of our comcast cable partners forking the next two hour's we'll learn more about the city from local out authorizes. >> richmond is a please place the called his home town. he called simples a virginian, where he had inspirations that inspired literature for years to come. >> we are in need today more of people in our communities to be leaders than elected officials. people are always politicians, politicians what they want to hear. people hear what they have to heara, we now begin our special feature. while in richmond, we took a driving tour of the stiff with mayor stony. >> well, mayor stoney, thank you for showing us around richmond today. if somebody has never been to richmond, virginia, what should

they know about the city? >> well, think they should know that this is the cultural history arts capital of all things virginia. we're sitting on the rise, we're thriving, but imagine a thriving city with the backdrop of all the historical -- historic reaches. >> going to an historic neighbor. >> churchill. >> what makes churchill disdistinct? part. >> part of the original laywood of richmond. on the right, st. john's church. >> tell me what happened here. >> i know many people who had their textbooks out right now. ever heard of a guy named patrick henry, we receive-"give me liberty or give me death." >> you preserved the church. when you go through richmond

you're kind of walking among history next to these modern restaurants and modern shops. how do you make sure that you keep that nod to history alive while still advancing the city. >> this is about tourism. what attracts people to your city. i think one of the most attractive -- not only do we have great historic features and also have a great river that runs through the city as well. the history is what keeps people coming back and coming back and coming back. history brings you here initially and then they can also par take in our restaurants, the great museums we have. they can see so many things. >> whatter we coming up on? i see their -- >> this is the view, william byrd, the settlers here and came up and saw the bend around the

river right here and say it reminded them of richmond hill, the river thames near london, and that's howl we got the name. this is a view of downtown and a beautiful view of the downfinancial district, as people know this is the capital of virginia as will so not only do we have a great financial district, we also have the government buildings down there, where the seat of government is in virginia. a great city, too. >> i'm seeing a lot of industrial buildings. the lucky strike tower. was that richmond's economic past, present? >> it economic past. the river provided for all things commerce and trade back in day. not too many cities have what we have right here. >> where were heading now? >> heading to richmond hill, here in churchill, view of all things downtown. one of my favorite views. a lot of -- what i remember from

this view of the city is a lot of different candidates and politicians and whatnot in the pass, held a lot of press conferences because it has such a great view of downtown. you can see the hustle and bus of downtown. this is a great view of -- this is been -- right here underneath and then you see downtown and the vcu health complex over there state government. you can see the capitol from here. the executive mansion from here as well. are we going by the capitol. >> i would love. to. >> ow can see jefferson's work still around. >> how does the city government and state government interact, itch out all? >> the state government is our partner. i'm lucky to have state government base in our city. but also presents challenges as well because when you're the home of state government, you don't necessarily get -- their

they're tax exempt. you want to make an exec imback but they don't pay taxes on the buildings. so, it's -- i would rather have them than not have them. >> we're at the state capitol. he state capitol doesn't look like a lot of other capitol buildings. >> this is the original. this is one of the oldest operating capitols we have. >> now, who designed this? >> thomas jefferson. >> still in use today. >> that's exactly right. >> tell me about what we're seeing here? >> abraham lincoln came here during -- right the end of the civil war, when richmond fell, and basically he freed some slaves right over here, and we have number of statues on the capitol square grounds as well.

harry byrd over over, and oliver hill and barbara jones. >> talking about these statues and mobments. there's a lot of statues and monuments in the city. >> there are. want to go to monument avenue? >> let go there. >> even when i came here back in 2004, richmond was like on that upward trajectory but it was much still to be desired, and in the '90s, a lot of this was basically abandoned. and then when people come back now -- i think what we're experiencing is that there are folks who began their lives here, who went off to college and other places, had jobs and other cities like new york and san francisco and washington, and they come back because richmond's cool again. >> what turned that tide? what made it cool again? when did people start coming back. i'm seeing art things, great

murals and businesses. what made the change? >> i think the change -- i was trying to explain it to someone the other day. vcu grew some of them. they went to final four. helped put --y is this school from? the city of richmond. put richmond on the back. this was the epicenter of the 2008 presidential election as well, president obama, put us on the map, too, when president obama won virginia for their first time in 44 users. >> a democrat. >> a democrat, that's right. >> so too you think hat changes the government? virginia also went blue in the most recent election. >> that's right. richmond is the heart of that because we play a significant role in the electoral future of the commonwealth of virginia. not only do you have votes in northern virginia and also have a thriving, growing region as

well. we're still growing, and i think vcu is a driver of that and i think that people in general moving here. >> how did millenials respond to richmond's history? >> i think the folks who are moving into the city, just luke i did 13 years ago, you are surrounded by history, basically every single day. but it's -- history also means it's -- some history we're not proud of. right? it's a confederate history that kind of is i think a stain on the city's record, you can say. but instead of being stuck in the past and using history as an anchor, we think history should be our foundation to build from, and i think we're writing a new chapter in richmond's history.

we're becoming a welcome, inclusive city for all cultures and walks of life. we are head down monument avenue. one of the most iconic streets in all things america, think. one thief first monuments on the left is a monument that was created around 1996 towards arthur ashe, the international tennis star, born and bred in the city of richmond. right now it's the only monument, statue to an african-american on monument avenue. beyond that statues will be to those who served in the civil war. so, you have arthur ashe. you got jeff stewart, stone wall jackson, robert e. lee. >> so, there has been -- maybe a little bit of controversy about some of the statues here. what are are the feelings in the city about the statues on monument avenue? >> i think folks recognize this

is part of the history. a terrible history it may be, a horrible history it may be but part of our history. as i've always said, would i share any tears if jefferson davis statue was torn down? i wouldn't but i think the history of the past of richmond, that being terrible or not, shouldn't be a -- our anchor. site should be a foundation to build from. >> it's about an opportunity for history. right now -- statues honoring or memorializing the figures and i think the key is to tell the whole story. i think richmond can be the center of reconciliation, we do have a terrible past but it's time to start writing that chapter to begin with the

conversation about reconciliation. >> and what is the narrative that you would like to achieve you dream goal for your time as mayor for your time as a resident in city of richmond? >> i think my time as mayor and my time of residency, the goal i would like to achieve would be to -- when people think about the city of richmond, the next sentence is city of rhythm, the capitol of virginia and in the forker capitol of confederacy itch want to change that to -- i want to change that. the culture and history, not just being known as the capital of the confederacy. we are more open minded and inclusive and tolerant than our history may say. >> located in downtown richmond, the white house of the confederacy is whether confederate president jefferson davis and his family lived from

1861 until the evacuation of richmond in april 1865. following the end of the war, it became a headquarters for the u.s. army and in 1870, was given back to the city of richmond. the home has since been restored and is open to the public as a museum. up next, we visit thed gar allen poe museum. the only'll building dedicated to a literary figure. >> ed gar allen poe put american literature on the map. he is the one who is the first internationally influential american writer. he invented the detective story. one of the pioneers of science fiction. psychological terror and he has a poem that has an nfl team named after him and the idea that a poem or work of literature or piece rt