Woodland Chapel Talk - WILDCAT: Sparring in the Jim Crow South

The Woodland Restoration Foundation and the History Division of Henrico Recreation and Parks are proud to present the first Chapel Talk at Woodland - a series of lectures centered around those interred at the historic Woodland Cemetery. In the late 1920s, local teen scrapper Eddie Thomas got his start boxing at the True Reformers Hall on 2nd Street in the vibrant Jackson Ward neighborhood. Almost immediately he earned widespread praise and various accolades for his ferocity and style leading to nicknames in the papers like The Pride of Second Street, The Second Street Nutcracker and of course the one that captured his in-ring performance perfectly... WILDCAT. Varied achievements would take him beyond the Harlem of the South that he called home, making Virginia boxing history and even helping his community along the way... join us on the 65th anniversary of his passing as we talk about not only his rise to fame but the roots of the sport and some of his predecessors, regionally and otherwise, all of which ultimately led to the impact that Wildcat would make right here in the Richmond area.
This event is FREE but due to limited seating, please register via the link provided here: https://www.cfengage.org/opportunity/a0CNw0000Gldqmp/make-a-difference-at-woodland-cemetery-and-learn-some-of-its-history
PLEASE NOTE that if you cannot attend the volunteer workday mentioned via said link that is totally fine, this is mainly a way for us to keep track of attendees.
Accessibility note: there are a few stairs when entering the chapel. For those not able to make it, this lecture is available on YouTube by searching the program title above.
More info: [email protected]