08/22/2026
Before they were enslaved, they were free human beings.
They had names, families, languages, cultures, histories, gifts, and dreams. In August 1619, captured Africans were brought to Virginia and subjected to a system that would grow into generations of racialized chattel slavery.
We must tell the truth about what was done to our ancestors without allowing what was done to them to define the fullness of who they were.
Dehumanization requires us to stop seeing people as people. That is why remembering this history matters now. When we deny the humanity of any group, when we reduce people to categories, commodities, threats, or problems to be controlled, we move further away from justice.
Let truth strengthen our commitment to create the Beloved Community, where every person’s dignity is recognized, protected, and affirmed.
#1619
