HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL MA 2023-01-09 Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for Black History Mural
Town of Leesburg
Media Advisory
Monday, January 16, 2023
Media Contact:
Leah Kosin, Assistant Public Information Officer
pio@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2781
Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for Black History Mural
Leesburg, VA (January 9, 2023) – Please join Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk and Town Council
Members for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Black History Mural.
WHAT: Ribbon Cutting for Black History Mural
WHEN: Monday, January 16, 2023
9 a.m.
WHERE: Loudoun Museum
16 Loudoun Street, SW
Leesburg, VA 20175
On June 28, 2022 the Leesburg Town Council approved the installation of a Black History mural,
on the east facing wall of the Loudoun Museum. Proposed by Carmen Felder, president of the
89 Ways to Give Foundation, the mural highlights the Underground Railroad and its significance
to Loudoun County. The mural, which was painted by local artist Shawn Perkins, depicts two
notable residents, Bazil Newman, a prominent Black landowner and ferry operator, and
Leonard Grimes, a Black abolitionist, who helped fleeing enslaved people find safety across the
Potomac River. The mural was funded entirely by the 89 Ways to Give Foundation.
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