Originally published in the Winter/Spring 2025 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 76, printed March 26. Reproduced here for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Winter/Spring 2025 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For other issues dating back to 2012, see the Full Issues page.

By Ana Edwards

By late summer, a refined design concept for the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground Memorial will be advertised for public review. The whole packet, including cost estimates, will be submitted to the City of Richmond’s authentiCITY Studio, concluding the current contract with the Baskervill design firm.

The project’s next phase, including construction contractor selection and implementation, will require a new contract. A Community Engagement Report published in January provides the basis for criteria essential to mitigating threats to the burials known to be present through archaeological research, as well as those that may yet be found. Road, rail and highway developments at the local, state and federal levels continue to threaten the site.

The report contains a useful overviewof the Burying Ground’s history. Frompages 44 to 47 you can read the sections that summarize “Community Wants,” “Design Goals” and “General notes fromthe Team.” To download the report, visit: theshockoeproject.com.