UR President Ronald A. Crutcher to Participate in Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument Virtual Panel Discussion

February 12, 2021

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — University of Richmond President Ronald A. Crutcher will serve as one of the panelists in a virtual discussion later this week focused on the Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument and its significance to the history of Virginia. 

The virtual event is Feb. 19 from 5-6 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. 

Photo of panelistsThe event is hosted by Senator Jennifer McClellan, who is also a panelist. Corey D.B. Walker, Center of Faith, Justice, and Reconciliation president, also is a panelist.

As part of the commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and abolition of slavery in the United States, the Virginia Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission will construct the Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument on Brown’s Island. The monument, designed by Thomas Jay Warren of Oregon, will feature a 12-foot bronze statue representing newly freed slaves. Additional information is available at mlkcommission.dls.virginia.gov/lincoln/monument

“It is important to have as many representations of emancipation as possible to remind us of our past," said Crutcher. "For too many years we have neglected to teach the history of slavery, the emancipation proclamation, and reconstruction in effective ways. This monument is a powerful symbol of that history, and it invites all of us to grapple with and discuss the painful and powerful legacies of systemic racism in our country."

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