Racial Healing

Ham Cemetery

Just down Three Chopt Road from St. Stephen’s Church, in the corner of Bandy Field, lies a hidden cemetery where an estimated 100 people are buried. These are the mortal remains of descendants of enslaved people who labored on the Green plantation. The plantation’s land encompasses this whole area, including the land on which St. Stephen’s is built. After emancipation, some of those enslaved persons garnered enough money to buy a piece of land and they built houses and thrived in this community until the land was claimed by eminent domain in 1955. The houses were razed and the cemetery was lost.

A local organization called the Friends of the Sons and Daughters of Ham Cemetery is working with descendants and University of Richmond archaeology students to map the cemetery and restore its dignity and beauty. St. Stephen’s is an emerging partner in this holy work happening in our own back yard.

Read more about Ham Cemetery here.

Richmond has a deep history of systemic racism, from its role in the trade of enslaved Africans, to becoming the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, to raising monuments to Confederate military figures during the Jim Crow Era, through red-lining and the development of Interstate 95 through established Black neighborhoods.

Local groups

These local groups and organizations are working toward racial healing and understanding:

Walking with the Enslaved

Richmond Hill

Black History Museum

Shockoe Institute

Journey for Change

Coming Together Virginia

Related books by local authors about our area include the following.

Richmond’s Unhealed History by Benjamin P. Campbell
The Devil’s Half Acre by Kristen Green
Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County by Kristen Green
The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

Civil Rights Pilgrimage

In 2023 two members of our community, parishioner Kim Schmidt and staff member Anna Jones, participated in a civil rights pilgrimage. Kim and Anna joined Episcopalians from other churches to visit sites in the south which played important roles in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, guided by a participant in that movement. The pilgrimage came to the attention of our rector, the Rev. John Rohrs, through his relationships with the clergy and people of Christ Church in Raleigh, N.C., where he once served on the staff. The Rev. Mary Fisher Davila of Christ Church (formerly of St. Stephen’s) has taken part in these pilgrimages in the past and was present for this one, as well. This video describes the experience, which we hope to make available to more St. Stephen’s parishioners in the future.

St. Stephen’s Racial Healing Commission

St. Stephen’s Racial Healing Commission is envisioning and planning opportunities to further the reflection and engagement of parishioners in the vital work of racial healing. This is both inner and outer work, comprised of learning, self-reflection, and study, as well as active engagement with community partners seeking to build relationships and heal the wounds of systemic racism.

Many of our parishioners who have participated in Sacred Ground are looking for next steps and additional ways to deepen their engagement in the work of racial healing. This commission works alongside clergy and staff to facilitate those next steps. It functions as a joint commission of the Adult Formation Committee and the Outreach Committee, with committee representatives joining additional at-large members invited from the broader parish. Jennifer Bousquet, director of outreach and engagement, is the primary staff contact, and additional staff liaisons include the Rev. Cate Anthony, associate rector for formation, and Anna Jones, director of food ministries.