Groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Virginia Theological Seminary's tribute to the enslaved workers
The Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) is set to honour its history as a memorial recognising the enslaved workers who built the seminary will be constructed next month. The groundbreaking ceremony for this long-awaited project is scheduled for September 6, 20XX, separate from a gala held at Coffield Refectory on September 5, 20XX.
For the past five years, the VTS Reparations Program has awarded millions to direct descendants of the slave laborers who built the seminary. This memorial, designed by D.C. natives Martha Jackson-Jarvis and her daughter Njena Surae Jarvis of Jackson-Jarvis Studio, is intended to serve as a site for remembrance, contemplation, and healing.
The design of the memorial has not been publicly released yet, but it will be located in Trotter Bowl along Quaker Lane, making it visible and accessible to the surrounding Alexandria community. The location was chosen to ensure the memorial is not only a historical landmark but also a part of the community's daily life.
The gala at Coffield Refectory on September 5, 20XX, will celebrate the descendants of the slave laborers. The event will include dinner, dancing, and a display of genealogical research compiled to date. The designers, Martha Jackson-Jarvis and Njena Surae Jarvis, are both local to D.C., and this memorial project has been years in the making.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the memorial will mark the beginning of the construction process, with the exact date and time yet to be specified. The VTS community and the surrounding Alexandria area are eagerly awaiting this significant event, marking a step towards acknowledging and honouring the contributions of the enslaved workers who played a crucial role in the seminary's history.
