Do the Right Thing, VCU

Despite knowing several of the people involved in the making for the documentary, Meet Me in the Bottom: The Struggle to Reclaim Richmond's African Burial Ground, I had not actually seen the film until today when the Library of Virgina showed it as part of their noontime lunch series.

And while I understand VCU's error in building a parking lot over a Negro burial ground, now that it's been established that that's what's under it, I have a difficult time comprehending how they can continue to allow the land to be used as a surface parking lot. In fact, I have to question whether or not the circumstances would be the same if, say my ancestors were buried there; of course, by that I mean white people. Wouldn't the outcry over ignoring an historic white burial ground almost certainly attract VCU's attention?

As filmmaker Shawn Utsey pointed out, after much back and forth, VCU has agreed to sell the property for $3 million, as if the community can collectively raise that kind of money. It would seem that doing the morally correct thing by ceasing to use the burial ground for parking and beginning an archaeological dig for the purpose of learning more about some of Richmond's earliest residents is insufficient motivation.

Given RVA' shameful history in the slave trade, it seems to me that it's the very least we could do to give peace to the departed who helped shape our city. A full excavation and eventual memorial to this essential part of our collective ancestry should be the only option on the table.

My friend Kenny, the chief organizer of the protests about the burial ground, is right. We all lose when we don't stand up and fight such injustice.