WILLIAMSBURG — The City of Williamsburg announced Tuesday that it has hired marketing agency JMI to develop the narrative for its planned African American Heritage Trail.
The federal government passed legislation that includes $357,000 for Phase 1 of the project in January 2023, which includes the construction of the trailhead at Lafayette Street, a public restroom, and the first segment of the trail from Lafayette Street to Scotland Street.
“JMI is honored to work on the African American Heritage Trail in a city with such a rich, complex history,” said James Warren, JMI’s vice president of brand strategy. “We are committed to ensuring that the story of Williamsburg is representative of and inclusive of the entire community. We want to help ensure the voices and stories of the African American community in Williamsburg in particular are heard and preserved. These efforts will make the City of Williamsburg’s legacy richer and more enduring than ever.”
Founded by Ken Johnson, a native of Williamsburg, Richmond-based JMI is a full-service marketing and communications firm that has used its approach of connecting brands, culture, and communities for more than 30 years, according to the city.
The city said the agency will collect personal stories from Williamsburg residents, facilitate community conversations, connect with local historians and researchers, and work closely with the African American Heritage Trail Advisory Committee to develop the trail’s narrative.
JMI’s scope of work includes collecting and analyzing personal stories from the Williamsburg African American community; hosting public input meetings on the narrative; developing the narrative and site details of the proposed trail; and developing a communications and marketing plan to drive awareness of and engagement with the trail, it added.
A kickoff event is planned for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 at the Stryker Center. Open to the public, the event is hosted by the City of Williamsburg and the African American Heritage Trail Advisory Committee. JMI will present an overview of the project and provide guidance on collecting stories as well as information on opportunities to contribute stories to the project, the city said.
The city gathered community input on the content of the planned African American Heritage Trail through two sessions in early March of last year, where attendees were asked to identify stories and sites the Williamsburg community would like to highlight on the trail, which aims to tell the full story of the city’s racial history.
Later that year, the city convened an African American Heritage Trail Advisory Committee made up of community members and city staff to review potential sites and content for the project.
More information on the project can be found at williamsburgva.gov/heritagetrail.
