Richmond Slave Trail markers finally unveiled along historic path

After nearly 10 years of work and planning, the City of Richmond and the Slave Trail Commission has finally unveiled markers for the Richmond Slave Trail.  Seventeen markers along the path were unveiled Sunday and display information on the history of slavery in Richmond. 

Richmond Slave Trail Emancipation Celebration Sunday

The ceremony to unveil markers along the Richmond Slave Trail was postponed from last weekend to this weekend, due to VCU’s appearance in the NCAA Final Four and that all the city dignitaries were in Houston for the game. Despite the prostests from the activist group Defenders for Freedom Justice & Equality and a bit of complaining from the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Michael Paul Williams, the ceremony will happen Sunday. From the Friends of James River Park:

Slave Trail ceremony postponed a week, despite group’s protest

The ceremony to unveil markers along the Richmond Slave Trail has been postponed a week due to VCU’s appearance in the NCAA Final Four (true), but when I saw the rest of this in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, I thought it was an April Fools’ Day joke:

Last weekend for guided tours of heron rookery, Richmond Slave Trail

If you’ve been holding out until warm weather and spring bursting out all over, this is your last chance for the guided tours to the Pipeline Rapids great blue heron rookery and the Richmond Slave Trail. Get out there and enjoy the scenery and the knowledge passed on from James River Park manager and naturalist Ralph White.

Signage coming this month to complete Richmond Slave Trail

Credit: NBC12.com

The Richmond Slave Trail Commission has been working hard to create and develop the 2.5 mile path retracing the steps taken by so many slaves during Richmond’s infamous time as a hub for slave trade. The idea of the trail began in the late 1990s and should finally be complete next month. See the report from NBC12′s Yvette Yeon:

You’ll soon see a whole lot of new trail markers and signage put up around Richmond’s Shockoe Slip. After two years, the Richmond Slave Trail is now complete. The trail starts at Ancarrow’s Landing just south of Shockoe Slip and the James River.

By April 3, all 17 markers should be in place.  Each one, illustrating what slaves went through at that particular spot, with pictures and explanations — something you can’t even see in the history books.