “We want to be good neighbors.”

📜 Possum Poetry

Possum Poetry is original verse written exclusively for The Lookout by Penelope Poubelle, the Lookout’s litter critter-at-large. If you spot roadside trash you’d like her to immortalize in doggerel, email a photo to [email protected]. All submissions anonymous!

📲 How to help “daylight” Church Hill’s intersections

I filed a column last month flagging the lack of “daylight” at the neighborhood’s intersections, which impedes visibility and makes our roads less safe, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. A bunch of Lookouts chimed in about that piece, which is always edifying. I also heard from Richmond transit advocate Doug Allen on Bluesky, who pointed out an step you—yes, you—can take towards improving the sightlines at Church Hill’s various low-visibility crossroads.

He advised that whenever you encounter a corner without a “No Parking” sign placed 20 feet from the intersection (the distance Richmond ordinance and Virginia state law dictate must be left free of cars), use the city’s surprisingly decent RVA 311 app to request one be installed. Allen said he’s been “~50% effective” at getting the Department of Public Works to place signs when he uses this language:

He keeps that in his phone’s notepad app and fires off a request whenever he spots an intersection in need of daylight. It’s a smart idea! “Citing the city code helped,” he wrote in our brief social media exchange. “Enforcement is a whole other thing, but I know for sure they won’t enforce if there’s no sign.” So, if you’re frustrated by Church Hill’s overcrowded intersections, get to requesting, Lookouts. Here’s the RVA 311 app for Apple and Android.

🗳️ Find your neighborhood polling place for the primary

The commonwealth’s primary is June 17th (next Tuesday.) These off-cycle races are always dogged by low turnout, so if you get out and vote, it counts even more than normal. Sort of. Anyway, the 7th District—which, given you’re reading this newsletter, probably includes you—has seven polling locations, all of which should be open for you to cast your ballot from 6am-7pm on Primary Day. They are:

Find your precinct’s polling location and doublecheck its hours using the Virginia Department of Elections’ handy look-up tool. And if you’re looking to get familiar with the city-level candidates, check out The Lookout’s interviews with Commonwealth’s Attorney candidates Tom Barbour and incumbent Colette McEachin, plus The Richmonder’s piece comparing those two as well as Richmond Sheriff candidates William Burnett and incumbent Antoinette Irving.

📢 Happenings on The Hill

• Pizza dance party: Pizza Bones promises “global grooves” and “vintage vinyl” from DJ Doguchi tomorrow (6/14) from 9pm-midnight. Details here.

• Book ‘em: Church Hill North’s brand-new bookstore, Brian’s Books, is celebrating its grand opening from 11am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday (6/14-15). Address and info.

• Befriend the park: The Friends of Jefferson Park are hosting a volunteer day tomorrow (6/14) from 9am-12pm. Bring gloves. Here’s the flyer.

• Stitch ‘em: Top Stitch’s monthly open studio is tomorrow (6/14) from 11am-3pm, featuring appointment-free “mini-mends” for your slightly raggedy ass. Peep the site.

• Flower power: Hit Dear Neighbor to check out the new florally themed installation by Georgies Gurl next Wednesday (6/18) from 5-7pm. More info.

• Crown town, population you: Dottir, the new vintage boutique beneath Kind Hearted Goods, is pairing up with Les Sardines Studio to host a DIY flower crown workshop from 6-8pm. The event is next Friday (6/20), and tickets are now on sale. Grab yours.

Happenings on The Hill is a digital bulletin board for events, causes, and other items of interest to East Enders that don’t necessarily merit full editorial treatment. Got something for a future edition? Email the relevant details, links, etc. to [email protected] for consideration!

📸 A Very CHill Photo

Want to share your Very CHill Photo from the neighborhood? Email it to [email protected] with your name as you’d like it to appear for publication, and the camera you shot it on.

1  The 31st Street Baptist Church opened in 1915; the Leigh Street Church opened in 1857. But it was transferred to a Presbyterian congregation in 2021.