Center Continues Support For Central Virginia Descendant Communities

This summer, the Center for Cultural Landscapes continued its research and relationship-building efforts in support of the Montpelier Descendants Committee’s Arc of Enslaved Communities initiative. In May, CCL staff participated in a descendant gathering featuring artist Letitia Huckaby. June followed, with tabling and engagement at Highland’s Descendants’ Day, the Juneteenth Freedom Day Festival hosted by MDC, and the dedication of a memorial to those buried in unmarked graves at Fluvanna County’s Oak Hill Cemetery in June.

These events served as important opportunities to share the mission of the CCL, reconnect with community members, and promote the recently released Arc of Enslaved Communities Community Engagement Strategy Report, now available through the CCL website.

— Justice Madden, Project Manager

Left: Mr. Ed Brooks (far left) shows guests around the garden at the B.F. Yancey School Community Center in Esmont. The guests in the image are CCL staff, local descendants, and guest artist Letitia Huckaby.

Photos by Justice Madden unless noted otherwise.

Sights and sounds of Descendants Day at Highland. Above, community portraits on display. Below, Ronee Martin and Horace Scruggs provide the soundtrack to the day.