Richmond's One World One Humanity Heritagefest unites diverse communities: 'Peace takes effort'

RICHMOND, Va. — Masjid Bilal, the oldest mosque in Richmond, hosted the One World One Humanity Heritagefest on Saturday afternoon.

The 3rd annual event drew community members, nonprofit organizations, faith leaders, elected officials and cultural performers from across the region for a free, six-hour celebration of diversity and unity.

It featured cultural and musical performances, speakers, community booths, and activities for all ages. Among the performers was a Latino Caribbean group, as well as South American dancers showcasing different forms of traditional dance.

Greg Abdus-Salaam, administrator of Masjid Bilal and director of the festival, said the event was designed to create a space where Richmond's diverse communities can get to know one another.

"Our effort here is to create a space or to create an environment where the community can come together. All cultural groups, as many cultural groups that we have diverse cultural groups in the city, ethnicities, a multi-religious faith organization movement — that's what we're trying to do," Abdus-Salaam said.

WATCH: Richmond Heritagefest director: 'The ultimate goal is open dialogue'

Abdus-Salaam said the goal goes beyond a single day of celebration.

"The ultimate goal is just to create that open dialogue where people really feel like this is their neighborhood — everybody. That's the goal," Abdus-Salaam said.

He said he wants attendees to leave with a deeper sense of connection to their neighbors.

"You have neighbors that may not look like you; they may not even speak the same language as yourself, but they have the commonality that they have the same needs that you have," Abdus-Salaam said. "They just want a place that they can call home, a neighborhood they can call home, a place where if they need help they can look to that neighbor for help on the left and on the right — and that will never happen unless we start to get to know each other and talk to one another."

Abdus-Salaam said Saturday's event also made a deliberate effort to welcome Richmond's Hispanic community.

"A lot of them are under a lot of pressure these days regarding immigration and things like that, and we want to give them a space where they could come and be with others and celebrate their cultures," Abdus-Salaam said.

Saturday's event also featured the unveiling of the Richmond Legacy Neighborhoods Initiative, a proposed commission aimed at bringing together longtime residents, newcomers, business people, and local officials to ensure all voices are included in conversations about Richmond's future. Abdus-Salaam, a Richmond native, said the initiative is personal.

"I love the development that I see, but at the same time I know a lot of us that grew up here — because of the changes demographically in the neighborhood — sometimes we don't feel like this is home anymore.," Abdus-Salaam said. "Progress is good; it has to happen, and we want to see it happen, but we also want to be included in the dialogue."

He said the festival is meant to serve as a homecoming for all of Richmond's neighbors — old and new.

"We want this to kind of serve as a homecoming, a reunion for all of our neighbors — not just African Americans that primarily hosted this event, but all of our neighbors, our new neighbors that are living here now. We want them to see this as a reunion of sorts," Abdus-Salaam said.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi attended and spoke at the event alongside Del. Delores L. McQuinn, who represents the 81st District, Del. Rae C. Cousins of the 79th District and Richmond City Council member Cynthia I. Newbille of the 7th District.

Hashmi reflected on the significance of the event in a Facebook post following her appearance.

"Events such as these remind us of the rich diversity within our Metro Richmond Area. Thank you to Masjid Bilal for hosting such a meaningful event," Hashmi said.

WATCH: DC deacon drives 2 hours to Richmond Heritagefest: 'Peace takes effort'

Jalen Garner, a deacon with New Heaven New Earth congregation in Washington, D.C., made the two-hour drive to Richmond to participate in the event and represent the congregation's Peace Center Initiative — an interfaith organization that brings together religious leaders to study scripture together.

"Now more than ever is a time where we have to unite together, where we have to be able to show that we can be one regardless of race, regardless of religion, regardless of one's history or community background," Garner said.

Garner said the drive from Washington was worth every mile.

"Peace takes effort. It takes effort to build harmony, to be able to build community," Garner said. "And so although our church is two hours away, we wanted to be able to show that our heart is to become one with our community, even down here in the Richmond area as well."

WATCH: 'We have to unite together': DC deacon on Richmond's One World Heritagefest

The One World One Humanity Heritagefest was started in the wake of a 2023 proclamation by then-Mayor Levar Stoney designating July as Muslim American Heritage Month in Richmond, recognizing the contributions of the local Muslim American community. The event is hosted by Masjid Bilal with participation from nonprofits including Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light and the Shincheonji Peace Center, along with government officials, educators, faith leaders and community organizations.

Abdus-Salaam said the event is here to stay.

"We will be here every year. That's the plan," Abdus-Salaam said.