Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

The people once enslaved by George Mason are now being honored on the university's campus

The Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial recognizes that the school's founder enslaved more than 100 people.

A statue at George Mason University that students are known to rub for good luck and take graduation photos with is now surrounded by a new memorial that honors the people the school's namesake enslaved.

George Mason University unveiled the memorial this week as part of the institution's attempt to reckon with the complicated legacy of George Mason IV.

Mason, a prominent figure in Virginia's history, is well known for crafting the state's Declaration of Rights, which later influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights. He also enslaved more than 100 people, many of whom were children, at Gunston Hall Plantation.

But the fact was not widely known by many students until 2017, when a group of undergraduates and faculty members began researching the everyday lives of enslaved people who lived and worked at his home, said George D. Oberle III, director of the Center for Mason Legacies.

While some historians had believed Mason was against slavery because he advocated against the trans-Atlantic slave trade, documents like Mason's will show he did not free any of the people he enslaved upon his death.


ENSLAVED LABOR BUILT THESE UNIVERSITIES:Now they are starting to repay the debt

After completing the project, students wanted to memorialize the people they'd studied, so they worked with architects to design a memorial over the course of two years. On Monday, it was dedicated during a celebration of the schools' 50th anniversary.

At nearly 300 feet, the memorial has two panels: one features Penny, an enslaved girl Mason gave to his daughter, and 81 names of other people who were enslaved by Mason. The other panel depicts James, described as Mason's "personal assistant."

The memorial is built around a decades-old statue of Mason that is part of many campus traditions, said Wendi Manuel-Scott, a professor of integrative studies and history.

She said one of the first things the group told administrators is that they did not want to remove the Mason statute but rather add context to it.

They added four quotes to the base of a statue of Mason to highlight four aspects of his life: a legal scholar, a father, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and an enslaver.

Manuel-Scott said they also added a bronze replica of a brick found at Gunston Hall, which archaeologists believe contain an imprint from the hands of an enslaved person.

"That was incredibly symbolic, a way of honoring and critically caring for and making known the labor and the contribution of enslaved people to the wealth of George Mason," she said. "And perhaps even calling us to consider the contribution of enslaved people to the foundations of America."

Oberle said he was "blown away" when the memorial was unveiled this week.

"I was overwhelmed," he said. "It's still hard for me to believe that it's there and that we have tried to reclaim the voice of these long forgotten people."

The memorial is the centerpiece of the recently renovated Wilkins Plaza, which is named after Dr. Roger Wilkins, a Black civil rights leader, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Mason professor. The site includes a fountain featuring a quote from Wilkins lined with stones in a circular pattern that Manuel-Scott said symbolizes a collection of shells and stones found at Gunston Hall that is believed to have cultural and spiritual meaning.


RACIAL RECKONING ON CAMPUS:Predominantly white colleges tackle racism, diversity, equity and inclusion

In recent years, many schools including The University of Virginia, Harvard and others have started to acknowledge and atone for relying on the labor of enslaved Black people and accepting donations from plantation owners.

George Mason President Gregory Washington said in a statement to USA TODAY the memorial "conveys the values and actions of George Mason University in the 21st century. We grow wiser from examining our full truths, no matter how complicate, messy or discomforting they might be.”

Manuel-Scott echoed that sentiment, saying she hopes each time people visit the memorial they see something new and develop a deeper understanding of the history behind it.

"My hope is that Penny and James and the ancestors more broadly, that they wherever they are, are smiling down on us, knowing that we have done our best to honor them," she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×