East Brunswick is shedding
light on a dark part of the town's history dating back over 200 years.
The "Lost Souls
Memorial Project" was unveiled Sunday afternoon, remembering the more than
100 Black men, women, and children who were held captive in what is now called East
Brunswick.
In 1818, Middlesex County
judge Jacob Van Wickle ran the Van Wickle slave ring that captured free and
enslaved Black people and sold them into permanent slavery.
Organizers are hoping the
memorial will help the community remember the lives of the slaves.
“We needed to
raise it up some more so more people knew so that the lost souls, 137 African
American women, men and children, a child as young as two days old were stolen
into permanent slavery,” says Karen G. Johnston, who is with the project.
Organizers say people must
learn from history, both the good and the bad.
The plaque's permanent home
will be at the entrance of the East Brunswick Community Arts Building.