Just 2% of the 95,000 sites on the National Register of Historic Places — the list of places declared worthy of preservation by the U.S. federal government — focus on the lives and stories of Black Americans.
“We have an obligation, as Virginians, as legislators, historians, and educators, to bring relevancy to the lives of those who sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears building the landscape of Virginia.”
Delegate Delores McQuinn, Founding Chair
Mission
The Virginia African American Cultural Resources (VAACR) Task Force champions inclusive learning, community development, and economic opportunities that help sustain Black cultural heritage sites and places.
We support Virginia’s community-driven Black Heritage Preservation Movement through improved information sharing, outreach, and education.
History
The Virginia General Assembly unanimously established the VAACR Task Force in 2017 as a Virginia Humanities advisory coalition. We publicly launched in August 2018 at Fort Monroe National Monument in Hampton, Virginia, where the first recorded Africans in English-occupied North America arrived 399 years earlier in 1619.
Introduced by Delegate Delores McQuinn of Richmond, our founding legislation calls for a bipartisan statewide task force to help identify, promote, and conserve Virginia’s Black cultural resources, especially places connected to Virginians born into slavery.
Members & Advisors
The VAACR Task Force includes nonlegislative citizens appointed by Virginia’s governor, as well as legislators, state agency leaders, and advisors. Meet the current members.
Partners
In addition to the General Assembly and Virginia Humanities, the Task Force is composed of several state agencies and statewide organizations, including the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, Preservation Virginia, Virginia Africana Associates, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and Virginia Tourism Corporation, as well as representatives from Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Get Connected
Join us in helping tell the full story of Virginia.
“I believe we can get to the point where we can tell the entire story – the authentic truth. If we do that, generations to come will be more accepting of one another and willing to embrace the contributions of all.”
Delegate Delores McQuinn, Founding Chair
