Consecration and Dedication Ceremony Held at the University of Richmond Burying Ground Memorial

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — The University of Richmond held a consecration and dedication ceremony at a permanent memorial to honor those enslaved and laid to rest on the land that became the campus. The University acquired the first parcel of land comprising its current campus in 1910.

Construction on the memorial began in early 2024. Research on the site was begun by Shelby Driskill, a graduate student in the University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The President’s Commission on History and Identity recommended the continuation of her research and additional research on institutional history.

The research led to the formation of a committee charged with identifying appropriate means to memorialize the burying ground. The committee met with descendants, hosted community conversations, and continued research until completing its work in December 2021.

The final design includes input from descendants and the campus community. Descendants held a private event on April 19 at the Burying Ground. A public consecration of the Burying Ground and dedication of the memorial was held on April 23.

The plan for the Memorial centered three design principles shaped by input from descendant and University communities. They include:

• The Burying Ground site should remain sacred and lightly touched.
• The Burying Ground should be unique, accessible, and inviting.
• The Burying Ground should balance sentiments of reconciliation and resilience with the certainty of an enduring struggle.

Features of the memorial include:

• The Witness Tree: A white oak has stood at the Burying Ground site for many years. This Witness Tree has been propagated, and its seedling now grows at the site as the New Witness Tree.
• Portraiture: Portraiture featured on the memorial’s wall is the result of collaborative efforts with descendants. The team of artists collected and archived dozens of historic family photos of Descendants’ Council, studying facial features to create portraits that incorporate distinctive family traits. A limited number of lines are used to create their features, expressing the archival gaps that limit what can be known of the lives of those interred in the Burying Ground.
• Stone: A short distance from the present campus and the Burying Ground, enslaved individuals were forced to labor in numerous quarries. Virginia Mist granite, a local material, was selected for much of the memorial structure, gesturing to these geological and historical connections.
• Symbols: Descendants of two West African peoples, Igbo and Akan, made up a significant portion of Virginia’s enslaved population. Symbols on the memorial bronze work are part of the Akanian Adinkra system, which dates to the 18th or early 19th century.

The Burying Ground Memorial is free and open to the public and located at 112 UR Drive at the intersection of Richmond Way and UR Drive. Free visitor parking is available adjacent to the Memorial.

For more information about the Burying Ground Memorial, visit buryinggroundmemorial.richmond.edu.

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