Virginia Union University’s first listed item on its “Core Values at Union” page is “Innovation.”   “Spiritual Formation” follows. Demolishing an historic Black structure committed to community learning and healing seems puzzling considering these expressed values. Given the brilliant minds cultivated by the university throughout its lifespan, the move to destroy the former Richmond Community Hospital site demonstrates a lack of creativity and a dishonor to our ancestral legacy. Possibilities abound when considering ways to integrate the facility into residence hall planning.

Furthermore, when observing preservation of Black historic sites in the Richmond area, a struggle narrative emerges. For various reasons, ranging from racial injustices to intra-communal neglect and mismanagement, hardship marks the legacy of local, Black historic preservation.

Now that an opportunity arises to safeguard a monument to a way Black people united for community uplift, the choice becomes to tear it down, leaving only a marker in its place.

The same flippant, domineering mentality has undergirded the historic injustices imposed by eminent domain. Consider the consequences: When we within the Black community undervalue our own legacy, we lose grounds for demanding that others pay homage. Let it be known that not all within the Black community support this destructive act. Let it be further known that this piece of Black history belongs also to Richmond and Virginia’s histories, which renders the preservation task a civic duty.

REV. JABRIEL M. HASAN

Sandston