25 in '25: Emily McMillen is the thread that keeps Woodland Heights connected

Despite another swampy late Friday afternoon in Richmond, a handful of residents have ventured out of their homes in Woodland Heights.

However, they’re not there to ask if anyone has lost power or water. Instead, they’ve gathered to help decorate light poles and trees with streams of colored crepé paper, chalk messages on the street and place signs along Stonewall Avenue, from West 28th Street to West 34th Street.

It’s all for the next day’s Stonewall on Stonewall parade, an event designed to “take back the name” Stonewall. Think of it as a history lesson. It’s a remembrance of the Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City on January 28, 1969. The riots broke out after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay club in Greenwich Village. The parade will also be a celebration and a walking tour through LGBTQ+ history. 

But the event is not your average neighborhood parade, either. Local food trucks 1115 Mobile Kitchen, Corazón Cake Company and Ruby Scoops will be on hand, as will local bands Roughshod, Beefcake and Deau Eyes, who will all take to tiny stages along the seven block route. 

This is just one of a handful of neighborhood events started by local resident Emily McMillen. McMillen doesn’t like the spotlight and seems to be most in her element when surrounded by people who are all doing something good for the community.

“It takes a lot of work to pull off something like this,” said neighbor Hilary Langford. “She is equitable. I think that's a huge part of this specific event, because she's like, 'I'm an ally, but I look to the Queer community to kind of lead the charge here.’ She has coached us in the ways of getting (stuff) done.”

Neighbor Adriane Gless, who moved to the neighborhood two years ago, had known of Emily but hadn’t met her until the Stonewall event. Gless’s first knowledge of McMillen was born out of McMillen’s involvement with a series of neighborhood concerts dubbed Tiny Porch, which came about during the pandemic. 

“We catalyzed Tiny Porch concerts during the pandemic, because the last thing anybody needed was to be inside their houses alone, right?” said McMillen. “And it was an easy way to push people to get outside on the streets. Together we were like, how do we move people out into the streets walking around?”

History of community involvement

McMillen’s love for community involvement got its start years ago on Halloween, when no kids showed up to her and her husband’s front door. 

“When we first moved into our house we were so excited because we've been in apartments. We lived in Memphis and Richmond and were passing out candy,” McMillen said. “Nobody came. So the next year, I just knocked on everybody's door and invited them to bring all the candy to folding tables and into the street. And now it's like the block party on Halloween. All these people show up. So it's this nice thread of getting people together.”

But organizing neighborhood events isn’t McMillen’s strongest attribute. 

“Her presence is just so bright and energetic. I really appreciate the energy she has to give all the time to everyone and everything,” said Gless. “It's inspiring. And I don't know where she finds it. Especially now, I feel like everybody's just very drained and tending to reserve some time for themselves. But I think she must get more joy and energy from doing things for other people because she seems to be constantly on the move making things happen, like this event, like the Tiny Porch concerts, like the run club.”

Langford, who has been in the neighborhood for about a decade, said McMillen’s skill is getting people together. 

“Emily's the activator,” she said. “And I'm always like, ‘Why don't you run for public office?’ Because that's the kind of person we need in the seats, right? She's on it, organized. I just wish we had more people like her out there that were in it for the right reasons."

McMillen was nominated for The Richmonder’s 25 in '25 by neighbor Lisa Specter Dunaway.

“Emily is one of those people who always steps up when she sees something that needs to be done,” said Dunaway. “And she not only steps up, but she brings lots and lots of people with her. She is truly open to everyone's participation and really strives for that very actively. She really is an Energizer bunny. It's just amazing to see her in action.”

Why she does it

For all her community outreach and event organizing, McMillen will often get chided by her husband, Cezar Carvalaes.

“Cezar will make fun of me and say that everybody doesn't do that,” she said.

But if you ask Carvalhaes about why his wife is so motivated, he’ll say once she gets an idea, she becomes fully committed.

“I think the biggest thing that sets Emily apart is that she's 100 percent serious when she says let's do a thing,” he said.

Despite all the events McMillen has been at the core of, she doesn’t consider herself an activist or even an organizer.

“I don't know that I would label myself. I just think you see the need and you make it happen,” she said. “I think I've been doing this my whole life. I do think there's power in community, and I think no one should do anything in silos. Nobody wants to live somewhere, or work somewhere, or be somewhere where you're alone all day. Community was a big part of why I was a public educator, and still is, and why that work is so important.”

McMillen’s next event is another Tiny Porch concert, featuring three porch stages, happening on August 17. The concerts continue into the fall.

This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Cezar Carvalaes’ name.

More photos from the Tiny Porch concert: