MISSION

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee was established through Williamsburg City Council Resolution #21-05 on July 8, 2021. On Oct. 7, 2021, the Committee adopted a mission statement that provides the framework for its initial work:

The initial mission of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee includes but is not limited to: a. uncovering and acknowledging the truth about the City of Williamsburg’s racial history by understanding, assessing and dissecting the pervasive role that slavery, racial injustices, systemic racism and racial biases have played in defining our community today, and b. critically examining the ways, the statutes, policies, and practices of the City of Williamsburg have disadvantaged and disenfranchised its citizens of African ancestry; and c. offering remedies to make amends that will foster racial healing, equity and reconciliation.

On The Cover

Bruton Heights School served Black students in the Williamsburg area from 1940 until desegregation in 1968. The school closed in the 1980s. During segregation, Bruton Heights also served as a community center, movie theater, library, clinic, and, during World War II, a USO for Black members of the military.