Black History

Norfolk Botanical Garden Honors Original Gardeners During 17th Annual Celebration

The 17th Annual WPA Garden Heritage Celebration at Norfolk Botanical Garden honors the 220 African-American workers who began the garden’s creation in 1938, featuring keynote speaker Capt. Janet Days and the presentation of the Groundbreaker Award.
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NORFOLK

Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) will host its 17th annual Works Progress Administration (WPA) Garden Heritage Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. with reception to follow.

The celebration honors the 220 African-American women and men who first planted the Garden 87 years ago and recognizes their hard work, dedication and legacy. Admission to the Garden is free from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Jessica Larché, Anchor/Emmy® award-winning news anchor and investigative reporter for WTKR News 3 will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies. This event will also feature the NBG Groundbreaker awards and reading of the 74 known WPA worker names. Efforts continue to uncover the names of the 146 remaining workers.

This year’s keynote speaker is Capt. Janet Days (ret.). Days served with distinction in the U.S. Navy for 37 years, culminating her naval career as the Commanding Officer of Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval installation. She made history as the first Black woman to command the installation, demonstrating leadership and dedication to service. Days was also honored as a 2024 Groundbreaker.

The 9th annual NBG Groundbreaker award is named in the honor of the WPA sculpture entitled Breaking Ground, which recognizes the 220 WPA women and men who had a profound impact on our community. The award honors individuals, groups and organizations that exhibit committed and groundbreaking leadership and service.

In 2023, the President’s Council on Inclusion and Diversity (PCID) committee created a scholarship –funded in part by Truist. This year the PCID Scholarship was awarded to David Davenport, a North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University student. The scholarship is for the educational pursuits of underrepresented minority students who are studying in the green industry or related fields. This includes Garden Cultivation, Environmental Sciences, Botany, Horticulture, Sustainability Studies, Agriculture and Landscape.

The WPA Garden Heritage Day Celebration was first established in 2008 with the creation of the WPA Memorial Garden. A year later, the commemorative sculpture Breaking Ground was unveiled along with the official dedication of that garden. If you have a family member that you believe is one of the 220 WPA workers, please visit the Garden’s website.