WHEREAS, Neverett Alexander Eggleston, Jr., a well-known community leader in the Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond who supported his fellow Black entrepreneurs in the city as the cofounder of a trade association for Black-owned businesses, died on September 8, 2023; and

WHEREAS, born during the Great Depression, Neverett Eggleston was the son of a waiter and country club chef who later became the owner of the Eggleston Hotel, formerly Miller's Hotel, in Jackson Ward; and

WHEREAS, Neverett Eggleston graduated from Armstrong High School and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; he subsequently received a certificate from the General Motors Training School and participated in training and professional development programs throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, over the course of his career in business, Neverett Eggleston owned an office building, a gas station, and an automobile repair shop, and was involved with several family-owned restaurants; and

WHEREAS, Neverett Eggleston managed Eggleston Hotel for nine years and helped the business become a destination for Black entertainers, sports stars, political figures, and other travelers who were barred from segregated establishments in the city; guests included Red Foxx, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Moms Mabley, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who visited the hotel for breakfast prior to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963; and

WHEREAS, Neverett Eggleston ran for Richmond City Council in 1964 and later supported the Richmond Crusade for Voters; and

WHEREAS, Neverett Eggleston was one of four influential local businessmen who founded the Metropolitan Business League, a local trade association with national ties that served Black business owners who were not permitted to join the Richmond Chamber of Commerce or the Virginia Chamber of Commerce at the time; and

WHEREAS, Neverett Eggleston's son, Neverett Eggleston III, followed in his father's footsteps as an entrepreneur and has established several restaurants, including Croaker's Spot and Sugar's Crab Shack; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Jean, Neverett Eggleston will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Neverett III, Jayne, and Shakita, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Neverett Alexander Eggleston, Jr., a business owner and local leader who supported economic empowerment in Richmond's Black community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Neverett Alexander Eggleston, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.