by Communications Team
All are invited to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Richmond on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. for a conversation with Freedom Rider and civil rights veteran Joan Trumpauer Mulholland.
For St. Mark’s, this event reinforces the parish motto, "Our tradition is love," and its long-standing commitment to advocacy, integration, and sanctuary.
Mulholland will speak and answer questions related to her message, “Get Back to the Counter.” During the 1960s, she participated in over 50 sit-ins and demonstrations including the Freedom Rides, the Jackson Woolworth's sit-in, the March on Washington, the Meredith March, and the Selma to Montgomery March.
Her 1961 mugshot from Jackson, Mississippi, remains an iconic image from the civil rights movement.
Activists like Mulholland pushed for systemic change, and so did the Rev’d Dr. Pauli Murray (1910–1985), who is celebrated in an annual service at St. Mark’s. So do activists in the pews there. Hosting a living legend like Mulholland is more proof of the parish’s lay-driven legacy.
"This program is the result of another parish member reading about Mulholland’s life on social media and bringing the possibility to our Justice and Advocacy Team," said St. Mark’s Director of Lay Ministry and Formation Malinda Collier.
St. Mark’s is an active congregation with 100+ attending weekly services in person and via Zoom. The parish integrates justice into its identity and outreach—from confronting segregation to offering educational cohorts on prophetic faith and more.
The Oct. 10 event also reflects a broader movement to racial justice and healing across the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.
Centering the diocesan mission to love Jesus, embody justice, and be disciples, leadership has elevated the Ministry for Racial Justice and Healing to a central priority. Gathering to listen to civil rights pioneers like Mulholland provides a practical space for parishioners across the diocese to engage in truth-telling, reflection, and active reconciliation.
Mulholland will appear with her son, Loki Mulholland, an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, and activist. His films on race and social justice issues have appeared on Showtime, PBS and Amazon, and won 20 Best Documentary awards. Loki is the author of multiple books including “She Stood for Freedom” and “Get Back to the Counter.”
The event takes place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, located at 520 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond. Admission is free, and community members from all parishes and backgrounds are encouraged to attend.
Event Details
Get Back to the Counter: A Conversation with Joan Trumpauer Mulholland and Loki Mulholland
Sat., Oct. 10 at 4 p.m.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 520 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond
Cost: Free and open to the public
