NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Black BRAND, the Hampton Roads Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the inaugural Hidden Figures Honors, recognizing Black women whose leadership has reshaped Virginia’s public, corporate, and cultural life.
Held in Hampton, birthplace of the real-life “Hidden Figures” story, the event highlights women who broke barriers and advanced equity across the state.
Honorees include Charvalla West, the first Black and first female CEO of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula; Tiffany Richardson Harrell, the first African-American female racecar driver at Langley Speedway; and the late Jessie M. Rattley, the first African-American woman to serve a full mayoral term in Virginia as mayor of Newport News…