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:

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Richmond Public Library – Main Library
101 East Franklin Street – Richmond (Downtown)

Additional meeting date/time to be announced.

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

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.