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Virginia Commonwealth University has committed $3.6 million to create a memorial honoring dozens of individuals, primarily of African descent, whose remains were stolen from graves, used for medical dissections, and discarded in a well during the 19th century.
The university’s board of visitors approved funding for the East Marshall Street Well Project last Friday, with construction of the memorial and burial site scheduled to begin in summer 2027. The initiative aims to address historical injustices committed more than a century ago.
“Years ago, VCU initiated this journey because we recognized a profound obligation to restore the human dignity of the people who were not afforded respect in their physical existence,” said VCU President Michael Rao in a statement published on the university’s website.
The planned circular memorial will feature a “unity chamber” inspired by Toguna structures from West Africa’s Dogon culture. Stephen Davenport, assistant vice president for social and economic development at VCU’s Division of Community Engagement, explained that the design “is intended to encourage humility and thoughtful discussion by purposefully having a low roof to facilitate seated reflection.”
The remains were discovered in 1994 when construction workers uncovered a brick-lined well containing human bones during the building of the Kontos Medical Sciences Building on VCU’s medical center campus. Researchers examining the site found not only bones but also hair, skin, leather shoe fragments, and glass bottles.
Based on archival records from the Medical College of Virginia, researchers believe the remains were disposed of in the well between the 1840s and 1860s. “A preliminary anthropological analysis of the recovered human remains showed some postmortem signs of dissection and amputation consistent with anatomical training and surgical procedure practice,” noted VCU researchers in a paper published this year.
The researchers further explained, “The constant demand for cadavers led to routine grave robbing practices, mainly targeting African American burial grounds, to supply the medical school.”
After the 1994 discovery, archaeologists were given limited time to examine the burial site before construction resumed. The remains were extracted using backhoes and transferred to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Initial assessments suggested at least 44 adults and nine children had been recovered from the well.
Interest in the remains was rekindled in 2011 following the release of a film by a VCU professor and a separate report by two forensic anthropologists. DNA analysis results released in February 2024 identified at least 43 distinct adults and three juveniles of “predominantly African heritage,” most likely originating from Central-West Africa. Some remains also showed evidence of European ancestry.
The skeletal analysis “provided insight into the heavy labor endured by these individuals during their lives and the disregard for their bodies after death,” according to the study.
This case represents part of a broader historical pattern in which bodies of people of African descent were used for medical research in Europe and the United States without proper consent. The practice spans centuries and reflects deeply embedded systemic racism within medical institutions.
Earlier this year, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a burial ceremony for the remains of 19 Black Philadelphians that the institution had kept for research, including studies once used to promote racist theories and white supremacy. The university also discovered it possessed bones of individuals who died in a 1985 police bombing of a Black liberation group’s headquarters in Philadelphia, despite city officials having assured victims’ families that all remains had been returned.
VCU’s memorial project represents an attempt to acknowledge these historical wrongs and restore dignity to those whose bodies were exploited in death. The multi-million dollar commitment signifies the growing recognition among academic institutions of their responsibility to address painful legacies of scientific racism and exploitation.
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8 Comments
This is a heavy and complex issue, but VCU deserves credit for taking proactive steps to address it. Commemorating the lives and dignity of those whose remains were misused is an important act of atonement.
This is a somber but important initiative by VCU to acknowledge and memorialize the historical injustices committed against those individuals. A thoughtful design that encourages reflection and discussion seems fitting.
Honoring the dignity of those whose remains were mistreated is the right thing to do, even if it happened long ago. Glad to see VCU taking responsibility and making amends.
It’s encouraging to see universities like VCU taking steps to confront and atone for their troubling pasts. A memorial site can help raise awareness and promote healing around these historical wrongs.
Designing the memorial to be reflective and humble, rather than ostentatious, seems like a thoughtful approach. Hopefully it will foster meaningful dialogue about this painful chapter.
While it’s tragic that these individuals’ remains were so disrespectfully treated, I’m glad VCU is making an effort to properly honor their memory and give them the dignity they were denied. This type of reckoning with the past is crucial.
Creating a memorial to acknowledge and memorialize historical injustices is an important way for institutions to take responsibility. I hope the East Marshall Street Well Project at VCU can serve as a model for other universities confronting similar pasts.
The circular ‘unity chamber’ design sounds like an intriguing way to foster thoughtful discussion and reflection. It’s good to see VCU putting careful consideration into the memorial’s conceptual approach.