Jefferson School African American Heritage Center

10/17/2026

Thank y'all for showing UP this morning and bringing warmth and joy to our early learning and creative space at the JSAAHC. We had an absolute blast reading, singing, and crafting wings to take home with friends.

With that, we're officially open! Starting next week, we're looking forward to seeing kids and families in the space to color, craft, read, and relax during center open hours from Tuesday-Friday 1-6pm and Saturdays 10am-1pm.

Till next time! ✌🏾

10/13/2026

Charlottesville weather is unseasonably warm but it is still cool weather season at the Cafe !

We are ready for the holiday season.

This week we have chocolate pumpkin bread, apple hand pies and lovely brioche pastry in the café! We've added a new Italian Soda--lavendar lemonade made with fresh lemon juice. Look for new coffee flavors too.

If you have been to Rhythm and Roots (https://jeffschoolheritagecenter.org/events/rhythm-roots-saturday-series-grand-opening-celebration/) lately you know that we read amazing books that feed the imagination of our kiddos 2-5 years of age--these books are also available in the Museum Shop. Stop by for our next read The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Wilson. We also carry the latest cook-books. This week we are featuring food historian Micheal Twitty's Recipes from the American South (https://www.phaidon.com/en-us/products/recipes-from-the-american-south?srsltid=AU7gw4WzjZwvcXMTuKjiCIr0-F3Z0L0eSmCPzJZmy_h5VlYvOu8e-gr9&variant=46378691330148) . Pick it up just in time for the holiday season.

While you are shopping for you, pick up a gift card for a friend.

We are excited to share these new products with you. Come on in to check them out, we think you’ll love them as much as we do.

Please remember your purchase in the café or museum shop support our public programs. With your loyalty card ten coffee purchasing doesn't just get you a free coffee, it also makes you an automatic member at the basic level. Your 11th purchase will be discounted by 10%!

Click here for an update from Jefferson School African American Heritage Center!

10/13/2026

We are so excited to welcome the community to the opening of our new space for kids and families with this month's Rhythm & Roots! Come listen to a story and craft your very own pair of wings to take home. See you Saturday morning! Get your tickets here: https://jeffschoolheritagecenter.org/events/rhythm-roots-saturday-series-grand-opening-celebration/

10/12/2026

Speaking at the State Commission to Study the History of Black Communities by Public Institutions of Higher Education, Ms. Joy Johnson, founder of PHAR CVille, was asked what pressures and impacts University of Virginia places on public housing residents.

10/10/2026

Join Preservation Piedmont Preservation Virginia Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society on Thursday, Oct. 15 to stand in support of one of the strongest tools for preserving Black history and sites of cultural heritage.

10/06/2026

Sculptor Dana King Dana King speaking with Here & Now about the design chosen by the people for Market Street Park.

10/06/2026

We are open Tuesday through Friday 9-1pm.

10/01/2026

Tonight—Thursday, Oct. 1 @ 6PM at the JSAAHC

10/01/2026

Earlier this week Jessica Harris led a group from the Chapel Hill–Carrboro area on an exquisite tour of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at UVA DEC at UVA.

The group was visiting Charlottesville as part of the town’s Inter-City Visit, which consisted of a larger delegation of 80 local leaders—members of the Chapel Hill Town Council, business owners, government officials, and non-profit representatives.

From the MEL the group continued on at the JSAAHC where they connected the throughlines of Black life into the twentieth century. As they walked back to their rooms at the Omni, they learned of the 1965 destruction of Vinegar Hill under urban renewal—and how a community can hold that pain alongside generations of Black joy, education, entrepreneurship, and civil rights organizing.

It was powerful to bring these two places—the MEL and the JSAAHC—into one shared experience, as visitors from a similar university town/city face many of the same legacies and challenges today.

We can only hope this is the beginning of more to come.