The Commission to Study Slavery and Subsequent De Jure and De Facto Racial and Economic Discrimination Against African Americans was established by the Virginia General Assembly in July of 2020, and extended in 2022. The Commission was formed to study the current impact and long-term inequities of slavery and the subsequent state-sanctioned de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination practiced against African Americans. In addition to its research mandate, the Commission was tasked with developing recommendations to address these inequities. The Commission was comprised eleven members, including three legislative members and eight citizen appointees.

The Commission's work was divided into three phases. The first phase focused on gathering historical data and consulting primary and secondary resources related to the study of slavery in America. The second phase involved interviews with subject matter experts and communities across the Commonwealth to learn about their experiences and perspectives. The third and final phase of the Commission's work was to develop recommendations to promote educational awareness and identify ways to address the systematic and historical implications affecting the quality of life of a significant population of African American families in the Commonwealth.

Citizen members included Dr. Jody Allen, Dr. Edward L. Ayers, Dr. Andrea Douglas, Dr. John Kinney, Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander, Xavier Richardson, Dr. Karen Sherry, and Daniel P. Watkins. Legislative members included Del. Delores L. McQuinn and Sen. Mamie E. Locke. Dominique Luster served as the Project Manager (2022-2024) for the Commission and was tasked with overseeing the work of the Commission and unifying efforts between the Commission and partner agency The Library of Virginia, as well as creating workflows, coordinating research, providing administrative support, and engaging external scholars. The Project Manager was based at The Library of Virginia.