Actress and activist Viola Davis shared on Instagram that she purchased the former plantation she was born on to celebrate her 55th birthday.

In a 2016 interview with People, Davis spoke about how growing up on the plantation was a joyous experience despite its dark history, saying:

"I think I read one slave narrative of someone who was on that plantation which was horrific. 160 acres of land, and my grandfather was a sharecropper. Most of my uncles and cousins, they're farmers. That's the choice that they had. My grandmother's house was a one room shack. I have a picture of it on my phone because I think it's a beautiful picture."

She continues by recounting stories her mother told her about her birth in that space and how it was a celebration, saying:

"My mom says that the day I was born, all of my aunts and uncles were in the house, she said, everyone was drinking and laughing, and having fun...I love that story. It's a great story to me. It's a great story of celebration in the midst of what you would feel is a decimated environment, but you could see the joy and the life that can come out of that, because it's not always about things, you know."

Now by purchasing the plantation, Davis has the opportunity to create new memories there and reimagine its history.