Memorial to Enslaved Laborers

SIF158  Memorial to Enslaved Laborers

Memorial to Enslaved LaborersVirtual Tour

Project Manager: Mark Luellen

BoV Approved: August 2018

Project Dates: 8/07/2018 – 12/31/2019

Total Funding: $2,500,000

Current Status: Completed

Impact: 

The purpose of this award was to provide 1:1 matching funds to gifts received toward the construction of a memorial to honor the enslaved African Americans who built and sustained the University from its beginning.

Executive Summary

In August 2018 at the Board of Visitors retreat, it was decided to dedicate up to $2.5 million from the Strategic Investment Fund to match, one-for-one, gifts and commitments of any size for the construction of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers pledged between August 7, 2018 and December 31, 2019.

Achievements

This award was formally reviewed by the PAC at its June 2020 meeting. The Memorial was completed on time and an inauguration event was held in April 2020.  It was deemed a successful project, in that the SIF funding successfully incentivized philanthropic giving and helped to build this tribute to the many African American lives that built and sustained the University. The PAC encouraged the project team to pursue its stated ongoing goals of providing educational programming related to the monument in order to enhance the visibility of the memorial and its impact on all visitors.

image of memorial
A permanent tribute to the enslaved individuals and families who built and maintained the University of Virginia.