RICHMOND, Va. — Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first elected Black governor, marked his 95th birthday over the weekend with a public art exhibit and auction benefiting scholarships at the Virginia Commonwealth University school that bears his name.
More than 200 people attended “Brushstrokes of L. Douglas Wilder,” a special showing of Wilder’s original artwork at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center in Richmond. Some of Wilder's art had never before been seen by the public. The event was part of the milestone celebration honoring the former governor.
Five of Wilder’s art pieces are now available for purchase through an online auction. Proceeds will support the Wilder National Ovation Scholarship, which helps cover costs for students at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU.
Newly inaugurated Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger also recognized Wilder during her address on Saturday, calling attention to his trailblazing legacy.
"Governor L. Douglas Wilder changed what so many of our fellow citizens believed was even possible," Spanberger said.
Watch: Abigail Spanberger wishes former governor Doug Wilder happy birthday at inauguration
Wilder was born in 1931 in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood.
He attended Virginia Union and Howard universities, served in the Army during the Korean War, and received a Bronze Star Medal.
After he served more than a decade in the Virginia Senate, Wilder became the first African American elected governor of any U.S. state when Virginia voters voted him into office in 1989.
He later made history again in 2004 when he was elected Richmond’s first strong mayor.
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