1 10 4 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/5f6378537d207a1cc73bf0137e10fa5c.jpeg 8569d239dc28d02956bcfef1e567c3a3 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/9afb9aa834b3a6b2f73112e710e15bdf.jpeg 461c001bd664900aaf6ae83f4f8d7e67 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/644459b72f60e76ba4cdacf17f558eb0.jpeg 733d1b934987e5c0301f4dabdd411922 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/b7e2e84058dd97d7aa48d31fa9c0fbab.jpeg 84576277d0910bf87205c504b3f1fee7 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2de75cbfc675c3f6f221d1d8aadb0289.jpeg 8905b138c5bf106c4ac11c3c063dcc1a https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2265296b4d34d487c98e451c6f485e69.jpeg a46c3a14f752eb1941b1a174a5c19ecf Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Universities and Slavery Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments in this collection examine the intertwined histories of American universities and slavery. In his book, Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities (2013), Craig Steven Wilder examines how universities and colleges were established and expanded because of the massive wealth they accrued from the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. Slave traders became the principal financiers of endowed faculty chairs and were appointed as university trustees, and colleges and universities made special efforts to recruit the sons of the slaveholding elite. Presidents of universities also held Black people in bondage, for example, Princeton’s first nine university presidents owned enslaved people. Universities and colleges such as the University of Virginia have recognized how enslaved people labored on their campuses, waiting on faculty and students and tending to their grounds. Just as importantly, the classes at many universities upheld the logic of racism foundational to American slavery. As researchers at Rutgers found, “The faculty and curriculum at Rutgers and other early American colleges reinforced the theological and scientific racism that provided the ideological and spiritual justification for the free labor of Africans, the absolute power of slave owners, and the separation of the races.” Often responding to pressure from students and activists, universities and colleges across the United States have begun to think more critically about how to address the complex, untold, and painful history of slavery and its ongoing legacy on their campuses. The memorials in this collection, such as the University of Virginia’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127">Memorial to Enslaved Laborers</a> are intended as spaces for learning, healing, and reconciliation. In addition to building monuments, universities are also attempting to redress and repair their relationship with communities most affected by slavery. William and Mary’s Lemon Project, for example, focuses on “contributing to and encouraging scholarship on the 300-year relationship between African Americans and William and Mary, and building bridges between the university and Williamsburg and Greater Tidewater area.” Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 240 x 180 in. (609.6 x 457.2 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource From Absence to Presence, Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland (St. Mary's City, Maryland) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Allbritton, Shane, 1974- RE:site Studio Lee, Norman, 1972- RE:site Studio Baker, Quenton (poet), 1985- Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons Maryland--St. Mary's City Public art Public sculpture St. Mary's College of Maryland Slavery--Maryland Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater<a href="https://www.smcm.edu/commemorative/%20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 20, 2020 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource METALAB (design optimization/management); Merge Studios (fabrication/installation); The Commemorative Selection Committee; St. Mary's College of Maryland; Governor Larry J. Hogan and the State of Maryland; Dr. Jeffrey J. Byrd and Mrs. Elizabeth A. Byrd; Maryland Heritage Areas Authority; Maryland State Arts Council; Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource The installation is shaped to evoke the frame of a slave cabin, constructed from alternating horizontal rows of wooden clapboards and mirror-polished, stainless-steel panels. The reflective surfaces mirror the surrounding environment, while the hollow interior, which is inaccessible to the public, suggests a private space for reflection and introspection. Inscribed across the stainless-steel panels are redacted text from slave advertisements and runaway slave notices from Southern Maryland—erasure poetry by Quenton Baker—that extend across the walls and roof, weaving erased memory and acts of commemoration into the entire structure. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 47777 Mattapany Road, St. Mary's City, Maryland, 20686, United States Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. Mary's College of Maryland, 47645 College Drive, St. Mary's City, Maryland, 20686, United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Building and Structures Visual Arts-Sculpture Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Steel frame; Polished mirror stainless steel; Tropical hardwood Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. St. Mary's College of Maryland. "About the Commemorative." Accessed May 3, 2021. https://www.smcm.edu/honoring-enslaved/about-commemorative/. SEGD. "From Absence to Presence, The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland: Honor Award 2022." SEGD, Projects. Accessed February 10, 2026. https://segd.org/projects/from-absence-to-presence-commemorative-to-enslaved-peoples-of-southern-maryland/. King, Julia A. "Notice is Hereby Given: The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland." In Grappling with Monuments of Oppression, eds. Christopher C. Fennell. 156-171. Routledge, 2025. Wilder, Craig Steven. Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. History of site information plaque: From Absence to Presence, Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland History of the Site Between 1750 and 1815, this field was home to three or four enslaved households. They labored for John Hicks and later John Mackall, both planters whose wealth was built on slave labor. Here along Mattapatty Road--then the main route into St. Mary's City--this housing compound, and another one across the road, would have been visible to all who passed by. In 2016, St. Mary's College of Maryland archaeologists unearthed fragments of brick, ceramics, tobacco pipes and bottle glass suggesting where these families' cabins once stood. The archaeologists believe the houses were probably of rough log construction with wooden chimneys and brick hearths. The cabins probably had few or no windows and dirt floors. Inside the cabins and out of sight of plantation surveillance, the families furnished their homes with both plain and decorated ceramics, possibly purchased with money made selling garden vegetables. Traces of garden features were found in this vicinity and documents show that enslaved families or nearby plantations sold their produce in the neighborhood. Although enlsaved, the families living here were probably able to travel to nearby farms, to church, and to the store in nearby St. Inigoes. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the British Navy issued a call to enslaved people in Southern Maryland to join against Americans and thereby earn their freedom. Nineteen men, women, and children enslaved by John Mackall heeded the call and joined the British. Based on the absence of artifacts after 1814, archaeologists suspect that some of these individuals may have come from this compound. A short three years later, on Easter Monday in 1817, the memory of those who had self-emancipated still fresh in everyone's minds, free and enslaved, a group of an estimated 150-200 enslaved men gathered at a dram shop, or tavern, near the store in St. Inigoes. When the local constable attempted to break up the gathering, the men resisted, a melee ensued, and some men were arrested for insurrection. No doubt men from the Mackall plantation were involved in the uprising, although their names were not among the arrested. By uncovering this hidden Black landscape, both here in St. Mary's City and throughout Southern Maryland, we can understand not only the unfinished work of the American Revolution, but the African American role in the struggle for freedom for all. Object information plaque: From Absence to Presence, Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland Activist Angela Davis described the sacredness of slave quarters in the lives of enslaved people as "the only space where they could truly experience themselves as human beings." This form is inspired by the 'ghost frame' architecture found on the site of Historic St. Mary's City. Rows of erasure poetry are cut from mirrored surfaces, creating an oscillation between legibility and illegibility. We experience the loss or un-speakability within fragment historical narratives of slavery. The words of archival documents, from St. Mary's County, of historical runaway slave advertisements are "redacted" by clapboards to reveal an emergent narrative of enslaved people. The reflective nature of the walls suggests that even as viewers of the present day, we are not to penetrate the sacred private space of the enslaved people who were once present at the site. The Commemoration creates a juxtaposition between the current site of a campus sports field with the past of a slave plantation field, causing us to reflect on how our lives are connected to the lives of the enslaved peoples throughout history. At night, the words of poetry are illuminated and projected upon the ground, recalling the starburst motif found on some of the stoneware artifacts discovered at the St. Barbara's site. Academics speculate the star form may symbolize Anansi, a character originating in Asante folklore who unites society against hostile outside forces. Anansi undermined the plantation system, resiting slavery through self-emancipation. The starburst form also evokes the North Star, which played a key role in helping enslaved peoples to find their way: a beacon to truth north and freedom. The illuminated structure appears as a beacon keeping eternal vigil to the memory and resilience of the enslaved peoples who once lived, loved, worked and resisted on the grounds of St. Mary's College. Artists: Shane Albritton and Norman Lee (RE:site) with poet Quenton Baker. Commissioning Agent: St. Mary's College of Maryland This project was made possible with funds from: The State of Maryland, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Maryland State Arts Council, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium, Elizabeth and Jeffry Byrd. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 240 x 180 in. (609.6 x 457.2 cm) https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/8c0b80737f678be100753bb22d8b6887.jpg b5cdc04a050a00a2863230582c2c467b https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2ce2820d4d19f0525a0a0c6c5f963347.jpeg 502360b9314d09af9cbc77caf3b34f2f https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/dc9bb13e07d5b2794f888adabdbcd5da.jpg 49ca6e25121d81e49af91c8fb13ff367 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/35ed51951e2095b4ee35e63a4b0d7fcf.jpeg 0826eb48c0e15e24df232706f42b4c84 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d9ec2e10f4d251f7aeeb81c31535fd96.jpeg 179fe14432fd2cfec7b88ed8abedf1da Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Universities and Slavery Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments in this collection examine the intertwined histories of American universities and slavery. In his book, Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities (2013), Craig Steven Wilder examines how universities and colleges were established and expanded because of the massive wealth they accrued from the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. Slave traders became the principal financiers of endowed faculty chairs and were appointed as university trustees, and colleges and universities made special efforts to recruit the sons of the slaveholding elite. Presidents of universities also held Black people in bondage, for example, Princeton’s first nine university presidents owned enslaved people. Universities and colleges such as the University of Virginia have recognized how enslaved people labored on their campuses, waiting on faculty and students and tending to their grounds. Just as importantly, the classes at many universities upheld the logic of racism foundational to American slavery. As researchers at Rutgers found, “The faculty and curriculum at Rutgers and other early American colleges reinforced the theological and scientific racism that provided the ideological and spiritual justification for the free labor of Africans, the absolute power of slave owners, and the separation of the races.” Often responding to pressure from students and activists, universities and colleges across the United States have begun to think more critically about how to address the complex, untold, and painful history of slavery and its ongoing legacy on their campuses. The memorials in this collection, such as the University of Virginia’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127">Memorial to Enslaved Laborers</a> are intended as spaces for learning, healing, and reconciliation. In addition to building monuments, universities are also attempting to redress and repair their relationship with communities most affected by slavery. William and Mary’s Lemon Project, for example, focuses on “contributing to and encouraging scholarship on the 300-year relationship between African Americans and William and Mary, and building bridges between the university and Williamsburg and Greater Tidewater area.” Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memorial to Enslaved Laborers (Charlottesville, Virginia) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons Public art Public sculpture Virginia--Charlottesville Slavery--Virginia University of Virginia Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The memorial consists of two granite circles nestled into the grassy landscape. The exterior surface of the outer ring is ribbed and textured with shallow depressions designed to catch light and shadow. From a certain angle, the eyes of Isabella Gibbons—an enslaved woman at the University of Virginia—appear on the stone surface. The interior wall of this outer ring bears the engraved names of known enslaved laborers at the University, along with placeholders for those whose names remain unknown. At the center lies a circular grass lawn, encircled by a smaller stone ring. This inner ring features engravings of Isabella Gibbons’ writings and a timeline depicting the lives of enslaved people at the university from the early seventeenth century through Gibbons’ death in 1889. The structure invites visitors to view and reflect upon the various inscriptions etched onto the memorial. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Höweler + Yoon Architecture Höweler, Eric, 1972- Yoon, Meejin, 1972- Wilson, Mable O. (architect), 1963- Otiitigbe, Eto (artist), 1977- Gleam, Gregg (landscape architect), 1952- Dukes, Frank (community engagement facilitator), 1951- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 10, 2021 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Design Team: Höweler + Yoon Architecture including Namjoo Kim, Caroline Shannon, and Anna Kaertner; Silman, Structural Engineering; Nitsch Engineering; George Sexton Associates, Lighting Designer; DEW, International Water Feature Design Consultants; Team Henry Enterprises, General Contractor; Quarra Stone Company, Stone Fabrication and Installation; Common Name, Typography Design. Descendants of Enslaved Communities at UVA. University of Virginia: President's Commission on Slavery and the University, Memorial for Enslaved Laborers student organization, Inclusion Diversity Equity Access IDEA Fund, University and Community Action for Racial Equity (UCARE), Office of the Architect and Facilities Managment, Division of for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity.  Memorial to Enslaved Laborers (MEL) Community Engagement Committee: Meghan Saunders (chair), Cecil Banks, Bobby Battle, Carolyn Dillard, Kellen Renner-Thomas, Joy Elmore, Tierney Fairchild, DeTeasa Gathers, Jessica Harris, Sarita Herman, Pam Higgins, Mary Hughes, Alexis Mason, Kristin Morgan, Louis Nelson, Shelley Murphy, Stacy Smith, and Cauline Yates. Community Input: 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, African American fraternities and sororities, Albemarle High School, Black Professional Network, Black Student Alliance (BSA), Buford Middle School, Central Virginia History Research Group (CVHR), Charlottesville High School, City of Promise, Collegiate 100, Daughters of Zion, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Faculty Senate, General Faculty Council, J.P. Burley High School Alumni, Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA), Mason’s Lodge, Monticello High School, NAACP, Office of African American Affairs, The Ridley Scholarship Fund, Trinity Episcopal Church, Union Run Baptist Church, UVA Black Alumni, Virginia Humanities, and Zion Union Baptist Church. Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Division for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity. "Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia." University of Virginia. Accessed January 28, 2026. https://mel.virginia.edu/. Silva, Sergio Manuel. "Afterlives in Stone." Religion, Race & Democracy Lab, University of Virginia. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://religionlab.virginia.edu/projects/afterlives-in-stone/. Wilder, Craig Steven. Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. University of Virginia. "Universities Studying Slavery." President's Commission on Slavery and the University. https://slavery.virginia.edu/universities-studying-slavery/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant University and Elliewood Avenues, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Virginia mist granite Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Division for Community Engagement and Equal Opportunity, University of Virginia, Madison Hall, P.O. Box 400881, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22904, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Timeline https://mel.virginia.edu/history?open=true#timeline-of-enslaved-laborers-at-uva List of African American individuals (Community Cloud): http://juel.iath.virginia.edu/node/367 and https://mel.virginia.edu/community?open=true#community-cloud abstract granite memorial wall names https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/6b38971fc4636a7c6a09c9074784a7e2.JPG bd7d5b3dc69ca7a32d3117d998651e23 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/29bd10a4eeaadaf29ad6b96dcc0e14f7.JPG 459d28965a4569840287ff255a1da29b https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/a2d8b5d14d00e9f76a640968840357e3.JPG b14dc7036a2e66c6c3769c2123d1aec2 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/65d3ba20c0410f9284597d70e13c9c71.jpg 1cb389f4b119154fda5e4c54104038a1 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/b57a83a0196feb2b3e52ad68b8ef8944.jpg 791d946ad158b4c53067247b692beddf https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/25def8acb75a3acf95ad39a255f415cc.JPG aa1162f105c784774ca6050c965ef48e https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/368d66dcd63e135c9b3fdc5cd8587503.JPG 31d42747e1d4cda02228e0a07bf4a392 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Universities and Slavery Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments in this collection examine the intertwined histories of American universities and slavery. In his book, Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities (2013), Craig Steven Wilder examines how universities and colleges were established and expanded because of the massive wealth they accrued from the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. Slave traders became the principal financiers of endowed faculty chairs and were appointed as university trustees, and colleges and universities made special efforts to recruit the sons of the slaveholding elite. Presidents of universities also held Black people in bondage, for example, Princeton’s first nine university presidents owned enslaved people. Universities and colleges such as the University of Virginia have recognized how enslaved people labored on their campuses, waiting on faculty and students and tending to their grounds. Just as importantly, the classes at many universities upheld the logic of racism foundational to American slavery. As researchers at Rutgers found, “The faculty and curriculum at Rutgers and other early American colleges reinforced the theological and scientific racism that provided the ideological and spiritual justification for the free labor of Africans, the absolute power of slave owners, and the separation of the races.” Often responding to pressure from students and activists, universities and colleges across the United States have begun to think more critically about how to address the complex, untold, and painful history of slavery and its ongoing legacy on their campuses. The memorials in this collection, such as the University of Virginia’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127">Memorial to Enslaved Laborers</a> are intended as spaces for learning, healing, and reconciliation. In addition to building monuments, universities are also attempting to redress and repair their relationship with communities most affected by slavery. William and Mary’s Lemon Project, for example, focuses on “contributing to and encouraging scholarship on the 300-year relationship between African Americans and William and Mary, and building bridges between the university and Williamsburg and Greater Tidewater area.” Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image Sculpture: 96 x 96 x 55 in. (243.84 x 243.84 x 149 cm) Granite column: 43.375 x 39.5 x 30 in. (110.17 x 100.33 x 76.2 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Slavery Memorial (Providence, Rhode Island) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Brown University Enslaved persons Public art Public sculpture Slavery--Rhode Island Rhode Island--Providence Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Located near University Hall, the oldest building on campus and constructed with the labor of enslaved persons, the memorial has two distinct features: a sculpture and a stone plinth. The sculpture consists of a massive ductile cast iron chain, which emerges from a large cast iron dome. The links of the chain are broken and the iron dome, just visible as it emerges out of the earth, recalls the physical restraints of a ball and chain. A stone plinth with engraved text stands next to the sculpture. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Puryear, Martin, 1941- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 27, 2014 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource The Slavery and Justice Committee; Brown University Public Art Committee; Brown Corporation Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Brown University, 1 Prospect Street, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Manning Hall, 21 Prospect St, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on granite column: This memorial recognizes Brown University’s connection to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the work of Africans and African-Americans, enslaved and free, who helped build our university, Rhode Island, and the nation. Extent The size or duration of the resource. Sculpture: 96 x 96 x 55 in. (243.84 x 243.84 x 149 cm) Granite column: 43.375 x 39.5 x 30 in. (110.17 x 100.33 x 76.2 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Ductile cast iron; Mirrored stainless steel; Black granite Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Sally Promey Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Wilder, Craig Steven. Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. Simmons, Ruth J. "Slavery and Justice at Brown: A Personal Reflection." In Slavery and the University: Histories and Legacies, eds. Leslie M. Harris, James T. Campbell, and Alfred L. Brophy. University of Georgia Press, 2019. Ater, Renée. "Tactility, Memory Work, and Martin Puryear's Slavery Memorial." In Slavery and Justice Report with Commentary on Context and Impact, eds. Anthony Bogues, Cass Cliatt, and Alison Levy, 23-32. 2nd edition. Brown University, 2021. https://slaveryandjustice.brown.edu/sites/default/files/reports/BRW321-SlaveryandJustice-10-22-21.pdf. University of Virginia. "Universities Studying Slavery." President's Commission on Slavery and the University. https://slavery.virginia.edu/universities-studying-slavery/. abstract black granite iron stainless steel https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/ca02254eea2c06ef3b540659ac11d28b.jpg 981d596e6efc35057db716420d5e1d59 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/3db1d2bb4e5cf7722dd073dd5b8308c8.jpeg d26ca27f5f673e334bb0635cd6751e18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Universities and Slavery Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments in this collection examine the intertwined histories of American universities and slavery. In his book, Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities (2013), Craig Steven Wilder examines how universities and colleges were established and expanded because of the massive wealth they accrued from the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. Slave traders became the principal financiers of endowed faculty chairs and were appointed as university trustees, and colleges and universities made special efforts to recruit the sons of the slaveholding elite. Presidents of universities also held Black people in bondage, for example, Princeton’s first nine university presidents owned enslaved people. Universities and colleges such as the University of Virginia have recognized how enslaved people labored on their campuses, waiting on faculty and students and tending to their grounds. Just as importantly, the classes at many universities upheld the logic of racism foundational to American slavery. As researchers at Rutgers found, “The faculty and curriculum at Rutgers and other early American colleges reinforced the theological and scientific racism that provided the ideological and spiritual justification for the free labor of Africans, the absolute power of slave owners, and the separation of the races.” Often responding to pressure from students and activists, universities and colleges across the United States have begun to think more critically about how to address the complex, untold, and painful history of slavery and its ongoing legacy on their campuses. The memorials in this collection, such as the University of Virginia’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1127">Memorial to Enslaved Laborers</a> are intended as spaces for learning, healing, and reconciliation. In addition to building monuments, universities are also attempting to redress and repair their relationship with communities most affected by slavery. William and Mary’s Lemon Project, for example, focuses on “contributing to and encouraging scholarship on the 300-year relationship between African Americans and William and Mary, and building bridges between the university and Williamsburg and Greater Tidewater area.” Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Unsung Founders Memorial (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons Public art Public sculpture North Carolina--Chapel Hill Slavery--North Carolina University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The memorial includes a stone tabletop supported by 300 bronze male and female African American figures, their arms raised over their heads as they collectively hold the weight of the tabletop. The differing dress of the figures-- some are shown in suits, while others are semi-nude and bare foot-- appear to represent a range of economic classes. The table is surrounded by five black stone seats. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Suh, Do-Ho, 1962- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 5, 2005 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University of North Carolina Graduating Class of 2002 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant McCorkle Place, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription around the edge of the table: THE CLASS OF 2002 HONORS THE UNIVERSITY’S UNSUNG FOUNDERS — THE PEOPLE OF COLOR BOND AND FREE — WHO HELPED BUILD THE CAROLINA THAT WE CHERISH TODAY Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black granite; Bronze Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Ater, Renée. “The Challenge of Memorializing Slavery in North Carolina: The Unsung Founders Memorial and the North Carolina Freedom Monument Project.” In Politics of Memory: Making Slavery Visible in the Public Space, edited by Ana Lucia Araujo, 141–156. Routledge, 2012. McMillan, Timothy J. "Remembering Forgetting: A Monument to Erasure at the University of North Carolina." In Silence, Screen and Spectacle: Rethinking Social Memory in the Age of Information, eds. Lindsey A. Freeman, Benjamin Nienass, and Rachel Daniell, 137-162. Berhahn Books, 2014. Wilder, Craig Steven. Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. University of Virginia. "Universities Studying Slavery." President's Commission on Slavery and the University. https://slavery.virginia.edu/universities-studying-slavery/. black granite bronze figurative