The Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation

The Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation We build bridges between W&M & African American communities. The Project is named for Lemon, a man who was once enslaved by the College of William & Mary.

In 2009, after student and faculty resolutions calling for a full investigation of the College’s past, the Board of Visitors acknowledged that the College had “owned and exploited slave labor from its founding to the Civil War; and that it had failed to take a stand against segregation during the Jim Crow Era.” As a result, the Board offered its support for the establishment of The Lemon Project:

A Journey of Reconciliation. We cannot know the full dimensions of Lemon’s life or his relationship with the College. In many ways, Lemon stands in the place of the known and unknown African Americans who helped to build, maintain, and move the College forward. The Lemon Project is generously funded by the Office of the Provost at William & Mary.

https://zurl.co/0AXW3
06/24/2026

https://zurl.co/0AXW3

When Bryan Stevenson moved to Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1980s, th...

Williamsburg ceremony commemorates start of African American Heritage Trail construction https://zurl.co/sbhOK
06/23/2026

Williamsburg ceremony commemorates start of African American Heritage Trail construction https://zurl.co/sbhOK

City Manager Michele DeWitt called it a “community commitment to tell a fuller story of Williamsburg and its enduring contribution to the American story.”

UVA invites the public to a mini-course on the history of Southern cuisine and soul food https://zurl.co/IvdaT
06/22/2026

UVA invites the public to a mini-course on the history of Southern cuisine and soul food https://zurl.co/IvdaT

Before the fall semester begins, UVA offers a range of courses that can be completed in two weeks, and this year students and members of the public can eat their way to three academic credits with a class on American culinary history.

On Juneteenth 2026, the Lemon Project team is excited to share the theme for the 17th Annual Lemon Project Spring Sympos...
06/19/2026

On Juneteenth 2026, the Lemon Project team is excited to share the theme for the 17th Annual Lemon Project Spring Symposium:

Our Shared Histories, Our Shared Work: From Reckoning to Repair

Join us in Williamsburg, Virginia, on March 26-27, 2027. The Call for Proposals will be available later this summer! All are welcome.

Lemon Project team members Dr. Jajuan Johnson (Interim Robert Francis Engs Director) and Dr. Sarah Thomas (Associate Dir...
06/18/2026

Lemon Project team members Dr. Jajuan Johnson (Interim Robert Francis Engs Director) and Dr. Sarah Thomas (Associate Director) had a great time at W&M’s Juneteenth Celebration, talking to our good friends like Lynn and Ghana and meeting new folks too! Thank you to everyone who came out today, and thank you for your continued support of The Lemon Project! ❤️🖤💚💛

Online resource helps woman discover enslaved ancestors, connection to Fort Monroe https://zurl.co/Qc0jl
06/18/2026

Online resource helps woman discover enslaved ancestors, connection to Fort Monroe
https://zurl.co/Qc0jl

Free online resource helps woman discover enslaved ancestors and her family's connection to Fort Monroe

From WHRO: William & Mary’s Lemon Project helps Black residents learn about their lineage, counter narratives. https://...
06/17/2026

From WHRO: William & Mary’s Lemon Project helps Black residents learn about their lineage, counter narratives. https://zurl.co/NLVMo

“It resonates deeply if you have been told for generations that you did not make a substantive contribution to the building of a nation and now you have records that say ‘Yes, I did, I did build this place,’” said Jajuan Johnson, interim director of the Lemon Project. “We think that they’re worth the search, they’re worth the labor.”

Join William & Mary on June 18 from 10 am to 1 pm for our Juneteenth Celebration. Lemon Project team members Interim Rob...
06/17/2026

Join William & Mary on June 18 from 10 am to 1 pm for our Juneteenth Celebration. Lemon Project team members Interim Robert Francis Engs Director Dr. Jajuan Johnson and Associate Director Dr. Sarah Thomas will be tabling in the vendor area! Come by to talk about genealogy & our work!

Fort Monroe ceremony marks 15 years of remembering African lives lost in the Middle Passage https://zurl.co/WlkiP
06/17/2026

Fort Monroe ceremony marks 15 years of remembering African lives lost in the Middle Passage
https://zurl.co/WlkiP

The Sankofa Projects held its 15th Annual International Day of Remembrance at Fort Monroe, honoring victims of the Middle Passage.

Cultural study to examine 2 historic African American burial sites in Richmond https://zurl.co/oF661
06/16/2026

Cultural study to examine 2 historic African American burial sites in Richmond
https://zurl.co/oF661

History, memory and preservation are now converging in a new chapter.

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400 Landrum Drive
Williamsburg, VA
23186

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