Letter to Hon. Julie Langan, State Historic Preservation Officer - Kaine, McEachin Support Nomination of Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground to the National Register of Historic Places
Letter
Dear Director Langan,
This letter is to express our support for the nomination of Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground to be included in the National Register of Historic Places. Given the history and known location of this African Burial Ground we recognize the value in preserving such a space and strongly recommend it's inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
There is no official national record or database for African-American burial ground locations, and the location of many sites is unknown. As a result, the family members and descendants of those interred are unable to visit these sites to honor and remember their ancestors. That is among the many reasons we cosponsored legislation in the 116th Congress which would have directed the National Park Service to conduct a study of ways to identify, interpret, preserve, and record unmarked, previously abandoned, underserved, or other burial grounds relating to the historic African American experience. Therefore, without question, we support the African Burying Ground's nomination before the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
In 2020, Mayor Levar Stoney, his administration, and the Richmond City Council sponsored and passed important ordinances regarding the burial ground. The ordinances added the property at 1305 N 5th St. to the Richmond Slave Trail, provided funding for its intended acquisition, and paved the way for the purchase of the property. Support from the City of Richmond, Preservation Virginia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Cultural Landscape Foundation, and a descendant of those interred at the African Burying Ground highlights the importance of this site.
Please accept this letter of recommendation as an indication of our support for Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground. We thank you for your consideration and support of historic sites in the Commonwealth.
Sincerely,
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