Archaeologists digging at the site of the Williamsburg Bray School—America’s first known school for enslaved children—have uncovered a remarkably intact 18th-century cellar. This discovery offers a tangible connection to a fraught chapter in history, where education was both a rare privilege and a tool of oppression.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just about old bricks and mortar—it’s a window into the lives of enslaved children who were taught here, often with the aim of reinforcing their subjugation. The find challenges us to confront how education was weaponized in the past, while also preserving stories that might otherwise fade away. For historians and the public alike, it’s a rare chance to touch the physical remnants of a system that shaped America.