Скачать или смотреть The Resting Tree: A Slave Cemetery That Was Almost Lost, Abandoned & Forgotten in Bristol, Virginia

The Resting Tree: A Slave Cemetery That Was Almost Lost and Forgotten in Bristol, Virginia.

The Resting Tree is a giant white oak tree that dates back centuries in Bristol, Virginia. It was a spot where slaves from the Preston Plantation in Washington County. It was almost lost and forgotten until a road project came that included putting in a marker and fencing to mark this vital, albeit dark, piece of history. The story of the two slaves known as "Uncle Rube" and "Crippled Dan" shows that love can grow in even the direst of conditions.

It is crucial that we try to find appropriate ways to remember and acknowledge this chapter of our history in a way that honors the lives of those robbed of their freedom. There are no words or actions that will ever heal that pain that lingers even today but we also cannot allow these lives and stories to be forgotten, that would only add to the pain and injustice.

I can't tell you how sobering and painful it was to visit this cemetery for me. It is one thing to read and learn about slavery in a book, it is an entirely different experience to set foot on ground where slaves toiled. I can't imagine anyone leaving that experience unmoved.