News

Virginia Theological Seminary to break ground on memorial honoring enslaved laborers

By James Cullum
Virginia Theological Seminary (staff photo by James Cullum)

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held next month for the construction of a memorial recognizing slave laborers who built Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS).

Black slave laborers built the seminary in the early 19th century, and for the last five years, the VTS Reparations Program has awarded millions to direct descendants of those workers. At 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, VTS will host a free gala at Coffield Refectory (3720 Bishop Walker Circle) celebrating the descendants with dinner, dancing, and a display of genealogical research compiled to date. The memorial groundbreaking ceremony will be held the following day, Sept. 6, at 12:30 p.m.

“It is our intention that this memorial will serve as a site of remembrance, contemplation, and healing,” VTS said. “The selected site, in Trotter Bowl along Quaker Lane, allows it to be visible and accessible by the surrounding Alexandria community.”

The memorial has been years in the making. While the design hasn’t been released, the work is being created by the mother-daughter duo, D.C. natives Martha Jackson-Jarvis and Njena Surae Jarvis, of Jackson-Jarvis Studio.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.