View source for Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at The University of Virginia

[[File:Plan for the Enslaved Laborers Memorial at The University of Virginia .jpg|thumb|The proposed plan of the Memorial. [https://www.virginia.edu/slaverymemorial/images/UVA_02_Final.jpg]]]
The '''Memorial to Enslaved Laborers''' '''at [[University of Virginia|The University of Virginia]]''' is being established to remember the contributions that an estimated 5,000 enslaved African Americans made to the [[University of Virginia|University]] during its construction in the 1800's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slavery.virginia.edu/memorial-for-enslaved-laborers/|title=Memorial to Enslaved Laborers|last=|first=|publishdate=|publisher=President's Commission on Slavery and the University|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=March 25, 2019}}</ref> The Memorial will be located near the anthropology building on [[The Corner]], within the "Triangle of Grass," on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.virginia.edu/slaverymemorial/design.html|title=Design - Memorial to Enslaved Laborers|last=|first=|publishdate=|publisher=University of Virginia|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=March 25, 2019}}</ref> The [[University of Virginia|University]] depended on the work of enslaved laborers to build many landmarks and buildings such as the notable [[Rotunda]].

The memorial will feature the names of 973 people known as enslaved laborers, as well as placeholders for more than 4,000 people who have yet to be identified. <ref>{{cite web|title=The Future of Grounds in Eight Projects|url=https://illimitable.virginia.edu/construction-on-grounds/|author=Caroline Newman|work=News Article|publisher=UVA Today|location=|publishdate=November 22, 2019|accessdate=November 23, 2019}}</ref> 

== Formation ==
The idea for a memorial was proposed by a student-led group from the [[University of Virginia|University]] in 2010. In the fall of 2016, the [[University of Virginia|University]] selected and hired '''Howeler+Yoon''' to be the design consultant along with Dr. Mabel O. Wilson (Studio&), Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect, and Dr. Frank Dukes. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.virginia.edu/slaverymemorial/design.html|title=Design - Memorial to Enslaved Laborers|last=|first=|publishdate=|publisher=University of Virginia|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=March 25, 2019}}</ref> The Charlottesville community was consulted for ideas and input for the '''Memorial''' and the idea for a granite ring with names inscribed was selected.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slavery.virginia.edu/memorial-for-enslaved-laborers/|title=Memorial to Enslaved Laborers|last=|first=|publishdate=|publisher=President's Commission on Slavery and the University|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=March 25, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, the [[Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia|Board of Visitors]] approved the design and fundraised. 

== Construction ==
Construction for the '''Memorial''' is currently underway and and hopes to be completed in the spring of 2019. There is a live webcam of ongoing construction featured on the Memorial's website [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71PbQhoTXWk here.]
[[File:8170372539 8c9db1c210 o.jpg|thumb|189x189px|Serpentine walls located near the [[Rotunda]] that were built by enslaved laborers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tclf.org/landscapes/pavilion-gardens-university-virginia|title=Pavilion Gardens - University of Virginia|last=|first=|publishdate=|publisher=The Cultural Landscape Foundation|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=March 25, 2019}}</ref>]]

== Significance ==
The significance of the '''Memorial''' is that it acknowledges the key role enslaved laborers had in constructing the [[University of Virginia|University]]. Despite the difficult past of the [[University of Virginia|University]] and the role of race, the Memorial beckons remembrance and understanding of the endless contributions laborers gave to the [[University of Virginia|University]]. The work of the enslaved laborers began with the construction of [[the Lawn]] in 1817 and concluded with the end of the [[Civil War]] in 1865. The enslaved laborers were responsible for "clearing land, molding and firing bricks, transporting quarried stone, fetching water, stacking wood, scrubbing fireplaces and windows, and completing daily chores for UVA students and professors."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slavery.virginia.edu/memorial-for-enslaved-laborers/|title=Memorial to Enslaved Laborers|last=|first=|publishdate=|publisher=President's Commission on Slavery and the University|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=March 25, 2019}}</ref>

== References ==
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