Jamestown, Virginia played a significant role in Black history. In 1619, the first documented arrival of Africans to British North America occurred when a Portuguese ship carrying "20 and odd" enslaved Africans landed at Point Comfort near Jamestown. These individuals were traded for supplies, marking the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade in English North America.

Enslaved Africans and their descendants were integral to the economic development of Jamestown and the wider Virginia colony through their labor in tobacco fields, households, and other industries. Despite the harsh conditions they faced, enslaved Africans and African Americans resisted their bondage through acts of rebellion, escape, and cultural preservation.

After the abolition of slavery, Jamestown continued to be a site of struggle for civil rights and racial equality. During the Civil Rights Movement, Black activists fought against segregation and discrimination, leading to important legal and social changes in the town and throughout Virginia.

Today, Jamestown remains a site of historical significance, where visitors can learn about the complex and often challenging history of Black people in America, from the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality.