VCU’s reparations project a year after its introduction

Molly Manning, Contributing Writer Project Gabriel: President’s Special Commission on Slavery and Justice released by VCU in September 2023 is an effort to “report, reconcile and heal the wounds caused by VCU’s historic ties to the institution of slavery,” according to its website. The first commission meeting was held on Jan. 26, 2023 to discuss implementation, according to Project Gabriel, and a recent discussion on Oct. 22 allowed experts and community members to share their thoughts. The commission bears the name of an enslaved blacksmith in Henrico who crafted a plan for a rebellion in August of 1800, according to PBS. VCU also renamed its African American Studies building in his honor in 2022, according to VCU. The October public panel discussion featured chair of the African American studies department Shawn Utsey as well as Sesha Joi Moon, executive director of the JXN Project and former Richmond City Council member Chuck Richardson, according to VCU News. The discussion provided a space for these individuals to share their thoughts about addressing historical racial injustice and the initiatives being taken now throughout the community to not only provide monetary reparations but also the healing and moral reparation necessary to move forward, according...