For Immediate Release
August 27, 2009
Media Contact:
Melissa Wood (703) 799-5203
mwood@mountvernon.org
MOUNT VERNON, Va. – Historic Mount Vernon joins Black Women United for Action in remembering the slaves who lived at Mount Vernon with a program and wreathlaying ceremony at the Slave Memorial on Saturday, September 26 at 11:00 a.m. This public event features dramatic readings, performances, and uplifting music in recognition of the slaves’ sacrifices and contributions to the early formation of this nation. Visitors are invited to place a boxwood sprig on the Slave Memorial’s stone steps emblazoned with “Faith, Hope, Love.” This event is included in regular Estate admission: adults, $15.00; children ages 6-11, $7.00; and children under 5 are admitted free. Go to Visit.MountVernon.org for more information. For more information on Black Women United for Action, please visit BWUFA.org. Admission is free for Black Women United for Action members and their guests.
The Slave Memorial at Mount Vernon was designed by students attending the architectural school at Howard University. It was dedicated and opened to the public on September 21, 1983. A gray, truncated, granite column which represents “life unfinished” is the center of three concentric brick circles. The three steps leading up to the column are inscribed, respectively, “Faith,” “Hope” and “Love” – the virtues that sustained those living in bondage.
The memorial marks the site where both slaves and “free blacks” were buried in the 18th and 19th centuries, usually without identifying markers. Among those thought to be buried at the site are William Lee, George Washington’s personal servant during the Revolutionary War, and West Ford, who worked as a manager for the Washington family after the General’s death in 1799. Both Lee and Ford were “free blacks” at the time of their deaths.
When he was 11, Washington inherited 10 slaves from his father, and eventually owned as many as 316 during Mount Vernon’s peak of activity. Over a period of several years, Washington actually changed his mind about slavery, declaring in 1786 that he hoped a plan would be adopted by which “slavery in this country may be abolished by slow, sure and imperceptible degrees.” When Washington died in 1799, his will stated that all slaves under his ownership were to be freed. Of the 123 slaves that were freed after his death, a number of them were provided for while staying on the plantation.
Today, Mount Vernon interprets slavery through daily tours (April through October); first person characters; a reconstructed Slave Cabin (opened September 2007); Slave Quarters; and during special events and programs throughout the year.
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Events, programs, and activities are subject to change.
Public Information: 703-780-2000; 703-799-8697 (TDD); MountVernon.org
About BWUFA
Black Women United for Action (BWUFA) is a diverse, volunteer, non-profit community service organization whose mission is to advocate the concerns of women and improve the lives of impoverished, vulnerable families through a self-sufficiency/empowerment approach. By utilizing combined talents, BWUFA seeks to provide a variety of community programs and support services, through a grassroots “hands-on” method, to create positive change. BWUFA has co-hosted a tribute at the Slave Memorial since 1990.
About Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens
Since 1860, over 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America. Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.
Hours of operation: April-August, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March, September, October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November – February, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular admission rates: adults, $15.00; senior citizens, $14.00; children age 6-11, when accompanied by an adult, $7.00; and children under age 5, FREE. Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, along with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon.
