Enslaved Voices & the American Dream: What Did They Fight For?

The ideals promised in the Declaration of Independence—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—were not extended to all people at the time of their writing. Though enslaved people throughout the country were denied basic rights before and after the creation of the nation, this did not stop them from consistently working toward their own freedom and the freedom of their families. In this panel, hear from representatives of three local descendant organizations on what the “American Dream” meant to enslaved people in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. With a moderated discussion by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, Descendant Project Researcher at the Gibbons Project, this panel will feature Helice Henderson Jones (DEC-VA), Jennifer Saylor Stacy (Highland Council of Descendant Advisors), and Ty’Leik Chambers (Monticello’s Getting Word Project) as they discuss what motivated enslaved people to continue their fights for freedom.

A special thank you to James Monroe’s Highland for partnering on this program!