Real estate experts say that parties are attempting to raise money to buy land and build a memorial to enslaved ancestors. It’s the latest in a long line of efforts to restore dignity to the people sold at auction, and build upon Savannah’s reputation as a fulcrum of Black history in America.

Over two rainy days in Savannah, 436 people were listed for sale to pay off the debts of the man who owned them. The 1859 event, now known as the ...