Pamela Bingham, a direct descendant of a Richmond former slave-turned-military leader, Gabriel, asked the elders of the crowd for permission to perform a libation at the Shockoe Hill African Burial Ground during the 22nd Annual Gabriel Gathering on last Thursday evening.

She expressed the libation ritual as the water trickled down onto what is the burial ground for hundreds of enslaved and freed African Americans.

“Agoon tutu, may the ancestors be refreshed,” Bingham recited. “Ancestors, we salute you today. We give you honor for the sacrifices you gave to us.”

The burial site was known as “Burial Ground for Negroes” in 1799 when the city acquired it on land that is now the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood. However, free Black Richmonders protested the site due to it being the location of one of the local gallows, as well as frequent flooding.

In 1816, the city closed the burial site and opened the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground about a mile away.

One of those believed to be within the burial site is Gabriel, who is honored every year by local activists and community members. Bingham recited her ancestor’s story as Gabriel was believed to be born on July 4, 1776 – the signage of the Declaration of Independence – to Stephen and Jenny, at Thomas Prosser’s Brookfield Plantation in Henrico. Though teaching an enslaved person to read and write was illegal, Gabriel learned from Mr. Prosser’s wife, Ann Prosser, and eventually became a blacksmith. A literate and skilled laborer, he was enlightened by themes of liberty and the story of the Haitian revolutionary, Toussaint Louverture. Eventually, he would meet with other enslaved persons to plan a rebellion.

The rebellion – known as the Gabriel Conspiracy of 1800 – would fail and after eluding authorities for 23 days, Gabriel was captured and executed. He was believed to have been hung at a gallow located at Canal Street and 1st Street.

The annual gathering also marked a celebratory recognition of Richmond’s Black history during the modern era. The burial ground had its historical marker, which was issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 

While the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground has been around for a hundred years, its significance was often disregarded. Throughout the 1950s and 1970s, the plot of land was covered by Interstate 95 and parking lots. In the early 2000s, Virginia Commonwealth University planned to purchase the land to expand its school parking.

However, community activists protested to reclaim and honor the land, which would eventually become known as the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground.

“This was a community struggle that involved marches and rallies and press conferences and packing City Councils one time as many as 500 people,” said Phil Wilayto, editor of the Virginia Defender, during his remarks. “The city takes note of that the community is still engaged, still concerned and still fighting for the proper reclamation and memorialization of Shockoe Bottom.”