The Oberlin Village Run Tour is Back!

Join us for a guided 3-mile running tour of Raleigh's historic Oberlin Village. 

Founded in the late 1860s by formerly enslaved people (but with roots as an enclave for free Black families prior to the Civil War), Oberlin Village was the largest Reconstruction-era Black settlement in Wake County and quickly became a thriving residential, commercial, and academic district for Raleigh's Black residents. By the mid 20th century Oberlin Village began to lose its identity; rezoning allowed commercial development to perforate the area, racist housing policies pushed Black residents out, and the construction of Wade Avenue through the village eroded the community, leaving only a few historical markers to commemorate what was once a bustling scene of Black life and enterprise. The area is now dominated by Village District—known until last year as Cameron Village, after the family who enslaved many of Oberlin's early residents.

The run is free and open to all ages. In order to get through each stop and complete 3 miles in a timely manner, we will aim to keep an approximate 10-minute pace. Unfortunately for this event we cannot accommodate those who wish to exclusively walk the route. (Friends of Oberlin Village offers their own monthly walking tour! Scroll down to the Events section on their website for more details.)

SIGN UP NOW

Sign up is free, but we hope you will consider a donation to Friends of Oberlin Village, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Oberlin Village and educating Raleigh residents about the area's legacy. Make a donation here.

And, sign up for the inaugural Oberlin Village Heritage 5k Run/Walk on June 18th!