From it's beginning in July 1989, this festival celebrates the rich heritage of people of African ancestry and their contributions to the community, the nation and the world.

Inspired by the 1988 Fredericksburg Black Arts Festival, the 1984 & 1985 Sol Fest and previous festivals, Chihamba in Charlottesville, Virginia recruited a committee under the direction of Jamal Koram, an original Sol Fest founder. This committee brought the dream that was the
African-American Cultural Arts Festival to reality.