Photo by Jay Paul
The Leigh Street Armory, the only armory built in 19th-century America for a Black militia, disappeared from the Virginia National Guard’s website in March after a federal purge of so-called DEI topics. On April 2, the militia was resurrected through a series of images projected onto the building, which is now the home of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia.
The demonstration, which also celebrated the 160th anniversary of Richmond’s emancipation by Union forces, was done by the collaborative nonprofit public art project Reclaiming the Monument, which in 2020 projected images of George Floyd and others onto the Robert E. Lee Monument. Pictures of soldiers who served and passed through the armory were joined by two phrases: “Resist historical neglect” and “Defend historical truth.”
The pair behind the projection, Alex Criqui and Dustin Klein, credit Richmond Councilmember Katherine Jordan with planting the seed for this event following the deletion from the National Guard’s website of an article on the armory and a photo gallery. The armory, built in 1895 thanks to the lobbying of Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell Jr., was used in the 20th century for various schools and other community purposes. In 2016, the BHMVA moved from Clay Street to the West Leigh Street building.
“We just want to support [the museum] and ... shine a light on the role that institution plays in our community and to make sure that history is not forgotten, even though people seem to be trying to marginalize it and devalue it at the federal level right now,” Criqui says.
“It felt really beautiful out there,” Klein says about the April 2 event. “It’s nice to see people enthusiastic and happy to see these people blown up on the side of the building and getting respect that they deserve.”
