The commute to work often consists of traffic jams and radio, but for Gaila Sims, it’s a time to remember the approximately 10,000 people who crossed the Rappahannock River to freedom.
“I think about those people. I think about the slave ship. I know it’s a lot to think about every single day when I cross the river, but I do,” said Sims, the Vice President of programs and interpretation at the Fredericksburg Area Museum.
The river was one of the stops on Hidden Histories, a one-time-only Black History month tour hosted by FAM this past weekend. The tour centered on culturally significant landmarks related to African American resilience and creativity downtown.
Nearly 25 community members came out to participate in this opportunity led by Sims and local historian Keith Strother.
The tour started with a brief introduction to the slave auction block that once resided on the corner of William and Charles Streets. Sims described the auction block as a source of pain and suffering for African Americans within the community, in light of its removal.
The auction block now resides at FAM, and a memorial will be installed to address the history of the space.
Throughout the tour, Sims and Strother provided an insight into the history of landmarks that are hidden in plain sight. According to Sims, Mr. John M Washington was a man born enslaved to a woman who lived on the second floor of the National Bank building that is now known as Foode.
There were also two black-owned hotels — among the largest in the state of Virginia — the Hotel McGuire and the Rappahannock Hotel, which were located on the 500 block of Princess Anne Street.
The Rappahannock River was an additional stop on the tour, which addressed the difficult realities of African Americans living in Fredericksburg at the time.
Sims explained that, in 1862, Union troops coming from Washington stopped on the other side of the Rappahannock River in Stafford County, “and 10,000 enslaved people self-emancipated by crossing this river to freedom,” she said.
Though many escaped bondage, there were also enslaved people who tried to self-emancipate and were unsuccessful.
According to Sims, in the early 19th century, an uprising of five known enslaved people at Chatham left two dead.
“They were mentally tough. Because they were mentally tough, the least we have to do was share that story and tell their story. Because if we don’t tell our own story, who will?” Strother said.
In thanking Sims and Strother, one tourgoer said, “I just wanted to say that I think this is amazing, what you guys are doing here. I think that inflating individuals’ knowledge is, you know, empowering.”
FAM will continue to highlight culturally significant artifacts with its upcoming exhibit this summer.
According to Sims, Living Legacies will be an exhibit dedicated to African American history in the Fredericksburg area opening on May 30. The exhibit, which will be housed on the museum’s second floor, will on display for at least three years.
“It’s gonna be the biggest exhibition we’ve ever done,” Sims said.
