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Richmond, a city with a complex history rooted in slavery, is taking significant steps to shed light on its past and educate the public on the impact of the slave trade. The Shockoe Institute, funded by an $11 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, is unveiling plans for a facility to memorialize Richmond’s role as one of the largest markets for enslaved people in the United States.

The project aims to bring Richmond to the forefront of the national conversation on monuments, memory, and the use of history. As institutions in the city confront its Confederate past, the Shockoe Institute plans to convert a section of the former train shed at Main Street Station into a building that will house a public exhibition space and a “lab” for studying public and personal history.

The project, which includes archaeological sites and a national slavery museum, is estimated to cost $265 million. While funding is still being secured, the Shockoe Institute represents a significant step in commemorating Richmond’s history and educating the public on the impact of the slave trade.

With a focus on individual stories of enslaved individuals, the institute aims to explore larger themes such as the meaning of freedom and how Americans developed as a slave society while upholding ideals embedded in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Ultimately, the Shockoe Institute hopes to foster mature, candid, and generous conversations about the nation’s history and race relations. By providing a fact-based, historical context for today’s issues, the institute aims to encourage fresh perspectives and understanding on the choices that have shaped America.

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