At the time of the Civil War, 53.3 percent, some 14,000 residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County were enslaved, an historical fact which remained little known until the 2016 work of the city’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces (BRC).
At the BRC’s recommendation, in 2017 the Charlottesville City Council proclaimed March 3 to be Liberation and Freedom Day.
The celebration commemorates the March 3-6, 1865, arrival of Union cavalry in the area, when town and university officials surrendered at the current site of the UVA Chapel, and thousands of enslaved residents took the opportunity to escape and follow U.S. troops as they continued their advance toward Petersburg, Virginia.
March 4, 2023 JSAAHC and Prolyfyk Run Crew will sponsor a Reparations Run. The route, totaling just over 8 miles, will highlight Black historical sights; markers important in Charlottesville’s Black History. Money raised will benefit Black led organizations.
To participate in the run visit runsignup
