In a significant act of remembrance, community members and state leaders gathered in Hampton, Virginia, to dedicate the African Landing Memorial Plaza. This new memorial marks the precise location where the first documented enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia over 400 years ago, a somber yet crucial moment in the nation’s history.
Honoring the First Arrivals
The memorial site commemorates the arrival of Africans brought to Virginia in 1619. These individuals were taken from Luanda, Angola, and transported across the Atlantic aboard the ship São João Bautista. The memorial serves as a powerful reminder of the violence that shaped the nation’s past and continues to influence its present, deepening our understanding of slavery’s profound and lasting effects.
Fort Monroe Authority CEO Scott Martin spoke at the dedication event on April 24th, emphasizing the importance of storytelling: “It’s often said that you need story more than food to survive… The descendants are with us today, the story is with us today… and when you sit out here at sunrise or sunset, you watch the land speak to you.”
A $9 Million Project Rooted in History
The African Landing Memorial Plaza, inspired by the Sankofa symbol—representing the philosophy of learning from the past to build a successful future—cost $9 million to construct. This pedestrian-only plaza incorporates design elements that reflect its historical significance. Wanda Tucker, who traces her lineage to Isabella and Antony, among the first documented enslaved Africans in Virginia, shared her deep emotional connection to the site.
“Very rarely am I speechless, but this one feels so deep,” Tucker said. “There’s a history here as to how Angolans first arrived and all the 400-plus years of history, construction of American history, that we have brought since the beginning. I don’t want that history to be missed in any way.”
Commitment to Preservation and Education
Governor Abigail Spanberger pledged the Commonwealth of Virginia’s commitment to protecting and stewarding the memorial. “The Commonwealth of Virginia will protect and steward this memorial, and we will make sure it is here for the generations who will stand on this ground and learn its stories,” she stated. “It is up to us, all of us, to tell these stories with the honesty and grace they deserve.”
The dedication is just the beginning. Plans are in motion for the installation of statues later this summer, along with other features that will further enrich the visitor experience. Fort Monroe Authority Executive Director Scott Martin described the memorial as “almost like a book of essays with this memorial, much like the African experience in America over 400 years.”
What does this memorial mean to you? How important is it to acknowledge and learn from difficult historical events? Share your thoughts in the comments below!