The College of William and Mary was founded in 1693, and benefited from slave labor in various capacities.
[4] In 2014, the Lemon Project's director, Jody Allen, along with instructor Ed Pease, asked students to submit proposals for a possible memorial to the enslaved.
[5] On August 28, 2018, the college launched an international competition to solicit ideas for the memorial.
[6] To build the concept into a physical memorial, the college tapped Richmond-based architects Baskervill and construction firm Kjellstrom & Lee.
It cost $2.9 million to build; the money came from private donations along with contributions from the university's board of visitors.