by Niya Bates; featured photo credit by author Thirteen miles northeast of Charlottesville, an unassuming, one-story, white school building with two...
Hometown Heroes
Ti Ames and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Arts, Community, Community Development, Entertainment, Hometown Heroes, Jessica Harris
by Jessica Harris; featured photo by Cara Walton Photography Featured photo: Full cast. Top row: (l-r) Ivan Orr as Toledo, Jude Hansen as Irvin,...
Cherry Avenue’s Heart and Soul
Alexa Rodríguez, Business, Community, Community Development, Health and Wellness, Hometown Heroes
by Alexa Rodríguez Growing up around the Fifeville area, Nicole Hawker’s dreams of giving back to her community by creating a space for health and...
Zyahna Bryant: Black Woman Activist
Community Development, Education, Hometown Heroes, Naila Smith
by Naila A. Smith, PhD Zyahna Bryant is a powerhouse. At 22 years old, the Charlottesville native, youth activist, and community organizer, has...
(re)Reflector 02: A Queen Celebrates Juneteenth and Black Freedom
Community Development, Education, Entertainment, History, Hometown Heroes, Niya Bates
by Niya Bates and Ms. Maxine Holland If you’ve attended a Black cultural event in Charlottesville, chances are you’ve seen Ms. Maxine Holland...
The #100Cuts Initiative
Business, Community, Community Development, Education, Health and Wellness, Hometown Heroes, Naila Smith
by Naila A. Smith, PhD; Featured photo by Madeline Walsh and edited by Marley Canteen In 2020, firearm-related injuries became the number one...
Where The Earth Curves
Community, Community Development, Darnell Lamont Walker, Entertainment, Hometown Heroes, Travel
by Darnell Lamont Walker It was on the rooftop of a hostel in 2015, in the middle of Lima, Peru’s Miraflores neighborhood where I realized what I...
The Reverend Speaks of Roots & Robes
Community, Community Development, Hometown Heroes, Katrina Spencer, Religion
Hands down, Carolyn Dillard wins two superlative categories in my book. For one, she is the most stylish person I’ve met in all of Charlottesville....
Building a Legacy that Outlasts You
Community, Community Development, Hometown Heroes, Katrina Spencer
Written by Katrina Spencer; featured image by Kori Price When we sit down, it’s at the Shenandoah Joe’s on 10th & Preston, right alongside...
(re)Reflector 01: The Black Press
Community Development, History, Hometown Heroes, Niya Bates
by Niya Bates Growing up in the 1990s, I used to cut posters out of Hype Hair, Jet, and WordUp Magazines while I waited for my mom to get her hair...
Community Cornerstones: Mel’s Cafe
Business, Channing Mathews, Community, Community Development, Food and Drink, History, Hometown Heroes
by Channing Mathews This month my journey through the Black food and wine-ways of Charlottesville led me to Mel’s Café on Main Street, run...
Raised/Razed: A Documentary Film on Vinegar Hill
Arts, Community, Community Development, History, Hometown Heroes, Naila Smith, State Of The City
by Naila A. Smith, PhD “Raised/Razed” is an hour-long documentary film produced by the VPM Media Corporation and written and directed by Lorenzo...
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 Central Virginia.
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Channing Mathews, Community Development
You Can Grow Food in Your Own Backyard: Exploring the Meaning of Food Justice in Charlottesville
by Channing J. Mathews As an avid patron of Black food and wine in the greater Charlottesville area, I am always on the hunt for a new spot to highlight and bring more visitors to our Black owned businesses. But last month's adventure took me on a more deeply...
Jay Simple’s Exhibition to Challenge Construction of the American Dream
On September 14th, TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image will present a solo exhibition by visual artist Jay Simple. The exhibition, titled Where the Young Bols Rumble, calls into question the construction of the American Dream and who it was intended to...
Charlottesville Black Business Expo Returns to IX Art Park on September 22
The 7th annual Charlottesville-Albemarle Black Business Expo is back! This free event will take place on Friday, September 22, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at IX Art Park. The Expo will feature more than 30 booths operated by Black-owned businesses, as well as three panel...
Tonsler Leauge Finishes Another Amazing Season
The Tonsler Basketball League (formerly BCBA) is a beloved institution in Charlottesville, Virginia. For several years, it has provided a safe and inclusive space for people of all ages and skill levels to come together and play the game they love. This year's...
Community, Community Development, Education, History, Shelley Murphy
Strategies for Effective African American Genealogy Research
by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, Descendant Project Researcher, University of Virginia; featured photo by Emily Faith Morgan An avid genealogist for over 30 years, Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, also known as "familytreegirl," was born and raised in Michigan, and is now...
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