Five years ago, a coalition held a festival at the Ix Park in Charlottesville to celebrate the role of Black culture in the city and the region. This Sunday will see the fifth anniversary as recognized this week by both the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council.
“Soul of Cville in its milestone 5th year will bring together residents and visitors alike to enjoy a diverse array of performances, food, award recognition, economic development opportunities, the Best in Black Cville award ceremony, scholarship giveaway and activities that showcase the soul of our city,” said Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade at the August 4 Council meeting, reading from a proclamation.
The proclamation at both Council and the Board of Supervisors’s August 6 meeting were given to Khalilah Jones, one of the festival’s co-founders.
“When we first launched this event, the goal was simple but powerful,” Jones said. “To create space where Black excellence, culture, creativity and joy could be seen, felt and celebrated right here in Charlottesville.”
Jones said the theme this time around is Firmly Planted, Fiercely Flourishing.
“There’s a lot of things that go on and we like to take our time to be intentional about using our Black joy as resistance,” Jones said. “We’ve laid roots, we’ve weathered storms and we continue to grow boldly in every direction with purpose and pride.”
When it was Albemarle’s turn, the proclamation was read by Supervisor Michael Pruitt.
“We, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, endorse the values of inclusivity and cultural appreciation and encourage community members to participate in the wide range of Soul of Cville festival activities from August 10 through August 17,” Pruitt said, reading from the county proclamation.
Jones works for Albemarle County as a program coordinator and mentioned some of the other groups behind Soul of Cville in her remarks.
“What an honor on behalf of the entire Soul of Cville team,” Jones said. “Chic and Classy Image Consulting, Beyond Fitness with Sabrina and 101Jams.”
Jones said the work has come full circle and she’s grown in the five years of helping to organize the festival.
“The body of work that we’ve created, the partnerships, the programming, the scholarships, the economic development, the people, we’re living proof of what happens when you stay rooted and still make room to rise,” Jones said.
For the full schedule of events for the week-long festival, take a look at the Soul of Cville website on the Ix Park.
For more on Jones, take a look at this profile in this week’s C-Ville Weekly.’
Before you go: This story was first published in the August 7, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement and posted a day later to this website. Learn more about Town Crier Productions here.
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