Many of us have heard the stories of Pinkard Court and the remarkable man behind its vision, Dr. John Henry Pinkard. He was more than a businessman. He was a healer, visionary, and community builder who understood the importance of creating opportunities for people of color when those opportunities were limited.
Pinkard Court was more than a neighborhood. It was a community within a community, complete with a gas station, elementary school, Mae’s Inn, recreational spaces, and a culture of togetherness. I even had family members who grew up there and shared stories about their experiences. However, another part of Dr. Pinkard’s story deserves more attention. Before there was Pinkard Court, there was Salem Avenue.
Long before Pinkard Court became a reality, Dr. Pinkard was establishing himself on Salem Avenue in Southwest Roanoke, where he operated his herbal medicine business and invested in properties. This history is personal to me. As a child, I lived at 1111 Salem Avenue, one of Dr. Pinkard’s properties. I remember playing with my childhood friend Donate Campbell, whose grandfather had a church in the building that once housed Dr. Pinkard’s herbal business.
At the time, I had no idea of the history surrounding me. I was simply a child growing up in Southwest Roanoke, unaware that I was living where one of Roanoke’s remarkable Black healers had once practiced. His herbal business known as Acorn attracted people from outside Virginia seeking his knowledge of natural healing. Historical accounts also describe white patients who respected his work during an era of racial segregation. That speaks to the reputation he built despite the barriers Black Americans faced.
I believe the spirit of Dr. Pinkard’s work is still present in Southwest Roanoke, not necessarily in the buildings, but in the history, land, and possibilities that remain. From Salem Avenue to Patterson Avenue, through portions of downtown and toward Grandin Village, I see an opportunity to reconnect with this healing legacy. With the Roanoke River, Wasena Park, and our surrounding natural spaces, this area could become a center for holistic wellness and cultural healing.
Imagine herbal education, meditation, yoga, community gardens, and ancestral knowledge becoming part of our neighborhoods. Imagine young people learning about Dr. Pinkard while discovering how earlier generations cared for their bodies, minds, spirits, and communities. Dr. Pinkard also represents something much older than himself. Where did he learn his knowledge? And where did those who influenced him learn theirs? These questions remind us of the healing traditions passed down through Black American families, elders, herbalists, midwives, and Indigenous communities.
In my own wellness work, I have learned that healing involves more than treating symptoms. It also involves our relationship with nature, our communities, and ourselves. Honoring Dr. Pinkard may mean more than remembering what he built. Perhaps it means continuing his vision by creating spaces where healing, education, culture, and community can grow together. Sometimes the answers we seek for the future are rooted in the history we have forgotten.
And remember, the only way out is in.
