ROANOKE, Va. – On Saturday afternoon, the Friends of Washington Park and the City of Roanoke celebrated the 102nd anniversary of the Booker T. Washington Park.
A free barbecue was offered to those who attended, while community members like City Councilman Phazhon Nash and Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb were invited as guest speakers.
Mayor Cobb also made a proclamation declaring July 5, 2025, as “Booker T. Washington Park Day” in honor of its cultural significance and historical value to Roanoke.
“This is the part of a historic tradition within Washington Park when families and relatives would gather together for reunions for 4th of July and for other celebrations just to be in the beautiful park,” Cobb said.
The park serves as an important monument to the Black community as well. Back in the 1920s, it was designated as the first Black Park for residents in the city.
When the park was first celebrated, Black citizens from surrounding counties flocked to the park to pay a visit.
“Every Fourth of July, the Black citizens - that was one of the couple of days that they were allowed to rest - and it brought people from all different counties in Southwest Virginia,” Cathy Carter, an advisor with the Friends of Washington Park, said.
The park has gone through many changes. In the 1940s, the upper portion of the park was set aside as a landfill. This changed in the 1960s when Reverend R.R. Wilkinson, recognizing the toxicity of the landfill, threatened a “baby carriage brigade” in front of the park, which convinced Roanoke’s City Council to close the landfill.
Now, the area stands as a complete park with a swimming pool, upgraded basketball courts, and wide open spaces for everyone in Roanoke to visit, but its historical ties to Roanoke are still on display to this very day.
“It’s important that history, whether it’s throughout our nation or our Commonwealth or in our city, any history that’s been erased or not been told correctly, historically or accurately, needs to be remembered,” Cobb said.
