ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR)- A mural in downtown Roanoke celebrates the city’s rich African American history.
The “Celebrate the Faces” mural can be found on the exterior of the YMCA Express at Gainsboro, located on Orange Avenue. The Roanoke Arts Commission project was painted by local artists Bryce Cobbs and J.C. Stallings. It was unveiled in 2024.
It features a portrait of A.L. Holland, a Roanoke native and longtime railroad man who was pivotal in the creation of Father-Son Banquets for African Americans. According to the city, the tradition dates back to 1932. The 92nd annual dinner will be held on Sunday, April 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Hill Street Baptist Church.
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Holland was interviewed by “From Cotton to Silk Oral History Project” two years before his death in 2015. According to the transcripts, he was born in 1916, the fourth of ten children. Holland’s father worked on the railroad as a blacksmith. Holland said the family walked everywhere. His father walked to work. The children walked to school and the family walked to church every Sunday. Back then, Holland said people bought potatoes by the gallon, not by pounds…