The Judy Project
Seeking Justice through The Judy Project
The Judy Project at Richmond Hill is a justice initiative centered on history and healing based within Richmond Hill, a faith-based nonprofit and urban retreat center in the city of Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood. It focuses on uncovering, preserving, and interpreting the largely lost histories of people who were enslaved on the land where Richmond Hill now stands. The initiative honors Judy, a Black woman who was enslaved there between 1860 and 1865. She is one of many women, children, and men who were connected to this property through enslavement between 1760 and 1865.
What the Project Is
- Historical Excavation & Preservation: The initiative began following historical research conducted by Pam Smith in 2019. Archaeological work identified a small remnant structure on the Richmond Hill campus as the living quarters of formerly enslaved people rather than a garden shed. This discovery led to plans to stabilize and rehabilitate the dwelling and transform it into an educational center and gathering space for visitors.
- History, Heritage, and Truth-Telling: The Judy project includes exhibitions, pilgrimages and classes that unearth African American history connected to this site and beyond, seeking to include the lived experiences of those previously omitted from traditional narratives.
- Ancestor and Descendant Engagement: A key aim is engagement with descendant communities throughout the diaspora to share in the process of shaping how history is told and honored. Educational Programming: Beyond preservation, the project plans tours, pilgrimages, and educational programming that address how urban enslavement shaped the broader Richmond community and how history continues to shape contemporary society.
Connection to Social Justice
The Judy Project is deeply tied to social justice through:
- Truth-telling and Healing: We recognize the necessary step of acknowledging our intertwined and painful past as a necessary step in racial healing and justice. By confronting the history of slavery on the Richmond Hill property, the Judy project illuminates truths long overlooked about how wealth, land, and community institutions were built on enslaved labor. Narrative Change: The Judy Project unearths historical narratives, centering the lives of people like Judy at the heart of the narrative. This reframing of history is a critical component for cultural justice.
- Education and Equity: By offering educational programming and community engagement, the Judy Project activates people to grapple with the ongoing legacies of systemic racism. Our programming encourages a contemplative re-thinking of history, and promotes intentional dialogues about race, systemic inequities, and equitable action as key components of transformational engagement with our past and present.
In essence, the Judy Project enters justice work through history, memory, and place-based education to explore how past injustices continue to shape the present and to create space for dialogue, learning, and healing in pursuit of a more just community.