Black history on two wheels

Janeal Downs
Staff Writer

Richmond’s black history can be taught in a classroom, read about in a book or researched online, but you can also take a historical tour of the city and learn the history while riding a Segway.

River City Segs’ black history tour is offered year-round, but is offered at a discounted rate in February.

The company offers a two-hour Black History Month tour for $18.50 per person or $74 for four people. The company was started by Chad Harvey, Nathan Willis and Jeff Majer in August of 2013.

“You can read books and stuff but it’s a different thing to actually be able to stand in front of some of these places,” Majer said.

As the guide of the tour, Majer spoke on the importance of historical buildings, monuments, streets and murals.

Before starting the tour Majer gave a quick summary of African American culture in Richmond, or ‘The Wall Street of the South’ as Majer called it.

“The safety element, we really take it seriously with the training course and make sure everyone feels 100 percent comfortable with what they’re doing, or at least as close as we’re ever going to get them,” Majer said.

“We’re just really trying new things, trying to get people engaged in the city,” Majer said about the business. “To stand in front of some of these places … you’re standing on the same ground that Miles Davis or Thomas Jefferson, it’s pretty incredible, it’s not a weird abstract thing.”

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