2026 Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival (Day 1)
2026-04-11 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
The Black Book Expo 2026: A Conscious Literary Festival returns for a powerful two-day celebration of Black literature, culture, and community. Hosted at the Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center in Richmond, Virginia, this annual gathering brings together authors, readers, scholars, and families to explore stories and ideas rooted in the African Diaspora.
Join us on April 11 and April 12 for a dynamic experience featuring book vendors, author engagements, cultural discussions, and opportunities to discover works that educate, inspire, and empower. From history and spirituality to children’s literature and contemporary thought, the Expo offers something for every reader.
Whether you are building your personal library, connecting with Black authors, or seeking knowledge that uplifts and informs, the Black Book Expo is a space to learn, engage, and celebrate.
Location: Elegba Folklore Society Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA
Dates: April 11–12, 2026
Come be part of a meaningful cultural experience where books, history, and community come together.

2026 Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival (Day 2)
2026-04-12 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States

Performance at VMFA Family Day | Celebrate African and African American Art: Music and Rhythm
2026-06-06 | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts – Cheek Theater, 200 North Blvd, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
VMFA
Family Day | Celebrate African and African American Art: Music and Rhythm
June 6
11:30a & 1:00p
Cheek Theater

Elegba Folklore Society welcomes you to Like DNA…the Rhythm, the Dance and the Imagery Connects Us. Join us on a musical journey spiced with West African dance and visual art imagery in a seamless blend with African American musical stylings that illustrate the beauty of the Diaspora. As Elegba is the one who is a way maker, a road opener, today, let us immerse ourselves in expressive arts from the global African world.

Juneteenth 2026, A Freedom Celebration - June 13th - Torch Lit Night Walk, Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans
2026-06-13 | Devil’s Half Acre, 1500 E Franklin St., Richmond, United States
Juneteenth, A Freedom Celebration opens a time when particularly people of African descent can surround themselves energetically with Ancestral vibration to recognize, and see within themselves, the foundational presence of African people in Richmond and in the Americas. Since the 1500s, African people were trafficked to the Americas in the Transatlantic Trade of Enslaved Africans. Beginning in the 1680’s, Africans to be sold landed at or near Richmond’s Manchester Dock, for an entire century. African people along with colonizers and enslavers encountered indigenous people throughout the Americas, including Richmond, whose civilizations were also permanently upended.
Then, boat loads of enslaved Africans were exported to the Deep South from Richmond’s riverside, Rocketts Landing, in coffles, and by rail until 1865. It wasn’t until on or about June 19, 1865, 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted, that enslaved Africans in Texas, a cotton production hold-out, were finally freed by a federal government decree as carried out and embodied by the Union Army.
The public is invited to Juneteenth, A Freedom Celebration to for the annual Torch Lit Night Walk Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans as it immerses attendees in narratives, the historical record and music. It is a sacred, poignant pilgrimage of recognition and acknowledgement. Also, Dancing with the Ancestors follows and invites attendees to ponder, to reflect, to understand, to engage in ritual and to enjoy music, dance, conversation, children’s activities, food, cultural shopping (Ujamaa) and more.
Attendees are asked to wear white, and they may bring ancestral offerings such as flowers, water, fruit or prayers.
“In celebrating our Ancestors who labored in bondage until the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and those in Texas for whom freedom was delayed, attendees can expect an affirming, joyful and thoughtful gathering to be with one another and to say thank you for the strong shoulders upon which we stand,” says Janine Bell, president and artistic director of the Elegba Folklore Society. “Understanding how we got to where we are is a perpetual roadmap towards actualizing a liberated future.”
Visit again for details.

Juneteenth 2026, A Freedom Celebration - June 14th - Dancing With the Ancestors
2026-06-14 | African Burial Ground, 1500 E. Franklin, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
