About Us

The CIILS Scholarship Foundation was an idea brought to life when a simple ancestry search turned into a deep dive into the existence of slavery in the Appalachian Mountains.  Lucinda, Cofus, and Sarah were three enslaved black people traded, along with horses and household goods, on a May 12, 1834, deed 

transfer in Nelson County, Virginia.  

The Campbell Family enslaved at least another two people, who have remained nameless to date.  It is these five enslaved for whom the CIILS Scholarship Foundation is named.  While we don't know their own personal stories, we do know of their existence.  Honoring and acknowledging those who could not and did not have the opportunity to flourish of their own free will and giving an opportunity to the black and native communities today in Nelson County is vitally important. 

Megen Porter, an Atlanta-based artist, and descendant of the Campbell family believes that with acknowledgment of historical truths comes accountability.