Spanning approximately 31 acres, the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground is the largest known cemetery for free and enslaved African Americans in the U.S. Established in 1816 as a replacement for the African Burial Ground in Shockoe Bottom, the site was closed due to overcrowding 63 years later and soon succumbed to obscurity beneath a busy highway and other infrastructures.

Today, as part of an ongoing resuscitation of the burial ground’s historic and spatial context, a mural inspired by the Pan African flag brings to light the estimated 22,000+ souls forgotten here, restoring recognition to their enduring legacy while a more permanent memorial is being planned.