WHAT: Statue to Bill Bojangles Robinson in Jackson Ward in downtown Richmond, Virginia.
LOCATION: At the intersection of old Brook Road, West Leigh and Price streets, in the south corner of the triangular Bojangles Park.
ARTIST: John Temple Witt.
DEDICATION: June 30, 1973.
DESCRIPTION: This 9 1/2 ft. aluminum figure of the famous tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson stands on a 6 foot high black marble pedestal. The Statue portrays Bojangles dancing down a flight of stairs. It is sponsored by the Astoria Beneficial Club.
* * *
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was born May 25, 1878, in Richmond. He was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet and an expressive face.
A figure in both the Black and White entertainment worlds of his era he is best known today for his dancing with Shirley Temple in a series of films during the 1930s. He died of heart failure, penniless in New York City, November 25, 1949.
Sadly, Bojangles Park is very small and the streets are busy at this intersection. I love this setting and the statue itself, but it’s tough to enjoy the scene with visitors and small children without worrying about traffic.
Of course, that’s part of why he’s honored. The story goes that in 1933, while in Richmond, he saw two children risk speeding traffic to cross a street because there was no stoplight at the intersection. Robinson went to the city and provided the money to have one installed.
The triangle park is well-maintained, as is much of the architecturally intriguing Jackson Ward these days. So many renovated homes and old buildings are being brought back to life.
The park also includes an old animal drinking fountain, which I find to be fascinating in its own right. I wish that many more of those existed around the city as an attractive link to the past. It’s easy to envision someone with a horse carriage taking advantage of a fountain like this one on a “long” trip from downtown Richmond to Ginter Park and the North Side 100 years ago.
Richmond On The James 
Posted by C.v.Jackson on July 14, 2021 at 10:48 am
Yes God gave us all talent…use it to help others as Mr. Bojangles did.
Posted by Sleeps5-It's Black History Month, let's Celebrate! - Sleeps5 on February 6, 2017 at 5:03 pm
[…] Monument Bill “Bojangles” Robinson […]
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Posted by Rev. Karl V. Harris on August 27, 2011 at 12:40 am
WHEN I WAS IN RICHMOND FOR THE LOTT CAREY COFERENCE, I MADE SURE I FOUND THAT STATUE . I ENJOYED HIM IN STORMY WEATER WITH LEANA HORNE. IT TAKES YOU BACK WHEN BLACKS HAD TO STRUGLE AND COMPERMISE TO GET WHAT THET WANTED. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR KEEPING US THROGH THESES TIMES.
Posted by kelesy on March 3, 2011 at 8:05 am
Hi i am in the 4th grade and im doing a report on mr. bojangles and i was looking at the pic. that he has of him and they are amazing but um…. im a tap dancer to at evenly ott school of dance and i was learing some of the steps that he made and at first i thought to my self like why in the world would u wat to come up with these steps cuz u should have seen me tryin to pick it up but then i got the beat of it and i love it and i loved the names of them to. they are awsome to but thinks for helpin africans like us to learn the things u came up with but thinks bi.