The killing of George Floyd, and all those who preceded him, creates a feeling of horror. The depravity of those acts, in which some charged with protecting society instead prey on another person of color, is the continuation of a history spreading back centuries, and, reinforces that real change must occur in this country.
The Carter family and staff at Shirley Plantation stand with the black community in the fight against discrimination, believe Black Lives Matter, and that acts of racism occur every day in our country. People of color continue to suffer under a system unresponsive to their needs and devaluing of their humanity.
We recognize Shirley Plantation’s, and the family’s, role in slavery. As a site with over four centuries of history which includes the Enslaved, Native Americans, Indentures, Colonials and more; we believe it is everyone’s history and consider it our mission to preserve and share the whole history with those who want to learn from it and experience it for themselves.
How we address the facts of the past determines how we move forward as a society. We recognize that the whole history has been hidden too long and will continue working to bring it to the light of day. We believe in a better future and that 2020 is a year of pivotal change for our society.
We are committed to making real and lasting change, and will use our history to educate and advocate for real progress and equality. We continue to train our staff, develop tour and exhibit content, improve access to the whole history, and welcome suggestions of how we can do better. Please contact Charles and Lauren Carter at info@shirleyplantation.com.
We look forward to hearing from you.
– The Carter family and staff at Shirley Plantation