Photo: Facebook
(THOROUGHFARE, VA, 10/31/22) – The Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare Monday announced that internationally-respected professor, author and justice activist Dr. Cornel West has offered his support for the effort to protect the graves of slaves, freedmen/freedwomen and Native Americans from being desecrated in Thoroughfare, Va.
That coalition recently filed a lawsuit against International Investments, LLC (IIL), Virginia’s Prince William County, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and County Executive Elijah Johnson “for their deliberate and egregious actions in the failure to protect and eventual desecration of a private, historically recognized, protected, and culturally significant cemetery belonging to the families of freed slaves and indigenous Native Americans – the Scott Cemetery.” NOTE: International Investments, LLC is also known as “The Farm Brewery at Broad Run.”
In the video, Dr. West said in part:
“We want to put a limelight on the precious folks in the cemeteries…Black cemeteries, Indigenous people cemeteries in the county of Prince William County in Thoroughfare.
“We refuse to standby to see those cemeteries desecrated in any way– demeaned or degraded in any way. And are willing to do what is necessary in the name of love and justice…and in the name of Allah and God. And in the name of what any decent person would want to do to make sure that those people are treated with dignity and decency in those cemeteries.”
WATCH THE VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3171148109817732
BACKGROUNDER:
Thoroughfare is an historic Native American and African American community with roots going back hundreds of years. Originally a Native American community, during the 1800s African-Americans began to settle there and a vibrant mixed-race community was established. Today, Thoroughfare is centered around Oakrum Baptist Church, and the descendants of the founders still call Thoroughfare home.
When developers purchased land containing the three major Thoroughfare cemeteries and, early in 2021, destroyed the Scott Cemetery, blocked access to the Potters Field Cemetery, and threatened the Fields/Allen Cemetery with development, the Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare formed to protect the cemeteries and to preserve the history of Thoroughfare.
Recently, The Prince William Board of County Supervisors agreed to purchase a two-acre parcel to begin the process of preserving the heritage of the Thoroughfare community. However, they also decided to take away the family’s burial rights that have existed for two centuries.
The town of Thoroughfare was established and settled by freed African-American slaves and Native Americans. Homes and family cemeteries in this community date back to 1860 and earlier.
Descendants of freed slaves and Native-Americans still live in Thoroughfare.
Slaves, freed slaves, freedmen/freedwomen, and Native-Americans who worked and lived on the land of Thoroughfare, Va., are under the threat of having their final sacred resting places decimated or completely removed by encroaching developers. Family members are also being denied access to many of these graves.
Historic freed slave homes, land and structures are under the same threat of destruction and at risk of being lost.
SEE: GoFundMe Page for Save Historic Thoroughfare Cemeteries: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-historic-thoroughfare-cemeteries
