African Americans are the largest racial minority in Virginia. According to the 2010 Census, more than 1.5 million, or one in five Virginians is "Black or African American". African Americans were enslaved in the state.^[3] As of the 2020 U.S. Census, African Americans were 18.6% of the state's population.^[4]

History of Virginia
By year Colony of Virginia American Revolution U.S. Civil War Post–Civil War Topics: African-Americans • Cities • Politics • Slavery
Virginia portal

The first twenty African slaves from Angola landed in Virginia in 1619 on a Portuguese slave ship.^[5] Lynchings, racial segregation and white supremacy were prevalent in Virginia.^[6] The first African slaves arrived in the British colony Jamestown, Virginia and were then bought by English colonists.^[7]

Great Dismal Swamp maroons fled to swamps in Virginia to escape slavery.^[8]

• William T. Amiger (1870–1929), college president, educator, Baptist minister^[9]
• Chris Brown (born 1989), singer^[10]
• Missy Elliott (born 1971), rapper
• Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), educator, author, orator and adviser^[11]
• Pharrell Williams (born 1973), musician, singer
• Trey Songz (born 1984, né Tremaine Aldon Neverson), singer^[12]
• Wanda Sykes (born 1964), comedian and actress^[13]
• Plaxico Burress (born 1977), football player

• Great Dismal Swamp maroons
• Black Southerners
• First Africans in Virginia
• History of slavery in Virginia
• Demographics of Virginia
• List of African-American newspapers in Virginia