This is a cause near to my heart. It is not a Near West End event, but an event that everyone in the Richmond Region should know about because it involves our history, our culture and the legacy of what we leave to our children.  I want to show my children that I value Richmond’s history, and the truth behind it — even if it is a painful truth.  

 In the late 1950’s not only did the construction of  Interstate-95 tear through the heart of the black community in Richmond, separating North Jackson Ward from the rest of Jackson Ward, but it also paved over sacred ground.  The burial ground for hundreds of slaves. Those mistakes have been made. But now, we  have an opportunity to make sure that  Richmond preserves what is left of the Negro Burial Grounds and give proper recognition to the people who are buried there.  

Entire Richmond community invited and encouraged to attend and participate

WHAT      The Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission will hold open
               forum public community forum meetings to hear and discuss ideas from
               Richmond citizens on how to properly memorialize the site of an historic
               Richmond Negro Burial Grounds located in the Shockoe Bottom area of
               Richmond. Land on this site was recently identified and set aside by
               Virginia Commonwealth University. The entire Richmond community is
               invited and encouraged to attend and participate in this important
               community discussion. The first meeting will take place as follows:

WHEN     Richmond City Council Slave Trail Committee: MEETING 1
  Date:           Tuesday, September 23, 2008
  Time:           6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
          Location:       Richmond Public Library - Main Library
                               101 East Franklin Street - Richmond (Downtown)

CONTACT         For more information, please contact Sam Patterson, at 804.646.3012.

BACKGROUND
The result of years of ongoing discussions at the state, local and federal level, a consensus was reached on August 28, 2008 between leaders of Richmond City Council, Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR), and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to preserve, rededicate and memorialize land identified as an historic Richmond Negro Burial Ground. This area was a burial ground (estimated in use from 1750’s to 1812) for free and enslaved Africans.

The Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN) has more information on both the history of the Slave Cemetery, the excavation of Lumpkin’s Jail this summer, and the Slave Trail Commission.