About Us
Vinegar Hill Magazine is a space that is designed to support and project a more inclusive social narrative, to promote entrepreneurship, and to be a beacon for art, culture, and politics in the Central Virginia region.
A Brief History of Vinegar Hill
In the early twentieth century, Vinegar Hill became the economic center for Charlottesville’s Black population. While segregation remained intact, Black businesses in the area served both the Black and white communities. Despite barriers to education and employment, African Americans created economic opportunities through a wide range of ventures in the Vinegar Hill area. Though many rented their Vinegar Hill housing that often lacked running water, indoor plumbing, and electricity, residents lived and worked among their homes, schools, and churches in a close-knit community. Over 55 of the homes and businesses in Vinegar Hill were owned by African Americans at that time. For more information on the historic Black neighborhood of Vinegar Hill, see Urban Renewal and the End of Black Culture in Charlottesville, Virginia: An Oral History of Vinegar Hill or the documentary film Razed/Raised.
Charlottesville Inclusive Media Project
The Charlottesville Inclusive Media project was formed with the goal of bringing more inclusive representation to local media. The founding partners of the Charlottesville Inclusive Media project include Charlottesville Tomorrow, a nonprofit public service news organization; In My Humble Opinion Talk Show, an African American female-owned digital production company; and Vinegar Hill Magazine, an independent African American publishing company. We work together to create community connections, lift up important conversations, ground our work in service to African American communities and audiences, and build capacity for independent Black media companies and professionals.