HAMPTON, Va. - Outlook Beach at Fort Monroe hosted a remembrance ceremony on Saturday, honoring the African slaves who died while crossing the Middle Passage.
The Middle Passage was a key part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade that saw millions of African slaves transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the English colonies and continued after the founding of the United States. African slaves first arrived at Fort Monroe in 1619.
Watch related coverage: Old Dominion University, EVMS merge to create Virginia's largest academic health science center
The Sankofa Projects hosted the 13th annual International Day of Remembrance with a program at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
At this year’s ceremony, the organization launched the Souls for the Ancestors Community Art and Donation Project (SACAD). Organizers asked attendees to bring new or gently worn adult and children’s shoes to the ceremony.
Some of the shoes were used for the art project and others were donated to Soles 4 Souls, organizers said.
