RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
Richmond City Council – Richmond City
Hall - 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305 - Richmond, VA 23219 - www.council.richmondva.gov
COUNCIL PUBLIC INFORMATION NEWS
ADVISORY
IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND
SHARED
Monday, 8 July 2013
Date change and cancellation:
Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission meetings
All Richmond Residents invited and
encouraged to attend
WHAT (Richmond,
Virginia U.S.A.) -- The Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission's upcoming
meeting schedule has been changed. Changes include a new date for the
previously posted meeting scheduled for July and the cancellation of the August
meeting. The meeting for July will now
be held on July 25, 2013 at the regular time and location. The July 11, 2013
meeting date has been canceled. The meeting scheduled for the month of August
has been canceled. No meeting will occur in August.
The
Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission typically holds monthly meetings
regarding its work and ongoing projects in helping to preserve and present the
history of slavery in Richmond. The upcoming scheduled meeting dates are listed
below. Meetings are typically scheduled to be held the first Thursday of each
month, beginning at 4:00 p.m., at the same location (note: meeting dates are
subject to change).
Meetings
are free and open to the public and all Richmond residents are invited and
encouraged to attend. The agenda for these meetings typically include the
following:
• Welcome
• New
Business
• Updates
• Committee
Reports
• Upcoming
Events
• Closing
Remarks/Adjournment
WHEN 4:00-5:30
p.m.
New
Date: Thursday, July 25, 2013 Thurs,
July 11, 2013
Canceled:
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Thursday,
September 5, 2013
Thursday,
October 3, 2013
Thursday,
November 7, 2013
Thursday,
December 5, 2013
WHERE Richmond
East District Initiative Government Services Building
701
N. 25th Street (In Richmond’s Historic East End)
WHO The
Honorable Delores L. McQuinn, Chairman, Richmond City Council Slave Trail
Commission; Delegate, Virginia House of Delegates - 70th Voter District
CONTACT For more information, please contact:
The
Honorable Delores L. McQuinn, Chairman, Richmond Slave Trail Commission
(Member, Virginia House of Delegates -70th Voter District) at 804.698.1070
(tel), or deldmcquinn@house.virginia.gov (email)
Background
____________________________________________________________________________
Richmond City Council Slave Trail
Commission
One of Richmond City Council's more
than 55 official boards, task forces and commissions that it has created and
that assists with providing oversight of certain projects and priorities, the
Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission is a government entity of Richmond
City Council that was established by Resolution Number 98-R 102-107, adopted
July 13, 1998, as amended by Resolution No. 2000-R111-109, adopted July 24,
2000, as amended by Resolution No. 2003-R132-123, adopted July 14, 2003, as
amended by Resolution No. 2003-R155-141, adopted September 8, 2003, as amended
by Resolution No. 2004-R125-131, adopted June 28, 2004.
The
purpose of the Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission is to assist
Council with oversight and assistance in helping to preserve and present the
history of slavery in Richmond. The Commission meets monthly and includes 17
members that are appointed by Council to serve for three year terms. The
composition of membership is as follows:
The Commission shall be composed of
seventeen (17) members. Such persons
shall be appointed by the Council and shall serve for terms of three (3)
years. The membership of the Commission
shall include at least one (1) member of City Council, not less than three (3)
members of the “Hope in the Cities” organization and a representative from the
Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. Any appointed Council members shall be given
the first option of serving as the Chair of the Commission in order of their
appointment. Five members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for
meetings.
Over the years, Richmond City Council
Slave Trail Commission has worked on a number of important projects, which have
included:
• 2011
Unveiling of 17 Richmond Slave Trail
Markers located throughout the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond, marking sites
that help tell the historic journey, human impact, and the role Richmond played
in the tragic history of slavery.
The Richmond Slave Trail Markers will
serve to recognize the regrettable time in our nation’s history when parts of
the United States allowed the enslavement of fellow human beings and an
estimated 8 percent of U.S. families owned slaves just before the U.S. Civil
War. The site of the event and location of one of the 17 markers, Lumpkin's
Slave Jail was the largest slave-holding facility in operation in Richmond,
Virginia from 1840 until the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865. During that
time, Richmond was home to the largest domestic slave export business in the
United States. The Confederate Army surrendered Richmond, the Capital of the
Confederacy, on April 3, 1865.
Following shortly after the end of
the U. S. Civil War, which ended in Virginia on April 9, 1865, the Thirteenth
Amendment to the United States of America Constitution was adopted on December
6, 1865. This amendment officially abolished slavery. A precursor for this
amendment was the Emancipation Proclamation, an Executive Order signed by
President Abraham Lincoln, on January 1, 1863, which proclaimed the freedom of
slaves living in states under Confederate control.
• 2009
Development of the conceptual
Richmond National Slavery Museum
Richmond City Council provides annual
staff assistance and financial support for the Richmond City Council Slave
Trail Commission. Council staff support includes providing fiscal management,
public information, writing, publication creation, graphic design, special
event and project management, promotions and fundraising. Additional staff
support is provided by the Richmond City Administration through the Richmond
Department of Economic Development, which includes project engineering and
management.
• 2009
Development of the Richmond Slave
Trail Marker Program, Signage and
Commemorative Site: Lumpkin’s Slave
Jail
• 2008
Discovery of Lumpkin’s Slave Jail
historic foundation and architectural
artifacts.
• 2008
– 2009
Phase II Lumpkin’s Slave Jail
Archaeological Assessment: which
included engineering and storm water
engineering
• 2007
Richmond International Unveiling of
Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue on Friday, March 30, 2007, erected at
15th and E. Main Streets. Included design and construction of the Richmond
Slavery Reconciliation Statute plaza and erection of the statue. This project
was part of a global initiative placing three statues in three countries.
Dedicated to slavery reconciliation, the installation of the statue represents
nearly 10 years of work between the City of Richmond, Virginia, USA (North
America), Liverpool, England (Europe), and the Republic of Benin (Africa). A
statue was erected in Liverpool in 1989 and the Republic of Benin in August
2005.
• 2006
Lumpkin’s Slave Jail Archaeological
Assessment
Lumpkin's Slave Jail was the largest
slave holding facility in operation in Richmond, Virginia from 1840 until the
end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865. During that time, Richmond was home to the
largest domestic slave export business in the United States. Owned by Robert
Lumpkin, the jail was a place that tens of thousands of African men, women and
children were "stored" before being transported to slave owners
living in states where slavery was legal. Following Lumpkin's death shortly
after the Civil war, his common law widowed wife Mary Lumpkin, who was
African-American, inherited the estate. In 1867, she leased the jail to
Reverend Nathaniel Colver, who established a school for freed slaves at the
site. Founded by the American Baptist Home Missionary Society and the National
Theological Institute, the school grew into what is now Virginia Union
University.
• 2003
Acquisition of Richmond Slavery
Reconciliation Statue. For three quarters of the 18th Century, Virginia (North
America), Liverpool, England (Europe), and the Republic of Benin (Africa)
represented one of the largest global commercial trade triangles of enslaved
Africans. Liverpool's shipbuilding industry provided the vessels that sailed to
the Kingdom of Dahomey, now the Republic of Benin, where Africans were loaded
on ships and transported to the Americas, with Richmond, Virginia being one of
the major recipients.
Support
Richmond City Council provides annual
staff assistance as available and financial support for the Richmond City
Council Slave Trail Commission. Council staff support includes providing fiscal
management, public information, writing, publication creation, graphic design,
special event and project management. Additional staff support is provided by
the Richmond City Administration through the Richmond Department of Economic
Development, which includes project engineering and management.
Council financial support is provided
through appropriations in the Richmond City Budget. This includes
appropriations in the Richmond City Budget Capital Improvement Plan,
Non-Departmental budgets and Departmental budgets. Funding is predicated on
requests made by the Commission and as determined by Council.
An overview of estimated financial
investments in the Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission, and some
highlighted projects, are listed below per Fiscal Year (FY). The estimates
reflect Richmond Government Budget - General Fund Budget and Capital Investment
Projects disbursements.
• FY
2013 (Year To Date 3/2013) - $59,290.69
For general Commission support/and
for development of the Richmond Slave Trail Marker Program; signage and
commemorative site; Lumpkin’s Slave Jail/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2012- $80,931.46
For general Commission support/and
for development of the Richmond Slave Trail Marker Program; signage and
commemorative site; Lumpkin’s Slave Jail/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2011- $190,258.66
For general Commission support/and
for development of the Richmond Slave Trail Marker Program; signage and
commemorative site; Lumpkin’s Slave Jail/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2010- $102,311.43
For general Commission support/and
for development of the Richmond Slave Trail Marker Program; signage and
commemorative site; Lumpkin’s Slave Jail/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2009 - $286,628.13
For general Commission support
($30,000 - spent $5,124) and for development of the Richmond Slave Trail Marker
Program; signage and commemorative site; Lumpkin’s Slave Jail; development of
conceptual National Slavery Museum; and, paid sponsorship for Symposium at the
University of Richmond for the Civil War Sesquicentennial/ Richmond Slavery
Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2008 - $51,212.28
For general Commission support
($30,000 - spent $7,748) and for Phase II of Lumpkin’s Slave Jail
Archaeological Assessment, which included $155,000 for earthmoving and $35,000
for engineering and stormwater engineering (floodplain and proximity to I-95
berm) and $150,000 for archaeological services to hire a vendor/Richmond
Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2007 - $493,439.48
For general Commission support ($11,000)
and design and construction of the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statute
plaza; erection of the statue; and, the International Unveiling of the Richmond
Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2006 - $31,535.44
For Richmond Slave Trail Brochure
Creation/Printing Phase I of Lumpkin’s Slave Jail Archaeological
Assessment/Richmond City Council Slave Trail Commission support/Richmond
Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2005 - $113,599.83
Richmond City Council Slave Trail
Commission support/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2004 - $1,000
Richmond City Council Slave Trail
Commission support/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
• FY
2003 - $41,445
Richmond City Council Slave Trail
Commission support/Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue
Additional financial, staff and archeological support has also been
provided by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Alliance to Conserve
Old Richmond Neighborhoods, Virginia Commonwealth University, and a number of
corporate, nonprofit and individual financial sponsors.
- end -
______________________________________
Steven R. Skinner, APR
Council Public Information Manager
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219
804.646.6052 (office)
804.335.4054 (mobile)
804.937.1386 (home/mobile)
804.646.5468 (fax)
steven.skinner@richmondgov.com
(email)
www.council.richmondva.gov(website)
____________________________________________
MISSION The mission of Richmond City
Council
is to represent citizens in creating
and amending
local laws, providing government
policy and
oversight, and approving the city
budget.
VISION Richmond City Council is
committed to
creating a vibrant community that is
a great place
to live, work, learn, play, visit and
raise a family.
