The Contrabands and Freedmen's Cemetery Memorial, now in the design process, will be a sacred site honoring the more than 1,800 people of African descent who were buried in the cemetery during and immediately following the Civil War.
The dignity, perseverance, and courage of Alexandria's freed men, women, and children will be memorialized through reclamation of the forgotten site, thereby protecting hundreds of graves documented through archaeological investigation which have survived. The Contrabands and Freedmen's Cemetery Memorial will offer opportunities for reflection, commemoration, education, and the search for cultural identity, while educating visitors about the courageous struggles of the thousands of contrabands and freedmen who sought refuge in Alexandria, as well as the heroic role that the U.S. Colored Troops played in the Civil War.
The Memorial will protect the cemetery and stand as a reminder to generations that the struggle for freedom and the people who fought for it cannot, and will not, be forgotten again.
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Last Updated: 07/27/2011
