RICHMOND, Va. -- A portion of the Richmond Slave Trail is now protected in perpetuity, after a local land conservation group spent years in talks to purchase it from Norfolk Southern.
Richmond's slave trail documents the horrors of the African slave trade in Richmond, chronicling the journey thousands of men, women, and children forced into slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries took along the James River into what is now Shockoe Bottom.
The strip of land previously owned by Norfolk Southern stretches from near Ancarrow's Landing — the former site of the Manchester port — to I-95 along the south bank of the James River.
Railroad companies have owned the land in some capacity from the earliest days of the commercial rail industry in Richmond, dating back to the 1830's, officials said.
The Capital Region Land Conservancy worked to buy the land from Norfolk Southern and place it in a conservation easement. The property will be granted to the city of Richmond as a part of the James River Park System later this year.
Since the Richmond Slave Trail was unveiled in 2011, many mistakenly assumed the land was part of the park system already, officials said.
The Capital Region Land Conservancy began work on protecting a large swath of the greater riverfront area — including Dock Street and Mayo Island — several years ago and realized during that work a portion of the trail was privately owned.
“A lot of people thought: oh, it’s public land, and it can be something we’ll all enjoy and we’ll have that forever. Unfortunately, the ownership was not the same people thought it might be, it got lost in records," said Parker Agelasto, the group's executive director.
"A landowner could say, 'I'm going to kick you off my land because I have an alternative use plan.' Not that Norfolk Southern did, but in this instance, that threat and risk does exist until it is in other hands," Agelasto said. "The conservation easement will protect it from being developed in a way that is inconsistent with the goals and visions of both the riverfront plan, the James River system master plan, and most importantly the Richmond Slave Trail.”
Agelasto said they began discussions with Norfolk Southern four years ago.
“Hopefully people will be able to come here and get a sense of the soul of people and the soul of the land, and the stories that the land can tell," he said.
Hassan Shabazz brought his colleague Alison Chaffin to Richmond's Slave Trail Monday to hold the space. Both work with prisoners, helping them understand their rights, and Shabazz said the connections between slavery and modern mass incarceration are clear.
"There are a lot of people who are being affected by it, but don’t really understand the connection to this and where we are today," Shabazz said. “We deal with a lot of the infection that has taken place from [slavery]. How do we heal? That’s why me and Alison are here together.”
"It’s critical for us to truly understand these parts of history to come and be here. I just think it’s very powerful," Chaffin said.
Protection of the trail will extend to the natural environment. Much of the land near the former Manchester Docks was at one point stripped of vegetation for port and industrial use. Now, invasive plants and vines choke out the native trees and species that remain, but Agelasto said some native plants have begun to emerge again over time.
“It’s a conflicting landscape," Agelasto said, noting the land was featured in work done by artist/photographer Dawoud Bey recently on exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. "What you’re seeing is some of the spring ephemerals that are in the seed bank coming up and showing all the life and vitality that a property like this can have even after such a challenging history.”
Shabazz says he appreciates the natural symbolism represented within the now-protected land — a symmetry he sees reflected in his own story having served 23 years in prison.
"When I got home, I was going to let no vine strangle me, entangle me, keep me from growing, sprouting and spreading love too, helping others to grow and sprout. I think that metaphor, analogy, is a great one. I see ourselves as being instruments of change," Shabazz said. "We can look at the mechanics of slavery and say never again. Then, how do we now move forward to break down the system that was built up through this mechanism?”
The land acquisition is funded through a mix of grants from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, which requires a partner match.
The Friends of the James River Park System has committed $30,000 toward the project, and they are asking for help funding their own public match. Those able and interested in helping with this effort can donate here.
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