“Sia. Obi. Amara. They are known. They are loved. They are home.”
Dozens of descendants of Africans who were enslaved in Virginia proclaimed these words at a Nov. 2 service before three of their ancestors were laid to rest for the last time.
After spending decades stored and unnamed by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the ancestors were named – Sia, Obi and Amara – and honored in a worship service here at Bruton Parish Church. After the service, their remains were permanently reinterred nearby at the Utopia Quarters, a residential site for enslaved laborers within the Kingsmill on the James resort area, a former plantation. The ancestors were initially buried at the Utopia Quarters before their bodies were excavated. To read more, click here
