The Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance is made up of businesses and tourism destinations in Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown, all within the state of Virginia. These historic destinations do an excellent job of depicting African-Americans in an engaging, realistic manner. This image is one of the first seen upon taking a tour of Historic Jamestowne.

Alexis G. Stodghill, BlackVoices.com

The Amtrak train goes directly into the center of Williamsburg, VA, which is an incredibly quaint and charming town housing wonderful restaurants, cute shops and the College of William & Mary. Three airports also serve Williamsburg: The Richmond International Airport (RIC), Norfolk International Airport (ORF), and the Newport News/Williamsburg Airport (PHF). It's very easy to drive there as well, making this a great place for family trips.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

My first stop was to the historic site of the original Jamestowne fort. This wooden lattice and fort depict the dimensions of the living quarters of the first British colony in America. (The actual site is nearby.)

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

The grounds of Historic Jamestowne are beautiful and relaxing, with gorgeous emerald greenery snaking along the James River. I was very much amazed by the scenic natural surroundings of the entire Greater Williamsburg area, which is protected by the National Park Service. It's worth visiting just to experience the lush barely-touched nature.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

The legend of Pocahontas and her contributions to uniting white settlers with the native people of Virginia is memorialized at Historic Jamestowne with this statue of her.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

Jamestowne is still an active archaeological site. This is a dig that is still going on to this day. Archaeologists have collected over one million artifacts from this site that illuminate the conditions of the people who lived here during the 1600s.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

The Archaearium at Historic Jamestowne houses models of many of the artifacts that have been found at the archaeological site. There are many colorful, three-dimensional exhibits that show the types of challenges and triumphs faced by the settlers and native people as Jamestowne was founded and grew.

Alexis G. Stodghill, BlackVoices.com

Jamestown Settlement is a huge museum that brings the history of Historic Jamestowne to life. The spacious galleries and outdoor touring areas feature interactive displays, films, exhibits and full-scale models of locales. Award-winning black actor and filmmaker Tim Reid narrates an amazing film that covers how African nations participated in, and then tried to end, the slave trade in the 'From Africa to Virginia' theater.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

At the Jamestown Settlement, the curators do an excellent job of giving visitors a real feeling for what it was like to live in the past. This canoe was constructed according to the methods of the native Powhatan Indians, who were the neighboring tribe of the British settlers.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

This is a dwelling in the full-scale Powhatan village at the Jamestown Settlement. It's great for older and younger visitors alike to see history come alive up close with buildings and items that you can smell, see and touch.

Kate Hoving, Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance

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The Cosby Show
Seasons: Eight
Notable Cast Members: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Tempestt Bledsoe, Lisa Bonet, Raven-Symoné
Storyline: Popular comedy television series based on a happily married couple raising their children in Brooklyn, New York.
Sidenote: Throughout the course of eight seasons The Huxtable family helped set the stage for black families on prime time television. Bill Cosby's character, Cliff Huxtable was such a role model that he topped TV Guide's 2004 list of "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time."

Everett Collection

'Family Matters'
Seasons: Nine
Notable Cast Members: Reginald Vel Johnson, Darius McCrary, Kellie Shanygne Williams, JoMarie Payton, Jaleel White, Telma Hopkins
Storyline: Based on middle-class suburban Chicago black family, the Winslows.
Sidenote: Spinning off it's sister show 'Perfect Strangers,' the hit sitcom spawned off one of the most popular characters in sitcom history, Steve Urkel. America's favorite nerd was so popular that he established a merchandising empire, which included a talking doll, trading cards, posters, books, lunchboxes and a limited edition cereal.

Warner Bros.

'Lincoln Heights'
Seasons: Three
Notable Cast Members: Russell Hornsby, Nicki Micheaux, Erica Hubbard, Rhyon Nicole Brown, Mishon Ratliff, Michael Reilly Burke, Robert Adamson, William Stanford Davis
Storyline: A drama revolving around the life of LAPD officer Eddie Sutton, who is in pursuit of a better life for his family. Ironically, Sutton moves his family into his old neighborhood which is known for its violence.
Sidenote: In 2008 the series was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards including Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series, Outstanding Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.

ABC Family

'My Wife & Kids'
Seasons: Five
Notable Cast Members: Damon Wayans, Tisha Campbell-Martin, George O. Gore II
Storyline: Damon Wayans portrays Michael Kyle, a loving husband who maintains his household by teaching his family some valuable wisdom and knowledge, and learning some himself.
Sidenote: The show's co-creator, Damon Wayans, may have regretted the original storyline of Claire Kyle following the loss of cast member Jazz Raycole. Raycole's mother disapproved of the actress' storyline for season two, which led to her being pulled from the show.

2000 ABC, INC.

The Jeffersons
Seasons: 11
Notable Cast Members: Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, Marla Gibbs, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover, Paul Benedict
Storyline: Entrepreneur George Jefferson hits the ticket with his successful dry-cleaning business, which leads him to move into a ritzy New York City high-rise.
Sidenote: America can thank fellow 'Good Times' actress Ja'Net DuBois for helping George Jefferson's family move up to the east side. The Emmy Award-winner co-wrote and sang the show's opening and closing theme song 'Movin' On Up.'

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'What's Happening!!'
Seasons: Three
Notable Cast Members: Ernest Lee Thomas, Haywood Nelson, Fred Berry, Danielle Spencer, Mabel King, Shirley Hemphill, David Hollander, John Welsh, Earl Billings, Leland Smith
Storyline: Loosely based on the motion picture 'Cooley High' a trio of friends go through the trials and tribulations of young adulthood.
Sidenote: Fred Berry's character Rerun almost didn't turn out as we may remember him today. Originally the role was reportedly written to fit the description of a skinny white kid.

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'227'
Seasons: Five
Notable Cast Members: Marla Gibbs, Alaina Reed Hall, Jackée Harry, Helen Martin, Hal Williams, Regina King, Curtis Baldwin, Kia Goodwin, Reynaldo Rey, Countess Vaughn
Storyline: Taking place in a Washington D.C. apartment building, numbered 227, the show's characters would be found sitting outside on a large set of stone stairs (aka the stoop), in which a discussion would lead into the weekly plot line.
Sidenote: Former 'Moesha' and 'Celebrity Fit Club' star Countess Vaughn received her big break in Hollywood by simply asking. Vaughn mentioned her dream of appearing on '227' following her 1988 appearance on the talent show series 'Star Search.'

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'Julia'
Seasons: Three
Notable Cast Members: Diahann Carroll, Lloyd Nolan, Paul Winfield, Fred Williamson
Storyline: Centering on a young widow working as a nurse, trying to make ends meet while raising her son as a single parent.
Sidenote: The 1960 NBC comedy is known for being one of the first weekly shows to depict African-American woman in the non stereotypical role of playing servants. The drama eventually lead to the show's star Diahann Carroll asking for a release from her contract due to the controversy surrounding the show from its inception.

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'The Wayans Bros'
Seasons: Five
Notable Cast Members: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Jermaine Hopkins, Ja'Net DuBois, Phill Lewis
Storyline: The show follows lives of two brothers, Shawn and Marlon Williams, who run their own newspaper stand from out of their father's diner.
Sidenote: Following their family's tradition of producing sitcoms, Shawn and Marlon Wayans debut 'The Wayans Bros' in 1995. Adding to the sitcom's hip-hop feel, the brothers used A Tribe Called Quest's hit single 'Electric Relaxation' as the show's opening theme for the first two seasons.

Warner Bros.

45 Years After King's Famous Speech

Exactly forty-five years separate the dates of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" in Washington, DC and Barack Obama's Democratic nomination acceptance speech in Denver, CO. Obama is the first black to accept a presidential nomination from a major political party and his accomplishment serves as a powerful reminder of how far black people have come since 1963. Has the dream King described been fulfilled? Here's Black Voices' report card comparing what he dreamed of and what has actually happened.

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Economics -Then

"One hundred years [after the Emancipation Proclamation], the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity."

Express Newspapers, Getty Images

Economics-Now

The Black poverty rate is no longer 42 percent, as it was back in 1966, three years after King's speech. Yet despite the growth of the black middle class, many blacks are still marooned on an island of poverty. In 2006 the poverty rate for blacks was 24 percent-three times that of whites; the median net worth for white households is $88,000, more than fourteen times that for black households ($5,988).

Mario Tama, Getty Images

Police Brutality -Then

"We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality."

Harry Benson, Getty Images

Police Brutality -Now

Blacks, as well as others, still suffer brutality at the hands of law enforcement. Sean Bell, Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, and Rodney King are just a few of the more well-known victims of violence by cops.

Time & Life Pictures, Getty Images

Segregation -Then

"We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities."

George Tames, Getty Images

Segregation-Now

While legal segregation is dead and "Whites Only" lodging is a thing of the past, de facto segregation still exists where we live and where our children go to school. Two-thirds of black and Latino students in big cities attend schools with less than 10 percent white students, according to the Civil Rights Project.

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Voting Rights-Then

"We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote."

National Archive / Newsmakers / Getty Images

Voting Rights-Now

Jim Crow laws are dead and blacks are free to vote unfettered now-in theory. In reality, whether by choice or hindrance, blacks continue to vote in lower percentages than whites. Fifty-six percent of blacks voted in the 2004 presidential election, down slightly from 58% in 1964. Meanwhile, states have voter laws requiring picture IDs (an expense hindering a greater proportion of blacks than whites); laws that prevent felons from voting affect as many as 13% of black men (as well as others); voter rolls have been purged of eligible voters-disproportionately black-because their names are similar to those of felons; and other reports of black voter suppression abound.

Discrimination-Then

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."