Ceremony April 3 to mark anniversary of Richmond Liberation Day
3/31/2022, 6 p.m.
A public ceremony at 8 a.m. Sunday, April 3, will mark the 157th anniversary of the Union liberation of Richmond from slavery-defending Confederates near the end of the Civil War, it has been announced.
The ceremony is to be held at the intersection of East Main and Nicholson streets. This is the location where Union soldiers, led by Black units, first entered the city on April 3,1865, ending Richmond’s role as the capital of the southern rebellion to keep Black people in bondage.
According to organizers, federal troops “tore open the slave jails and held a mass rally on Broad Street” in restoring freedom to the city. The U.S. infantry and calvary units also fought the destructive fires that the Confederates set as they left the city.
Two groups are hosting the event, the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality and the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project.
The Liberation Day Celebration was once an annual event in Richmond, representatives of the two groups noted.
Details: (804) 644-5834 or DefendersFJE@hotmail.com.
Details about additional events taking place on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, are available at www.cwedrva.com/programs.
