Racial Myth & Memory 2030

We depart Durham on Sunday morning in a comfortable charter bus for the three and a half-hour drive to Charlottesville through scenic Virginia countryside on Route 15 and return Monday evening.

We'll stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Charlottesville--University Medical Center, located in convenient walking distance of both UVA and the Downtown Mall.

We'll be adding specifics about special guests and other logistics. Please note itinerary details are subject to change.

Beyond the Dome

Monticello was a 5,000-acre working plantation where over 400 enslaved individuals lived and labored during Jefferson's lifetime. Learn about the men, women, and children who built his home, planted his crops, tended his gardens, and helped run his household and raise his children.

We'll take a 2.5 hour From Slavery to Freedom tour; walk Mulberry Row; see the Burial Ground for Enslaved People; explore the Life of Sally Hemings exhibit; and reflect at the Contemplative Site dedicated on Juneteenth 2023 and memorializing 607 individuals held in bondage on our third president's various properties--all to acknowledge their agency, their families, and their lasting legacy in the American story.

On our 2023 Charlottesville trip, we were able to visit with Gayle Jessup White, former award-winning journalist (from the New York Times to television); author of Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy; and Monticello’s Public Relations & Community Engagement Officer.

We hope to hear from staff of the decades-long Getting Word African American Oral History Project in order further to center the descendants of Monticello’s enslaved community.

Explore the histories and legacies of James and Dolley Madison, the Enslaved Community, and the Constitution as you journey through the landscape, enslaved dwellings, and the Madisons' home, Montpelier.

The Witness of the Descendants

Highland was the sporadic residence of James Monroe from 1799 to 1828 and a working plantation home to 53 enslaved men, women, and children who performed the bulk of its production and maintenance.

For decades, Highland was presented as the modest "cabin castle" of the fifth U.S. President and author of the Monroe Doctrine. But in 2016, a groundbreaking archaeological discovery changed the story: the foundations of Monroe’s actual main house were found, revealing that the standing structure was likely a guest house or a dwelling for white overseers. This physical "unearthing" has mirrored a spiritual unearthing of the lives of the enslaved people who lived here.

We move beyond the architectural mysteries to engage with senior staff about how Highland has become a national leader in "collaborative history," where the descendants of those enslaved by Monroe are not just "consultants," but equal partners in how the story of this land is told.

Breaking the Silence

Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe all served on the University's founding Board of Visitors. 

In its first decades the largest population of individuals living on Grounds at the University after students were enslaved African Americans. In histories of UVA, enslaved African Americans largely went unnamed and sometimes even unmentioned.

We stand at the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, a physical intervention into a landscape that once sought to keep these individuals unnamed. Here, we reflect on how institutions of 'higher learning' are finally wrestling with the challenging truths of their foundations.

Reclaiming the Public Square: From Bronze Myths to Living Memories

For nearly a century, a towering bronze image of Robert E. Lee stood here—not as a relic of the Civil War, but as a 1924 statement of Jim Crow power intended to define who belonged in Charlottesville’s public spaces. In 2017, the movement to remove this "myth in metal" became the flashpoint for the Unite the Right rally, a violent confrontation that cost three lives and left the nation reeling. Today, the pedestal is empty, but the ground is full of new meaning.

We stand in a space that has been physically and spiritually transformed. By visiting what is now Market Street Park, we examine the "afterlife" of monuments. We don't just look at where the statue was; we look at what has grown in its place: a community-led effort to melt down the bronze and recast it into new art that reflects the diverse soul of the city.

In 2023, we were able to explore this history with a past president of UVA's descendant community and a Quaker founder of Beloved Community Cville, a grassroots social change and equity non-profit. This final stop is our bridge from the "history" of the Founders to the "urgency" of our own backyards.

Beyond the Monuments: Community, Resilience, and Rest

While our major site visits provide the framework for our study, these additional stops offer a deeper look at the living heartbeat of Charlottesville—its history of self-determination, its shared tables, and its breathtaking natural beauty.

• The Roots of Freedom: We witness the "architecture of agency" at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church (established in 1867) and the Jefferson School. These weren't just buildings; they were the central nervous system of Black life during segregation, serving as centers of faith, education, and organized resistance.
• A Shared Table at Michie Tavern (Circa 1784): We break bread at this historic 18th-century ordinary. As we enjoy a traditional midday meal, we reflect on the complex history of hospitality in the Early Republic—who was served, who did the serving, and the role of the "tavern" as a site of both democratic debate and enslaved labor.
• Perspective from the Heights: We ascend to Carter Mountain Orchard for breathtaking views of the Piedmont landscape we’ve been studying. Here, we connect with the agricultural roots of the region through the sensory experience of local cider and donuts (you might even decide to carry home a bag of apples!). It is a moment of communal rest, allowing the "bigness" of the landscape to help us process the "bigness" of the history.
• The Downtown Mall: We stroll this vibrant, tree-lined pedestrian hub to experience the modern pulse of the city. From the First Amendment Monument (the "Community Chalkboard") to the 1910 carousel, local bookstores, and Chaps Ice Cream with a '50s ice cream parlor feel, we explore how Charlottesville has reclaimed its downtown as a space for free expression, family joy, and civic life.
• The Sacred Space of the Circle: During our journey, we hold intentional time for reflection and sharing. These are the moments where our individual observations weave together into a shared commitment to justice.

We host a pre-trip community-building and informational meeting to which all participants are invited. We also hope interest warrants at least one post-trip potluck open to all travelers. We're glad to include anyone at a distance via video-conferencing.

Travelers will join an informal network of all our racial justice travel groups to share articles and other resources, attend lectures and exhibits (for those local), and otherwise connect around racial justice topics.

This is not a traditional sightseeing tour nor an extended lecture, but rather an intentional community of inquiry.

• Expert Facilitation: Led by a seasoned historian guide with the voices of local experts and activists, we engage in deep-dive discussions that connect historical sites to contemporary issues.
• Reflection: We integrate periods of silence and group reflection, allowing the weight of our surroundings to inform our personal and professional growth.
• Connection and Joy: We find rejuvenation through shared meals, conversation, and community.
• Co-Creation: We each share our questions, knowledge, and inspiration--with vulnerability, with courage, with open-heartedness--and thereby shape the experience for everyone.
• Impact: Together, we allow the weight of the sites we visit and the people we meet to transform our collective understanding and empower us to be more aware and engaged back at home.

History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history. James Baldwin

Here's what past racial justice trip participants have had to say....

I feel transformed. Not sure where I'm going to land after this experience, but know I won't be the same person as I was before the trip.

What was most meaningful for me were the visceral experiences of being in these places, standing on the ground where they happened, understanding on a more encompassing level the magnitude and depth of our racial history and the unhealed individual and national wounds we can't continue to ignore.

I did some grieving and alot of gratitude practices as I moved through each site. I found hope in meeting and hearing from people who lived through these times and also ones who are currently and continually working on the goal of racial equity.

Participants shared personal stories of overcoming hardships and discrimination, of meeting hatred with love, and provided real time models that are so inspiring! I felt trusted with their tender experiences. I felt challenged to explore myself and new ideas and I felt safe to say my truths. Thank you one and all.

I’ve always been interested in the Civil Rights Movement, but there is no substitute for actually walking the Bloody Sunday bridge, standing on the corner where Rosa got on that bus, and visiting the church where Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up. It’s an experience that will change anybody’s life, no matter how much or how little you already know about the Movement. 

The past came alive for us, tears fell, and lives changed. I gained incredible knowledge…and made a commitment to work for justice, equality, and human rights in whatever ways I can. Everyone should take advantage of this transforming journey. 

This is a powerful trip that should be experienced by as many people as possible. 

I now feel more authentic in my effort to join with others to do what my heart always wished to do. What a gift.

• Educators looking to deepen their curriculum and bring "hard history" to life for their students.
• Community Leaders interested in how public policies and spaces reflect—and affect—our collective values.
• Curious Adults seeking a more complete and nuanced understanding of Southern and American history as a means to move from awareness to action.

For Anthony L. Clay, the American South is both home and a living classroom. A particular calling is found on the bus, supporting immersive racial justice experiences that have transformed the perspectives of hundreds of student and adult participants.

His Background: Education and Service

Since 2002, he has served the Carolina Friends School community in various teaching and leadership roles—including Director of Advancement, Director of Extended Learning, and now founding head of the Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Anthony earned baccalaureate degrees magna cum laude in History and in International Relations and an Asian Studies Certificate at American University and then completed an M.A. in History and received Phi Beta Kappa honors at Emory University.

He's worked as a teacher (in subjects including U.S. history, government and politics, debate, and economics), college counselor, and advisor at Holland Hall School (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Raleigh Charter High School, Durham Academy, and CFS.

Anthony has served in leadership, advisory, and advocacy roles for non-profits and professional organizations, including Student U, Junior Leadership Durham, Youth Leadership Tulsa, Youth Services of Tulsa, GLSEN, Habitat for Humanity, and the Southern and National Associations for College Admission Counseling.

On the Road: Building the Beloved Community

This Arkansas native's passion for “transformational travel learning” is rooted in his own upbringing and professional journey. Some three decades of research and teaching has focused on the post-World War II intersection of race, culture, and politics. He’s helped create and lead racial justice-focused bus tours of the South for high schoolers and for adults and Durham civil rights programs for students and for adults. Each May he spends a week helping guide CFS Middle Schoolers on a civil rights experience in Alabama and Georgia.

Anthony’s goal is to move beyond names and dates to reveal the human stories that define our collective memory and foster Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community.

The tuition will include:

• transportation via air-conditioned charter coach
• one night of double-occupancy hotel lodging*
• three meals (dinner, breakfast, and lunch)
• all admission fees and guest speaker honoraria
• chauffeur gratuity
• on-board live and multi-media programming
• resource materials about tour destinations, civil rights history, contemporary social justice issues, and other relevant topics
• the services of an experienced historian and tour leader

* individual rooms are available for a supplement

The tuition will not include:

• optional evening or other activities
• room service and other hotel incidentals
• alcohol with a meal
• trip/travel insurance

The trip deposit, due upon application, will be non-refundable unless we reach capacity and can fill your space. 

However, we're glad to work with you on alternative financial arrangements.

We'd love to have you and a diverse group of participants "get on board" for this powerful personal and community journey. We may have some tuition assistance funds available to support individuals who couldn't afford to go otherwise.

If you're in a position to do so, a tax-deductible gift added to the overall tuition amount can increase our program funds and expand access. Thanks for your consideration!

Registration will open using a Google form as soon as possible in 2030.

If you'd like us to keep you updated on other transformational travel-learning experiences, please complete this brief notification form.