Dijmon Hounsou to 'Run Richmond 16.19'

In partnership with several local organizations, the Djimon Hounsou Foundation will host the new Run Richmond 16.19 running event Saturday, Sept. 17 in Richmond. The cultural event commemorates the achievements that African Americans made for the nation through the symbolic courses of 16.19 kilometers and 6.19 miles (the former representing the year when enslaved Africans first were brought to North America, and the latter representing June 19, or Juneteenth, the date in 1865 on which the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the U.S. learned that they had been freed following the Civil War).

Two-time Academy Award-nominated actor Djimon Hounson, who has starred in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, will be taking part in the event. Registration is now open for the public and will have a price increase set Aug. 22.

The Djimon Hounsou Foundation is the charity of the actor and humanitarian and will be partnering on the event with local organizations such as Sports Backers, Richmond Region Tourism, and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

In 2019, Hounsou said he created his nonprofit as a way to recognize and honor his heritage.

“I felt this compelling need, this inherent obligation to give back to my continent, to my people, and to champion the idea of reconciliation and reconnection” he said.

For details, visit www.runrichmond1619.org.