Richmond’s history is stained by the human trafficking that made it, America and other nations prosperous. A 15-foot-tall bronze “Reconciliation” statue by Liverpool, England, artist Stephen Broadbent, will be dedicated today to acknowledge this painful past and to symbolize forgiveness. See this morning’s article

I went by the scene this afternoon and there is a lot of activity with everything getting set up. That block of 15th Street is closed for the dedication, and the stage is positioned for people to stand and sit on 15th. There was a children’s choir practicing and Franklin Military cadets preparing their procession. The statue was covered with a purple velvet cloth, but from what I could see, there is an accompanying fountain with a flat wood bridge and the statue itself is surrounded by three large wood blocks for benches. ‘Reconciliation’ looks like a more than worthy addition to Richmond’s huge number of statues and landmarks.

Stay with TimesDispatch.com this afternoon for more coverage of the event, including photos. Expect more on the Statue Tours page of DiscoverRichmond.com soon.

DAY OF RECONCILIATION
• When: 4 p.m. today
• Where: 15th and East Main streets
• Program: Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, ambassadors from eight African nations and special guests from Liverpool.

Phil Riggan
DiscoverRichmond.com

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