Video of the Public Summit - Memory, Mourning, Mobilization: Legacies of Slavery and Freedom in America

On Saturday, September 17, Monticello, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Virginia, hosted a public race summit for thousands on the West Lawn of Jefferson’s famous home.

Memory, Mourning, Mobilization: Legacies of Slavery and Freedom in America featured leading academics like Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Annette Gordon-Reed, artists like Nikki Giovanni, activists like Bree Newsome, descendants of Monticello’s enslaved families and community members who joined us in a discussion about learning from the past and grappling with issues that face us today.

Opening Performance by Union Run Baptist Church Choir

Opening Commentary - Reflections on the history of slavery at Monticello

Part I: Historical Perspective from the Founders to Civil Rights

Interlude - Welcome and Performances

Part II: A More Perfect Union - The Modern-Day Struggle For Racial Equality

Closing Commentary and Final Voice