The recent decision by Williamsburg City Council to allocate $250,000 for a descendant scholarship program was a long time coming. It started in 2020 during the height of national social unrest that occurred on the heels of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

City leaders recognized that their community needed to heal. They did not seek a quick fix. They were willing to invest in a transformative initiative that would have a generational impact.

On Oct. 3, 2020, council member Caleb Rogers attended the first Heal Williamsburg/Heal the Nation Rally, which was held in Colonial Williamsburg. After reading a proclamation signed by Mayor Douglas Pons in support of the event, he shared what the city was doing to foster racial healing and equity.

Nine months later, City Council passed Resolution #21-05, which directed City Manager Andrew Trivette to form a Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) to study the impact of racism and racial injustices both historically and presently on residents of the city. The committee was also tasked with preparing a report that included recommendations for remedies. The descendant scholarship program was one of the recommendations.

While there are more than 30 TRCs nationwide, Williamsburg is the only one established by a city in Virginia. It is destined to serve as a model for other municipalities nationwide that are working towards racial healing.

It is fitting that Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle community would be a national model for racial healing and reconciliation. Seeds of racial division that were sown here during the 17th century spread throughout the nation, resulting in the displacement and genocide of Indigenous people and 200 years of legalized enslavement of Africans.

TRCs are founded to recognize harms to people and communities due to racial injustices. The aftermath of racial injustice is the destruction of community trust and an environment where people feel unheard. More than 60 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. said “a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? … It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met.”

Williamsburg’s efforts are designed to restore trust in its government and to promote transformation. Council member Stacy Kern-Scheerer summed it up best when she said, “Actions of the city in the past didn’t only impact the past, they impact for generations. Something else that can impact for generations is access to education and the ability to reach your goals in a way that you want to for your life.”

Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle is dedicated to helping community organizations create a culture where people feel heard, welcomed and have a “seat at table” in policy and decision making that impacts their lives. While some people are driven by fear to build walls that further divide us, I challenge you to help us build bigger tables!

You see, each of us has the ability to make changes in our thinking and behavior that could help transform the Historic Triangle into a more racially just and equitable community. The starting point is making space for uplifting people and voices that have been intentionally left out.

This November marks the fifth anniversary of the fateful rally, which is now called Heal Greater Williamsburg/Heal the Nation Community Day. It will be held at Legacy Hall on Nov. 10 from 2-5 p.m. There’s a seat at our table for you! I hope to see you soon.

When we come together to transform our community, we all win!

Laura D. Hill is the founder and director of Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle, a program of the Virginia Racial Healing Institute. Learn more about her work at varacialhealinginstitute.org.