represented the culmination of more than 10 years of
work to uncover and understand the role of slavery in the life of the college.
By Aila Boyd, aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Years of research and collaboration culminated last week in the dedication of a memorial sculpture that recognizes and honors the role of enslaved laborers at Roanoke College. The college held a campus ceremony on April 4 to formally unveil the piece.
Roanoke College celebrated a momentous addition to campus at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4, when it hosted a dedication ceremony for “Authors and Architects,” a memorial sculpture that honors the role of enslaved people in the college’s history. The sculpture, selected in partnership with Creative Time and designed by Richmond artist Sandy Williams IV, marked a significant milestone in the college’s extensive inquiry into the history of slavery at Roanoke and the contributions of enslaved people to the development of the college and surrounding area.
The installation and dedication of the memorial represented the culmination of more than 10 years of work to uncover and understand the role of slavery in the life of the college. The unveiling coincided with the release of a comprehensive report on the history of enslavement at Roanoke. This work included membership in the Universities Studying Slavery organization; the establishment of the Center for Studying Structures of Race (CSSR); the dedication of the Administration Building; the creation of a campus walking tour; memorial planning; and in-depth research led by CSSR Director, College Historian and Professor Jesse Bucher and his students.
“The ‘Authors and Architects’ memorial on our campus is a meaningful tribute and a powerful reminder of the 829 enslaved individuals who, at great sacrifice, helped create what Roanoke College is today,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. at the ceremony. “We take time to acknowledge that all community members, past, present and future, will have benefitted from their lives.”
The ceremony took place at the memorial site at 226 Maxey Way, across from Roselawn. The large bronze sculpture, installed in the days leading up to the ceremony, is composed of hundreds of stacked books, many embossed with the names of enslaved people connected to the school’s history. These names were uncovered during hours of research by 15 Roanoke College students as part of the Genealogy of Slavery (GOS) project, which began in 2019. In 2020, the college established the CSSR.
The books forming the cube-shaped sculpture were cast from 3D-scanned replicas of the college’s original library and record books. The sculpture offers a permanent physical presence dedicated to the memory of enslaved laborers. It also serves as a reminder of the freedom and education denied to them and underscores their critical role in the establishment and success of the Roanoke community.
The History of Enslavement Report, written by Bucher to summarize the work of the GOS project, was produced in response to a formal request from the Roanoke College Board of Trustees. The report draws from official records and documents how Roanoke College directly benefitted—and even grew stronger—as a result of the widespread practice of enslavement.
“Enslaved artisans, skilled craftspeople, and laborers built the college’s original buildings,” the report reads. “Founders of the college, especially members of the Board of Trustees and faculty, owned and enslaved human beings. These enslavers frequently invested wealth produced by enslaved people into the college. The foundational gifts that subsidized the college’s finances and construction projects came from individuals who accumulated and derived significant surplus wealth by owning enslaved people.”
Midway through the GOS project, researchers decided to record information about every named enslaved person found in the sources. That data formed the basis for the Genealogy of Slavery Database, a website that preserves and shares as much information as possible about the people who surfaced in the research. Because much of this data was lost to history or hidden in local archives, the database stands as a valuable resource for researchers interested in family and local history.
“We recognize our student researchers, College Historian and Professor Jesse Bucher, and other faculty members for their meticulous research that made the History of Enslavement Report possible,” said Roanoke College Board Chair Malon Courts ’92. “Roanoke College remains dedicated to exploring our history with care and integrity as we move forward. This work strengthens our community and ensures that the contributions of all those who shaped our institution—named and unnamed—are remembered and respected.”
Roanoke College partnered with Creative Time, a New York-based public arts nonprofit, to identify an artist for the memorial and engage both the campus community and the public throughout the development process. With Creative Time’s guidance, Roanoke’s Community Vision Committee—a group of faculty, staff, students and community members—reviewed artist proposals before selecting Williams’ concept. Williams, an assistant professor of art at the University of Richmond, visited the college multiple times, including as its 2024 Emancipation Week guest speaker. His work was also featured in an exhibition at Olin Hall Galleries last year.
Creative Time’s collaboration with the college also resulted in a capstone course that connected students with leading artists and architects to explore the intersection of memorials, monuments and memory. The partnership also included a lecture series tied to the mission of the CSSR and the creation of a community survey. To realize the final memorial, Creative Time worked closely with two dozen artists to develop and refine proposals. From a shortlist, a jury of college stakeholders, local residents and art-world representatives selected Williams’ sculpture.
“My hope is that this experience at the memorial will help humanize the legacy of people who were enslaved in ways that are currently absent from official records and histories,” Williams said.
