Carver in Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Dr. Gordon Blaine Hancock (1884-1970)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 6, 2026
1. Dr. Gordon Blaine Hancock (1884-1970) Marker
Gordon B. Hancock, born to formerly enslaved parents, was a leader in the struggle for racial equality in the decades before the Civil Rights Movement. A Harvard-educated sociologist, he taught at Virginia Union University for more than 30 years. In frequent speeches and in a weekly column published in more than 100 Black newspapers, he promoted Black economic and was director of a conference of Southern Black leaders that issued the Durham Manifesto, a call for interracial cooperation to achieve social reforms and end racial injustice. Hancock was pastor of Moore Street Baptist Church in Richmond from 1925 to 1963.
Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number SA-131.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 37° 33.368′ N, 77° 27.103′ W. Marker is in Richmond,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Moore Street Baptist Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Moore Street Baptist Church Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Hartshorn Memorial College (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Maggie Lena Walker (about 700 feet away); Maggie L. Walker Collaborative Mural (approx. 0.2 miles away); Virginia Union University (approx.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 6, 2026
2. Dr. Gordon Blaine Hancock (1884-1970) Marker
Additional keywords. VUU
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
