Summary: November 6, 2008 from http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A tribal chief of a town in western Ghana traveled to Richmond to perform a ritual ceremony to recognize the pain suffered by Africans buried in a centuries-old slave cemetery. Chief Kundumuah and three others from the Nzema tribe performed an atonement ritual before a small crowd Thursday at the site of the "Burial Ground for Negroes," not far from the center of what was once Richmond's bustling slave marketplace. The graveyard site rests under a parking lot owned by Virginia Commonwealth University. On tonight's program we are joined by the CEO of African American Genealogical Research Inc. Paula Royster is an active lecturer, writer, researcher and genealogy activist specializing in the forensics of African American Research. As the founder of the Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI) in 2004, Ms. Royster has been involved in efforts ranging from protecting endangered cemeteries from development to reuniting African descended Americans with their African relatives via DNA. Ms. Royster is also the founding President of the Fredericksburg-Princes Town Sister City Association (FPTSCA) established in 2006 with Prince’s Town, Ghana. The work of the organization, under her leadership, is designed to address both humanitarian issues as well as economic development. Donate Page
