Djimon Hounsou is doing something amazing. He’s wearing number 1839. Every year, he runs a race called “Run Richmond 16.19” in Richmond, Virginia. He does it to celebrate unity, honor the past, and build a better future. The race has two distances and people can run or walk. It honors Black history, and people moved through the city and passed by historical sites where Africans once lived, worked, and were sold.
Djimon didn’t just run. He walked with the people. Every dollar from the event went to his nonprofit the “Djimon Hounsou Foundation,” and he takes no money for himself. The money helps support music and arts programming in Richmond through community partners like Richmond Public Schools, and a lot of kids there come from families that don’t have much.
When runners reached the end of the race, some people cried, hugged, or just stood still because they knew they had walked through history. Djimon’s a Hollywood actor and could be doing anything else with his time, but he’s using it to help other people. And many of the movies he’s been in actually stand for something. For him, it’s not about success or money. It’s about truly making a difference.
📸 (Photo: Djimon Hounsou Foundation)