Civil rights hero Oliver Hill, till now, has had the dubious distinction of having his name affixed to the Juvenile and Domestic Courthouse across from the Richmond City Jail. The man whose life spanned a century of change,the lead lawyer in many landmark civil rights cases, the first AA on the Richmond City council and a champion for the rights of all Americans is memorialized by a building that routinely churns poor, mostly black and male, citizens through the criminal justice system. A rather ironic tribute to the man recognized as the greatest Virginian of the 20th century by the RTD.
Fortunately for him, Richmond and Virginia, Oliver Hill is getting a more fitting memorial in a more appropriate place. He will join a pantheon of civil rights leaders in a new monument in Capital Square. The Virginia's Civil Rights Memorial broke ground February 20th and salutes the struggle for equal rights in Virginia's. The hope is one day more young black children will get to know Oliver Hill through this monument than via the courthouse on their way to an uncertain future.
For more information visit the Virginia's Civil Rights Memorial Website.
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