Slave Auction Block Vigil

Recording of the livestream of the vigil, courtesy of Virginia Humanities and WTJU.

Last Sunday, Feb. 28th, Beloved Community Cville hosted the “Slave Auction Block Vigil: Honoring the Ancestors” at the Historic Court Square to acknowledge the trauma which took place there and honor the ancestors. The event served as a kick-off to the events of Liberation & Freedom Day, which celebrates the arrival of Union soldiers into Charlottesville in 1865.

During the vigil, the history of the human sales which took place in Court Square was brought alive through song, prayer, reading of names, and ritual by the following community members:

• Dr. Jalane Schmidt, Associate Professor, Dept of Religious Studies at UVA
• Don Gathers, deacon at First Baptist Church on Main Street; a founding member of Black Lives Matter Charlottesville; organizer with Beloved Community Cville
• Cauline Yates, Virginia Humanities Receptionist, the seventh-generation grand-niece of Sally Hemings
• Rev. Dr. Lehman Bates, Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church
• Apostle Sarah Kelley, Pastor of Faith, Hope and Love 
• Dr. Kevin McDonald, University of Virginia’s Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships
• Kim Swift, Singer and Special Events Coordinator for Ebenezer Baptist Church 
• Rev. Xavier Jackson, Pastor of Chapman Grove Baptist Church

PROGRAM OUTLINE
1) Albemarle County Courthouse steps  

• Overview of event -- Don Gathers and Jalane Schmidt
• Fountain Hughes recording -- 1949 interview with a 101-year-old formerly enslaved Charlottesville man.

2) Eagle Tavern

• Read aloud the names of 33 people sold there in 1829 -- Cauline Yates
• Prayer for those who were named and their descendants -- Lehman Bates

3) Slave Auction Block Marker

• Apostle Sarah Kelley -- Gave testimony & sang “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”

4) Swan Tavern

• Kevin McDonald -- Read out loud the 1852 letter by Maria Perkins 
• Kim Swift -- Sang “Steal Away to Jesus”

5) Courthouse steps area 

• Ritual -- Libation led by Don Gathers (Bowl & table from Jalane Schmidt)
• Rev. Xavier Jackson sang “Lift Every Voice & Sing”
• Final words of thanks -- Don Gathers

Please click on this link to read NBC29.com’s coverage of our vigil.​

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Below are a few photos from our vigil. 

Photo credit: Eze Amos. 
https://www.instagram.com/ezeamosphotography/
​https://www.facebook.com/EzeamosPhotography/