Liberation and Freedom Day facts for kids
Liberation and Freedom Day is a special holiday celebrated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It happens every year on March 3. This day remembers when Union Army soldiers arrived in Charlottesville during the American Civil War on March 3, 1865. Their arrival helped free over 14,000 enslaved people in the area.
A New Holiday for Charlottesville
On July 1, 2019, the City Council of Charlottesville voted to create Liberation and Freedom Day. A city council is a group of elected people who make decisions for a city. They decided that March 3 would be a new official holiday for the city.
This new holiday replaced an older one. Before, Charlottesville celebrated the birthday of Thomas Jefferson on April 13. Thomas Jefferson was a very important person in American history and founded the University of Virginia. However, he also owned enslaved people. Because of this, the City Council voted to stop celebrating his birthday as a city holiday.
Honoring Enslaved Laborers
The University of Virginia is a famous school in Charlottesville. Many enslaved people were forced to build and maintain the university long ago. On March 3, 2019, a special ceremony was held at the University Rotunda to honor these enslaved workers.
The University of Virginia has also built a special place called the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers. This memorial remembers the important work and contributions of the enslaved people who helped create and keep the university running. A group was formed in 2013 to study the history of slavery at the university. They suggested building this memorial.
Who Celebrates Liberation and Freedom Day?
Many different groups and organizations join together to celebrate Liberation and Freedom Day. They work to remember the history and importance of this day. Some of the groups that have been part of the March 3 commemoration include:
- Albemarle County Office of Equity and Inclusion
- Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia
- Charlottesville City Council
- Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
- Memorial to Enslaved Laborers Community Engagement Committee
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at the University of Virginia
- Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello
- United Ministries of the University of Virginia
- Alumni Board of Trustees of the University of Virginia
- Virginia Humanities
