Slave Auction Site Plaque in Charlottesville, Virginia

On February 6, 2020, a historical plaque marking the site of a slave auction went missing in Charlottesville, Virginia. For some residents, the removal of the plaque revived complaints about the inadequacy of the memorial; others felt the removal erased Black history. Five days later, police arrested a local activist who admitted he removed the plaque, calling its placement in the pavement insulting. Community members created a temporary memorial with flowers and signs at the original site. In response, Charlottesville’s City Council commissioned the Historic Resources Committee to evaluate how best to commemorate the location’s history. Following the Committee’s efforts on March 3, 2025, a new marker was unveiled that included expanded historical context and humanised the victims of the slave auctions. This case study highlights how the removal of a contested marker became an opportunity for deeper historical recognition of the legacy of slavery in Virginia.