Was integration in Richmond, Virginia a failed social experiment or is it a dream yet realized? 

Are we at end of that story or is this just the beginning? 

Answering these questions is the goal of the “Together we Rise” project. In 2018, we discovered that the integration of Chandler is a “key” to open “doors” of understanding related to each decade of this communities on-going saga.

Through “Together We Rise” our hope was to demystify the decline of this once prominent community as well as the decline of the overall Richmond Public School system. The sacrifice of Gloria Mead, Carol Swann, their families and the entire Historic Brookland Park community inspired this project.

We engaged community members of all ages in critically considering the events that shaped their current reality in partnership with the Historic Brookland Park Collective. Can the community work together to bring about a different ending to this story?