African reconstruction (or reinvention) in confederate and neo-colonial landscapes of the twenty-first century

This chapter weaves between the past and present of Richmond’s landscape through flagship initiatives of neocolonial Richmond and Virginia, including celebrations of the founding of Virginia, commemorations of the ending of the Civil War, a globally integrated bike race, and development of the Richmond Slave Trail. These initiatives capture contemporary values associated with African and African American life in Virginia. Within this context, the community strategies for the regeneration of allegiance to African antiquities is discussed as a means of healing, and ways to sustain and promote connections with Africa.