HAMPTON, Va. — June 19, 1865 marks the day the last enslaved Black people learned they were emancipated from the Confederacy.
Now a national holiday, Juneteenth offers a moment to celebrate freedom and reflect on the beginning of America’s horrific history of enslaving Black people— a history that began in modern day Hampton in 1619.
“It’s emotional. It’s powerful. It rises up in me,” said Wanda Tucker, a descendant of the first Africans to arrive in English North America in 1619 at Point Comfort, which is now Fort Monroe in Hampton. “Knowing where I’ve come from is a gift, because so many African Americans cannot connect their lineage.”
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During a conversation at Fort Monroe ahead of Juneteenth, Tucker told me that the oral history in her family passed down for over 400 years reveals they are descendants of Antony and Isabella, two of the nearly 20 enslaved Africans who arrived on the White Lion privateer ship at Point Comfort in 1619. The Africans were kidnapped from their homeland in the African country in Angola by European slave traders. When they arrived at Point Comfort, they were sold to enslavers in the Virginia colony.
“We grew up knowing [our history] because the elders passed those stories along for all of those centuries to not forget,” said an emotional Tucker. “[My ancestors] were human beings!”
Historic records reveal Antony and Isabella were sold to Captain William Tucker, the commander of Point Comfort. According to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Antony and Isabella gave birth to a baby boy named William, after their enslaver, in 1624.
“That baby William represents a future and a hope,” said Tucker. “400 plus years later, we’re still here!”
Tucker and her family have partnered with the Fort Monroe Authority and the Fort Monroe National Monument to offer input and perspective on the development of the future African Landing Memorial. The $9 million project breaks ground on August 22, and will take an estimated five years to complete.
Glenn Oder, the executive director of the Fort Monroe Authority, said “I keep telling people this is like having the Statue of Liberty at the end of Mercury Boulevard! It’s like having the Grand Canyon on the other side of Phoebus!”
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Oder said the memorial will feature several sculptures from artist Brian Owens, including a depiction of Antony, Isabella and baby William.
“Despite all of the tragedy that they had in their lives, the idea that they’re holding a baby [signifies] hope,” said an emotional Oder. “What else signifies hope in the midst of tragedy than a new life?”
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Oder said the memorial will also include a relief wall that honors the rich history, knowledge and skills of the Africans that were ripped from their homeland, only to be exploited for the benefit of what would become America.
“Tell the truth, no matter where it goes,” said Oder. “What if that truth could change the way we interact with people because we have a better foundation of our history?”
Oder said the memorial project will unfold in phases, with completion expected in 2029. In the meantime, there is a symbolic line of sand at the memorial site that points to Angola.
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“You can stand here, you can look across the Chesapeake Bay, across Virginia Beach, across the Atlantic Ocean, the equator, directly to Africa,” said Oder. “It’s a chilling moment. It’s become the touchstone of the memorial plaza.”
Tucker agreed with Oder about the significance of the line— and the significance of the memorial coming to Fort Monroe.
“[This land] represents a beginning, but a beginning of tragedy. A beginning of great losses and trauma,” said Tucker. “It also represents the resilience of a people. The hope. The future. Their perseverance in the midst of all of the trauma and horror they had to experience.”
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The groundbreaking ceremony for the African Landing Memorial is set for Thursday, August 22, from 10am until noon at Fort Monroe just across from the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse on Fenwick Road.
The following day, on August 23, the William Tucker Society will commemorate 405 years of African/Angolan present in America at the Hampton Roads Convention Center from 11am until 12:30pm. The Minister of Culture and Tourism for the Republic of Angola, H. E. Filipe Silvino de Pina Zau, will be the keynote speaker.
On Saturday, August 24, the Fort Monroe Authority will host the Commemoration of the First Enslaved African Landing in Virginia at Point Comfort from 10am to 4pm. The event, set to be held at the Continental Park at Fort Monroe, promised to have musical performances, African drumming and dancing presentation, food trucks and vendors.
