HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — This weekend is a big one at Fort Monroe in Hampton, as it will be filled with events to honor the first enslaved Africans brought here in 1619.
The commemoration includes cultural honors, a parade of nations, a bell ringing ceremony and more.
The soil blending ceremony will mark the site of the African American Landing Memorial, with hopes it will be completed by 2026. And the spot where the first enslaved Africans arrived at Point Comfort will now be a place for people to come together.
“The ceremony is inclusive and it is interactive,” said Aaron Whittington with the Fort Monroe Authority. “So we want people to come out to the ceremony, take part in the ceremony.”
On Saturday, people are asked to bring soil from places of significance to blend with the soil at Point Comfort, and soil from Angola, where the first enslaved people came from.
“As we come together to commemorate the taking of lives and the horrific imprint that the enslavement made, we’re still in a place of reconciliation and healing, not just for the Africans and their descendants, but also for the indigenous people that were here,” said Project 1619, Inc. board member Larry Gibson.
The ceremony will remember the lives lost on their forced journey, known as the Middle Passage, by dropping flower petals into the bay.
“If you wanted to really grasp what this means and what the history is about in one day, this is the time to do it,” Whittington said.
This year’s commemoration will also celebrate the beginning of construction of the African Landing Memorial Plaza, which will include sculptures.
“The sculptures are going to arrive three different times,” said Glenn Oder, chief executive for the Fort Monroe Authority. “I would imagine the first sculpture will arrive in 2026, the next one in 2027, and then I think the very large relief wall is going to be [in] 2028.”
The sculptures will include Anthony and Isabella holding baby William Tucker. The plans for the plaza are out for bid right now, but FMA told WAVY it will be negotiating a contract within weeks.
Gibson said he has been waiting his whole life for this.
“This is to me, [is] a tender moment in time, but it’s right on time,” Gibson said. “It’s something that I’ve been looking for all my life. Moments like these, we’re acknowledging the coming of the first enslaved Africans to British North America.”
More information
To learn more about the upcoming events, click here. Guests are encouraged to wear shoes you can walk in, bring lawn chairs, and blankets.
