Upon the invitation of our Vestry, a group of Grace members have volunteered to  meet via zoom to discuss how Grace can respond to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, ministries, and community. The task force has named itself “Building Bridges to Understanding: A Task Force Exploring Race, Faith, and Community” (abbreviated as the “Building Bridges Task Force”). We are currently preparing to begin the “Sacred Grounds” program through the Episcopal Church which has a similar objective.  We plan to offer this program for parishioners at Grace in early 2021 and we were excited to see it featured in a recent Daily Progress article and wanted to share the story link below:
​​ If you are interested in learning more about Sacred Ground
here is a link to the Episcopal Church's website with more details:
To learn about Sacred grounds at Grace click on the button below
The Task Force members are:
Micki Adams- Chair
Catherine Bodkin
Duncan Nixon  
Susan Randolph  
Beth Sutton
Gitte Walter
Facilitators: Miles Smith & Suzanne Nash

Please feel free to speak to any of us about the program and our plans.

The February 16th Presentation

ON February 16th many in our community joined us for a  very special zoom presentation:
Local film maker, Lorenzo Dickerson,  presented two of his films, "The Coachman" and "Byrdland", which involved our local community and history. After the films Mr. Dickerson had a Q and A for those attending.
If you are interested in seeing the taped zoom event please contact us for a link.
​"The Coachman" is a documentary short film about the life (1887 - 1946) of a local African-American domestic worker in Albemarle County, Virginia for one of the area's most distinguished estates. He came from slaves, held a position of prestige, enjoyed love, and endured heartache and loss. He lived through Jim Crow, The Great Depression, Great Migration, WWI, and WWII. And though he died with a less than glamorous social status, he built a family of people willing to work hard and strive for greater heights. This film is about researching the past and getting to know your ancestry. Better understand the sometimes difficult, yet rewarding life of Warren Dickerson (The Coachman), and the legacy he left behind.
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"Byrdland" tells the story of the Byrd family whose ancestors were enslaved at Castle Hill and Turkey Hill plantations in Albemarle County, Virginia near Charlottesville. After emancipation in 1865, five Byrd family siblings whom were former slaves, pooled their money together to purchase land from the former slave owner, and the descendants of the Byrd family still live on that property today . The land has been passed down from generation to generation.

Contact us if you are interested in seeing a recording of this event.