# @visitblkrva on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DdrDNpUNvWC
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70968297-visitblkrva-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d3efd260de.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-24T14:00:09.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Visit BLK RVA (@visitblkrva) — https://gondola.cc/visitblkrva

## Caption

Black history is all around us in the Richmond Region, including in the heart of Ashland, Virginia. 🚂

Just near the tracks and the townofashlandva Welcome Center, this marker shares the stories of the Black railroad workers, entrepreneurs, and community members who helped shape the town and establish a Black middle class in America.

Following the Civil War, railroad porter positions became an important source of employment for Black men, offering economic opportunities despite the discrimination they faced on and off the job. 

That history also became part of a larger movement for change when A. Philip Randolph led the founding of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, fighting for fair wages and better working conditions.

The marker highlights Ashland residents like longtime railroad porter Branch M. Thompson and Mildred and John Coleman, who operated Coleman’s Hotel on Henry Street—the only hotel for Black travelers in nearby Berkleytown during segregation.

The next time you’re in Ashland, stop by and discover another piece of the region’s Black history through the Mid-Atlantic Railroad Park.

📍 112 N Railroad Ave | Ashland, VA

#visitblkrva #visitrichmondva #blackhistory #railtravel

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- **Likes:** 40
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## Tags

visitrichmondva, railtravel, visitblkrva, blackhistory

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