Let’s start with this: we deserve to be happy. Not just content. Not just getting by. But truly, freely, and deeply happy…without waiting for the other shoe to drop. Without guilt. Without shrinking.
And this year, as we mark the 5th anniversary of Soul of Cville, we’re leaning into that truth more than ever. This is a mirror held up to Black brilliance in Charlottesville, reflecting back joy, power, and presence.
This year’s theme “Firmly Planted; Fiercely Flourishing”, is poetic, sure! But it’s also communal. It’s a declaration: we are rooted in legacy and blooming in every direction. Our joy is sacred. Our celebration is necessary. And Black joy itself is resistance because we’ve spent generations being told to wait for joy, tone it down, or survive without it.
Soul of Cville 2025 is showing up BIG. It’s giving culture. It’s giving connection. It’s giving legacy and lit moments all wrapped in one unforgettable week…