11 10 134 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/bfcb9976c9c0761669377d142582942e.jpeg 4d564b214d93252107816cabb6b9c16a 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 United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater 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 132 x 168 in. (335.28 x 426.72 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 Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts Fifty-fourth Infantry Regiment (Boston, Massachusetts) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Massachusetts--Boston Public art Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Subject (Name) Shaw, Robert Gould, 1837-1863 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The memorial commemorates Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and members of the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the first African American regiment to be formed in the North during the American Civil War. Shaw, the regiment’s leader, is shown on horseback in control of his horse and staring forward. Cast in bas relief, three rows of Black infantrymen of various ages stride forward in unison behind him. This scene depicts the Massachusetts 54th Regiment parade march down Beacon Street in Boston on May 28, 1863, as they left the city for Beaufort, South Carolina. On July 18, 1863, nearly 250 of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment were killed, wounded, or captured at the Battle of Fort Wagner located on Morris Island in Charleston Harbor including the death of Shaw. Sargeant William H. Carney received a Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during the fight, the first African American to receive the medal. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment and the Battle of Fort Wagner were the subject of the epic Civil War film, Glory (1989). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 31, 1897 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McKim, Mead & White (architectural pedestal); Shaw Family; Governor John Andrew; 1865 Memorial Committe: Charles Sumner, Rev. Leonard Grimes, Joshua Bowen Smith, Edward Atkinson, Robert E. Apthorp, Francis W. Bird, Charles W. Slack, Henry P. Kidder, Charles R. Codman, Henry W. Longfellow, James L. Little, William L. Clapp Jr., Charles Beck, William G. Weld, Royal E. Robbins, Edward W. Kingsley, George B. Loring, Alanson W. Beard, Solomon Stebbins, and Robert K. Darrah; 1876 Memorial Committee: Edward Atkinson, John Murray Forbes, Henry Lee Jr., and Martin P. Kennard Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20240, 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 Boston Common, Beacon and Park Streets, Boston, Massachusetts, 02133, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the relief: Omnia Relinquit Servare Rempublicam [He relinquished everything to save/preserve the Republic] Inscription on the pedestal: Robert Gould Shaw Colonel of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts  Born in Boston 10 October MDCCCXXXVII Killed While Leading the Assault on Fort Wagner South Carolina 18 July MDCCCLXIII Right in the van, on the red rampart's slippery swell With heart that beat a charge he fell Foeward as fits a man; but the high soul burns on to light men's feet where death for noble ends makes dying sweet. [lines from James Russell Lowell's poem "Memoriae Positum"] Inscription on granite back between the two fasces: To the Fifty-Fourth of Massachusetts Regiment Infantry The White Officers taking life and honor in their hands cast in their lot with men of a despised race unproven in war and risked death as inciters of servile insurrection if taken prisoners besides encountering all the common perils of camp march and battle. The Black rank and file volunteered when disaster clouded the Union Cause. Served without pay for eighteen months till given that of white troops. Faced threatened enslavement if captured. We're brave in action. Patient under heavy and dangerous labors. And cheerful amid hardships and privations. Together they gave to the nation and the world undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriot soldier. One hundred and eighty thousand such Americans enlisted under the Union Flag in MDCCCLXIII-MDCCCLXV. [Charles W. Eliot, President, Harvard University] Inscriptions on the back above the five laurel wreaths: Cabot Jackson Russel, Captain • William Harris Simpkins, Captain • Edward Lewis Stevens, 1st Lieutenant • David Reid, 1st Lieutenant • Frederick Hedge Webster, 2nd Lieutenant [Names of the five officers killed from the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts} Inscription on back below the laurel wreaths: I know not my commander where in all human history to any given thousand men in arms there has been committed a work at once so proud, so precious, so full of hope and glory as the work committed to you. [Governor John Andrew, extract from speech given at the depart of the Fifty-Fourth Massachuestts Regiment in Boston 1863] Inscription on brick base at back: The Memory of the Just is Blessed Henry Albert • Thomas R. Ampey • Thomas Bowman • William Brady • Abraham Brown • James H. Buchanan • Henry F. Burghardt • Elisha Burkett • Jason Champin • Andrew Clark • Lewis Clark • Henry Craig • Albert Evans • William S. Everson • Samuel Ford • Richard M. Foster • Charles S. Gamrell • Lewis C. Green • John Hall • William Henry Harrison II • Edward Hines • Benjamin Hogan • Charles M. Holloway • George Jackson • James P. Johnson • John H. Johnson • Daniel A. Kelley • Henry King • Cyrus Krunkleton • Augustus Lewis • Thomas Lloyd • William Lloyd • Lewis J. Locard • Francis Lowe • Robert McJohnson • John Miller • James H. Mills • William H. Morris • Charles E. Nelson • Stephen Newton • Harrison Pierce • Cornelius Price • Thomas Peter Riggs • David R. Roper • Anthony Schenck • Thomas Sheldon • William J. Smith • Samuel Sufshay • John Tanner • William Thomas • Charles Van Allen • George Vanderpool • Cornelius Watson • Edward Williams • Franklin Willis • Joseph D. Wilson • William Wilson • John W. Winslow —Inscribed MCMLXXXII [Names of those soldiers from the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment who died during the assault on Fort Wagner. Names added in 1982.] Extent The size or duration of the resource. 132 x 168 in. (335.28 x 426.72 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Milford pink granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Greenough, Sarah and Nancy Anderson. Tell It With Pride: The 54th Massachusetts Regiment and Augusts Saint-Gaudens' Shaw Memorial. Yale University Press, 2013. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Blight, David W. "The Shaw Memorial in the Landscape of Civil War Memory." In Hope & Glory: Essays on the Legacy of the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment, eds. Martin H. Blatt, Thomas J. Brown, and Donald Yacovone, 79-93. University of Massachusetts Press, 2001. Grover, Kathryn. To Heal the Wounded Nation's Life: African Americans and the Robert Gould Shaw/54th Regiment Memorial. Special History Study, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. National Park Service, 2021. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/668698. 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 Photograph: National Park Service Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. A gold patinated plaster cast (1900) is on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, on loan from the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire. A bronze cast (1997) is on display at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire. bas-relief bronze Civil War figurative granite inscription marble https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d440d91b73ac14e0317dc799e4283a96.jpg 51365e7d4eb7a3323c5de0f77c39ba18 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 Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 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 Unknown 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 Frederick Douglass (New York, New York) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Schwartz, Ivan, 1951- Studio EIS Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom New York (State)--New York Public art Public sculpture Subject (Name) Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource A life-size sculpture of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass stands atop the staircase at the West 77th Street entrance to The New York Historical. Douglass gazes forward, holding a pair of books in his left hand, while his right arm rests downward. Fully bearded, Douglass stares off into the distance. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frederick_Douglass_Statue_at_the_NYHS_07.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikimedia Commons</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 25, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource New-York Historical Society (now The New York Historical) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West at West 77th Street, New York, New York, 10024, 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 The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West at West 77th Street, New York, New York, 10024, United States Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Dunlap, David, W. "No Debate: It’s Lincoln and Douglass." New York Times, November 1, 2011. Accessed October 31, 2019. https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/no-debate-its-lincoln-and-douglass/March. Saxena, Jaya. "Creating the Humanity in Bronze Statues." Behind the Scenes, New-York Historical Society, March 14, 2012. Accessed October 31, 2019. http://behindthescenes.nyhistory.org/creating-the-humanity-in-bronze-statues/. "Meet Michael, the Living Historian Behind Our Frederick Douglass Statue (Part I)." History Detectives, New-York Historical Society, February 5, 2018. Accessed, May 24, 2020. http://historydetectives.nyhistory.org/2018/02/meet-living-historian-behind-new-york-historicals-frederick-douglass-statue-part-1/. "Meet the Living Historian Behind Our Frederick Douglass Statue (Part II)." History Detectives, New-York Historical Society, February 26, 2018. Accessed, May 24, 2020. http://historydetectives.nyhistory.org/2018/02/meet-living-historian-behind-frederick-douglass-statue-part-ii/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater bronze figurative portrait https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/eae68eafc47aa1634ff49681b4b234ee.jpg 160a487be55b26d28bf4b47f50dd4330 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 Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 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 Dimensions variable 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 Araminta With Rifle and Veve (ephemeral) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Ephermeral art New Jersey--Hamilton Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource A monumental outdoor figure of Harriet Tubman depicts her wearing a collared, long dress, holding a richly decorated rifle in her right hand—with its butt adored with flowers—and a colorfully beaded ceremonial staff called veve in her left. The statue is made of milled foam and coated with a bronze-colored patina. Tubman stands on a series of steps draped with numerous colorful quilts. The sculpture was installed at the Grounds for Sculpture from October 20, 2017-April 1, 2018. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scott, Joyce J., 1948- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/arts/design/joyce-j-scott-grounds-for-sculpture-harriet-tubman.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryan Anselm</a> for the New York Times Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 20, 2017-April 1, 2018 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, New Jersey, 08619, 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 Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, New Jersey, 08619, United States Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Milled foam; Found objects; Blown glass; Mixed media appliqués; Beads Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Princethal, Nancy. "Inspired by Harriet Tubman: An Artist Takes Glass to Extremes." New York Times, January 4, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/arts/design/joyce-j-scott-grounds-for-sculpture-harriet-tubman.html Dube, Ilene. "I Was an Artist in Vitro": Joyce J. Scott and Her Darkly Beautiful Art. Hyperallergic, January 30, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://hyperallergic.com/423894/i-was-an-artist-in-vitro-joyce-j-scott-and-her-darkly-beautiful-art/. Sims, Lowery Stokes and Patterson Sims. Joyce J. Scott: Harriet Tubman and Other Truths. Exh. cat. Hamilton, NJ: Grounds for Sculpture, 2018. Souza, Gabriella. "Towering Figure: After Winning a McArthur Fellowship, Joyce J. Scott Charts New Artistic Territory." Baltimore Magazine, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/towering-figure-macarthur-fellowship-winner-joyce-j-scott-charts-new-artistic-territory/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Extent The size or duration of the resource. Dimensions variable References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Grounds for Sculpture; Lowery Stokes Sims; Patterson Sims; Seph Rodney; Robbye D. and Kevin Apperson; Jacqueline and Rene Copeland; Mike De Paola; Gordon and Lulie Gund; Greg Kucera and Larry Yocum; Barbara Lawrence and Allen Laskin; Martha Macks-Kahn; Henry Thaggert; Alan White; Clifford Ward (resident artist Grounds for Sculpture); Jeff Capes (contractor); Jason Wright; The Seward Johnson Atelier (Hamilton, NJ); John Lash and the Digital Atelier (Mercerville, NJ); and Timothy McFadden and McFadden Art Glass (Baltimore, MD) beads figurative found objects quilt squares https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/19c814fb78284a827ddf5de2c1d1b5fb.jpg dafe75eab288e1b9572d94c662430506 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 Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 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 180 in. (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 Graffiti Harriet (ephemeral) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Scott, Joyce J., 1948- Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Ephemeral art New Jersey--Hamilton Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource A monumental sculpture of Harriet Tubman made of soil, clay, and straw, is scrawled with the words from Frederick Douglass. The sculpture was made from perishable materials, meant to dissolve over the winter. The artist Joyce Scott designed the sculpture so that only the beaded patchwork and gun would remain after the winter weather. The sculpture was installed at the Grounds for Sculpture from October 20, 2017-April 1, 2018. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/towering-figure-macarthur-fellowship-winner-joyce-j-scott-charts-new-artistic-territory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Morgan</a> for Baltimore Magazine Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 20, 2017 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, New Jersey, 08619, 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 Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, New Jersey, 08619, United States Extent The size or duration of the resource. 180 in. (457.2 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Soil; Clay; Straw; Resin gun with beads; Found objects Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Princethal, Nancy. "Inspired by Harriet Tubman: An Artist Takes Glass to Extremes." New York Times, January 4, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/arts/design/joyce-j-scott-grounds-for-sculpture-harriet-tubman.html. Dube, Ilene. "I Was an Artist in Vitro": Joyce J. Scott and Her Darkly Beautiful Art. Hyperallergic, January 30, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://hyperallergic.com/423894/i-was-an-artist-in-vitro-joyce-j-scott-and-her-darkly-beautiful-art/. Sims, Lowery Stokes and Patterson Sims. Joyce J. Scott: Harriet Tubman and Other Truths. Exh. cat. Hamilton, NJ: Grounds for Sculpture, 2018. Souza, Gabriella. "Towering Figure: After Winning a McArthur Fellowship, Joyce J. Scott Charts New Artistic Territory." Baltimore Magazine, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/towering-figure-macarthur-fellowship-winner-joyce-j-scott-charts-new-artistic-territory/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Relation A related resource <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/14" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Araminta With Rifle and Veve, Grounds for Sculpture</a> References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Grounds for Sculpture; Lowery Stokes Sims; Patterson Sims; Seph Rodney; Robbye D. and Kevin Apperson; Jacqueline and Rene Copeland; Mike De Paola; Gordon and Lulie Gund; Greg Kucera and Larry Yocum; Barbara Lawrence and Allen Laskin; Martha Macks-Kahn; Henry Thaggert; Alan White; Clifford Ward (resident artist Grounds for Sculpture); Jeff Capes (contractor); Jason Wright; The Seward Johnson Atelier (Hamilton, NJ); John Lash and the Digital Atelier (Mercerville, NJ); and Tim McFadden and McFadden Art Glass (Baltimore, MD) beads figurative found objects https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2294ea039d60a70659dcbef75a84579e.jpg 6505b2df45ad3ed5b33a82d20bd12c72 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/8e5b36572bf021d60140d140d1ffb9d9.jpg bfcc76e7eadc3ddf2f1cc4d41ef553dd 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 United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater 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 108 in. (274.32 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 African American Monument (Vicksburg, Mississippi) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Mississippi--Vicksburg United States Colored Troops United States--Mississippi--Vicksburg National Military Park Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Located at the Vicksburg National Military Park, the monument depicts three bronze figures, two United States Colored Troops soldiers and a shirtless civilian field hand wearing suspenders, trousers, and a straw hat. The field hand and one of the soldiers support a second soldier, who has been wounded in the Vicksburg Campaign. The USCT soldiers played a key role in the Union victory at Milken's Bend on June 7, 1863. The statue rests on a black granite base inscribed with a text that honors their service. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sessums, J. Kim, 1958- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=109350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historical Marker Database</a> and the National Park Service Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 14, 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource State of Mississippi; City of Vicksburg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource National Parks Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20240, 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 Vicksburg National Military Park, 3201 Clay St, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 39183, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on base: Commemorating the service of the 1st and 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiments, African descent and all Mississippians of African descent who participated in the Vicksburg Campaign. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 108 in. (274.32 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Black African granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. National Park Service. "African American Monument." Vicksburg National Military Park. Brochure. Accessed March 2, 2026. https://www.npshistory.com/publications/vick/brochures/african-american-monument.pdf. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater black granite bronze Civil War figurative inscription https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d41857e1a7f0604f95ccd2dd96405304.jpg 55406df3e19380b1498d93c6fda0c845 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 Resistance Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this section commemorate the enslaved and free men and women who resisted bondage and worked to end the institution of slavery. In her book, The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition (2016), historian Manisha Sinha examines the long history of Black resistance to chattel slavery. Resistance to enslavement took many forms—from rebellions aboard slave ships and on plantations to the enslaved slowing the pace of work, breaking tools, feigning illness, and escaping from bondage. The works in this section honor these diverse histories of resistance. The <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amistad Memorial</a> in New Haven, Connecticut, recognizes Sengbe Pieh, who led a revolt of abducted Africans against their captors on the Spanish slave ship, the Amistad; the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1159" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Three Rebel Queens of the Virgin Islands</a> in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, celebrates the women of the Fireburn Revolt of 1878; and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1156" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaspar Yanga</a> statue highlights a seventeenth-century self-emancipated leader of a maroon colony near Veracruz, Mexico. In the near future, we will add more commemorative works from the Caribbean to this theme including monuments and memorials in Antigua, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. 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. 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 Desenkadená/Unchained (Willemstad, Curaçao) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Curaçao--Willemstad Public art Public sculpture Resistance Slave insurrections--Curaçao Slavery--Curaçao Slavery--The Netherlands Transatlantic slave trade Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The over life-size bronze sculptural group depicts three figures, two men and one woman. As the title of the work, Desenkadená (Unchained) suggests, the figures are breaking free from the chains that bind their wrists. The central figure is flanked by a man and woman, both of whom gaze at him as he breaks their chains. The “chain breaker,” a muscular, semi-nude man, stands in front of an anvil. Simon captures the figure mid-swing as he raises a hammer over his head with his right hand. In his left hand he holds iron chains in place with a chisel. The work commemorates the 1795 slave rebellion led by an enslaved person called Tula. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Simon, Nel, 1938- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 17, 1998 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 Parke Lucha pa Libertat, John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Willemstad, Curaçao Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Tula Monument Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. 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 Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nationaal_monument_Desenkandená,_Parke_di_Lucha_pa_Libertat.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikimedia Commons</a> Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Conduru, Roberto. "Transnational Counter-monuments: Anti-Slavery and Pro-Freedom Memorials." ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America, July 30, 2021. Accessed January 28, 2026, https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/transnational-counter-monuments/ CIPDH-UNESCO. "Desenkadená." Memorias Situadas: Sites of Memory Related to Serious Human Rights Violations. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://www.cipdh.gob.ar/memorias-situadas/en/lugar-de-memoria/desenkadena/ "The Making of the Tula Monument Curaçao by Nel Simon, 1996-1997." YouTube. Accessed February 26, 2026. https://youtu.be/R5TIUbo6aag. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Government of Curaçao Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Cultural Affairs Department, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, 24-26 Schouwburgweg, Willemstad, Curaçao bronze chains figurative manacles https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e32a210f39d1e4c462eb8eb7dd520d87.JPG 9debabba74510aec7d964631f5603e7d https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/6da7d002d202e2ddb9ee6af1cbddd03f.JPG 565efe4ecbd684a276ff5f01115eca0c https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/26e685e6e420d81f7fa83cd6268ddb4b.JPG c23f6796d9f6756c68907efec9c46e02 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/933aa76f1737b289e92fc9fbe96755aa.JPG 49bb2456c67e8a4be14bd14379a6ac28 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/96d641e3c8e5857be470fac6e923da4d.JPG 8dc82e7a3ab0501e9a4a0cf536ad0603 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/fd1880a8c6ea6e2060453dbc083f73b5.JPG ef6e737e40221a0f30c6984ef2ce1720 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 Transatlantic Slave Trade Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource This collection focuses on commemorative works dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, between ten million and twelve million enslaved Africans were forcibly taken across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The Middle Passage refers to the Atlantic route between Africa and the Americas that was part of the transatlantic slave trade. Historians believe that between 15 and 25 percent of the enslaved Africans perished aboard the overcrowded, unsanitary slave ships. The works in this thematic group address the violence and trauma of the transatlantic slave trade in various ways. Monuments such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1137" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ark of Return</a> on the grounds of the United Nations in New York City, and <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Middle Passage Monument</a> in St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, use abstraction to commemorate the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. Other memorials such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumbukumbu Ya Historia Ya Watumwa</a> in Stone Town, Zanzibar, and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atorkor Slave-Trade Memorial</a> (Atorkor, Ghana), use figuration to evoke human presence. Memorialization efforts from Senegal to present-day Nigeria are tied to The Slave Route Project run by UNESCO. Launched in 1994 in Ouidah, Benin, the Slave Route Project has three primary objectives: <ul> <li>Contribute to a better understanding of the causes, forms of operation, stakes and consequences of slavery in the world (Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Asia).</li> <li>Highlight the global transformations and cultural interactions that have resulted from this history.</li> <li>Contribute to a culture of peace by promoting reflection on inclusion, cultural pluralism, intercultural dialogue and the construction of new identities and citizenships. (See https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-rights-inclusion/slave-route#isc)</li> </ul> One way that The Slave Route Project fulfills its mission is to engage in "the preservation and promotion of sites and itineraries of memory related to the slave trade and slavery." Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura and Renée Ater 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 Kumbukumbu Ya Historia Ya Watumwa/Memory for the Slaves (Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons Slave market--Zanzibar Slave trade--Indian Ocean Slavery--Zanzibar Tanzania--Zanzibar--Stone Town Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Created by the Swedish artist Clara Sörnäs at the Bagamoyo Arts and Cultural Institute, the monument includes five nude torsos of enslaved Africans who emerge from stone pillars. The surface of the pillars is rough and a pebbled texture that resembles the stones that fill the concrete pit that surround the five figures. The five cast concrete figures, all but one of whom are chained around the neck, are located on the site of the last slave market in Africa in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sörnäs, Clara, 1966- 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 Christ Church, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Slave+Chambers/@-6.1645032,39.1926727,18z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x185cd059318257d9:0x73091b66b9d70cd2!2sAnglican+Cathedral!8m2!3d-6.1629403!4d39.1926016!3m4!1s0x185cd05ecaed09bb:0x7840e2a061706433!8m2!3d-6.1634083!4d39.1925146"></a> Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Concrete; Iron Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Rhodes, Daniel T. "History, Materialization, and Presentation of Slavery in Tanzania." Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage 7, no. 2 (2018): 165-191. Fouéré, Marie-Aude. "Museumizing the Slave Trade and Slavery in Zanzibar: Truth, Untruth, and Uncertainty at the Old Slave Market." Ethnologie française 50 (2020): 109-124. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://shs.cairn.info/journal-ethnologie-francaise-2020-1-page-109?lang=en. Sansone, Livio and Wilson Profírio Nicaquela. "O Futuro da Mémoria da Escravidão no Índico: Lembrar e Esquecer na Ilha de Moçambique e Zanzibar." Afro-Ásia no. 71 (2025): 1-46. (The Future of the Memory of Slavery in the Indian Ocean: Remembering and Forgetting on the Island of Mozambique and Zanzibar) 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 Adrienne Childs Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1998 Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Signage: Kumbukumbu Ya Historia Ya Watumwa Memory for the Slaves Sponsored by Benot Ulin Tanzania Cigarette Company Boliden Contech Adea Brown Boveri Okanska Owed Fund Ericsson Made by Clara Sörnäs at Sculpture Project Bagamoyo: 1997-98 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Benot Ulin; Tanzania Cigarette Company; Boliden Contech; Adea Brown Boveri; Okanska; Owed Fund; Ericsson; Bagamoyo Arts and Cultural Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Mnazi Mmoja, Zanzibar, P. O. Box 2277, Zanzibar chains concrete iron shackles https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/72f062626ca5c8065626573ba8186322.jpg 8d0138c991edbd2475e46f2aabd9bb47 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 African American History Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials grouped under this theme acknowledge the important contributions of African Americans to American history. Slavery is anchored in the commemorative works as part of the larger story of Black existence in the United States. Some monuments, such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1133" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Carolina African-American History Monument</a> and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1134" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas African American History Memorial</a>, include bas-reliefs of enslaved men and women, signaling these states' role in slavery. Other memorials such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truths that Rise from the Roots Remembered</a>, honor the ability of ordinary Black people in Alexandria, Virginia (a slave trade center in the United States) to survive and thrive despite slavery, racism, and white supremacy.  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 Approx: 132 in. (335.28 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 African-American Monument (Savannah, Georgia) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Georgia--Savannah Public art Public sculpture Slavery--Georgia Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Situated on the tourist promenade of River Street, the monument depicts a Black family in contemporary dress. The father, mother, daughter, and son stand on broken chains, holding one another in a tight embrace. Along the base are engravings of ocean waves and two sets of manacled hands. Words by the poet Maya Angelou are inscribed on the granite base. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Spradley, Dorothy, 1946- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 27, 2002 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Abigail Jordan and the African American Monument Association. 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 John Rousakis Riverfront Plaza, Savannah, Georgia, 31401, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on granite base: “We were stolen, sold and bought together from the African continent. We got on the slave ships together. We lay back to belly in the holds of the slave ships in each other’s excrement and urine together, sometimes died together, and our lifeless bodies thrown overboard together. Today, we are standing up together, with faith and even some joy.” Maya Angelou Bronze plaque with inscription on base: Please help the African American Monument Association Cover the debt for the African American Monument CONTRIBUTIONS MAY BE SENT TO: National Bank of Commerce 2225 E Victory Drive Savannah, GA 31404 or call 912-354-4634 FEDERAL ID NO. 58-1944952 Plaque courtesy of the Savannah College of Art and Design Bronze plaque with inscription added in 2019: The African American Monument Dedicated July 27, 2002 In Honor Of Dr. Abbie H. Jordan (1925-2019) Educator, Leader, Trailblazer, and Community Activist Dr. Jordan’s vision, tenacity, and financial contributions were the driving force that ensured the Savannah Waterfront was the home of the first statue in Savannah that honors African Americans. The Consortium of Doctors, Ltd., an organization that Dr. Jordan founded in 1991, made significant contributions to this effort. Sculptress: Dorothy Spradley This plaque unveiled July 26, 2019 Extent The size or duration of the resource. 132 in. (335.28 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:African-American_family_monument,_Savannah,_GA,_US.jpg" title="African-American Monument Savannah" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>Photograph: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:African-American_family_monument,_Savannah,_GA,_US.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikipedia</a> 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. “Slavery and Its Memory in Public Monuments.” American Art 24, no. 1 (2010): 20-23. Alderman, Derek H. “Surrogation and the Politics of Remembering Slavery in Savannah, Georgia (USA).” Journal of Historical Geography 36 (2010): 90–101. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Greenscapes Division, Public Works & Water Resources, City of Savannah, 2 East Bay Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31401, United States bronze chains figurative granite inscription shackles 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 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/9b907a31a383b1fcf85ff2275c69d3cb.jpg ee68d658b77170a5cfabbde88db2af56 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 72 in. (182.88 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 The Bench by the Road (Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Enslaved persons Middle Passage Slavery--South Carolina South Carolina--Sullivan’s Island Transatlantic slave trade Subject (Name) Morrison, Toni, 1931-2019 Subject (Object) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The Toni Morrison Society launched the Benches by the Road project on February 18, 2006, in honor of Toni Morrison’s 75th birthday. On July 28, 2008, the Toni Morrison Society dedicated the first Bench by the Road on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, as part of their memorial history and community outreach initiative to honor the lives of enslaved Africans. The bench is made of black steel and features a sturdy frame with curved elements along the slatted backrest and seat. A small bronze plaque is mounted at the center of the backrest, displaying the site’s name, the sponsoring organization, and the installation date. Nearby, a bronze marker embedded in the pavement includes a quotation from Morrison, and a description of the project. Since 2008, the Society have installed 32 benches throughout the United States, one in Martinique, and another in France. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Toni Morrison Society Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ronc-photography/7759485844/in/photolist-cQG3kw-9Sffcv-cPFoNG-cPFpp5-74tQZH-74xKqU-6pgxJY-6pcpak-74tQWc-2hoavZi-6pgwNS-6pcoPZ-6pcpy4-cPhJ6A-cPjBE5-4gvb6F-WMKEh4-WMKDQ2-cQG3zQ-WMKE8B-WMKE12-2ho8Hgs-74xKkG-6pcpj6-74tQQZ-2hoaBrR-74xKjw-9SfeX2-9SfeGv-9S4qTu-2ho8NoX-74tR5K-74yJoU-6pcpFi-cSENK5-74tQGP-2hoawum-2ho8KVL-2ho8JKV-6pcpHF-2ho8JuQ-7DkPhs-6pcpKk-74tRhV-74tRcH-2iuRveD-74tR8Z-2iuU2VN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron Cogswell, Flickr, CC BY 2.0</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 28, 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Toni Morrison Society; National Park Service Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Toni Morrison Society, Inc., P.O. Box 54346, Atlanta, 30308, Georgia, 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 Fort Moultrie Visitor Center, 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, 29482-9717, United States Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. The thirty-four benches are in the following locations in order of installation: Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina (July 26, 2008); Site on the Underground Railroad in Oberlin, Ohio (April 23, 2009); Mississippi Freedom School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (October 9, 2009); Paris, France (November 6, 2010); Caesar Robbins House in Concord, Massachusetts (May 21, 2011); George Washington University in Washington, D.C. (September 21, 2011); First Congregational Church in Atlanta, Georgia (May 27, 2012); Mitchellville Freedom Park in Hilton Head, South Carolina (April 16, 2016); Walden Woods in Lincoln, Massachusetts (May 22, 2013); Fort-de France, Martinique (June 26, 2013); Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania (April 24, 2014); Margaret Walker Center in Jackson, Mississippi (April 10, 2015); Middleton, Delaware (April 17, 2015); Middleton, Delaware (April 17, 2015); Nyack, New York (May 18, 2015); Hosana AUMP Church in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (September 18, 2015); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (February 6, 2016); Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center in Atlanta, Georgia (February 28, 2016); Cozad-Bates House in Cleveland, Ohio (April 24, 2016); Schomburg Library in Harlem, New York (July 24, 2016); Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2017); Adrian, Michigan (October 20, 2017); Southview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia (April 7, 2018); Home of Frederick Douglass in New Bedford, Massachusetts (September 16, 2018); Howard University in Washington, D.C. (April 5, 2019); Lincoln University in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (November 14, 2019); Cartersville Train Depot in Cartersville, Georgia (October 10, 2020); Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 17, 2020); Mabel Little Heritage House in Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 17, 2020); Old 8th Ward in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (April 27, 2021); Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma (July 29, 2021); Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury Connecticut (September 19, 2021); A&M University in Prairie View, Texas (March 19, 2024); and, Marietta, Georgia (June 19, 2024). Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black steel Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. 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. Toni Morrison Society. “The Official Website of the Toni Morrison Society | Bench by the Road.” Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.tonimorrisonsociety.org/bench.html. Lee, Felicia R. “Toni Morrison’s on Sullivan’s Island: A Bench of Memory at Slavery’s Gateway.” The New York Times, July 29, 2008. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/arts/design/28benc.html?st=cse&oref=slogin&scp=2&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 72 in. (182.88 cm) Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the naming plate of first bench in South Carolina: A BENCH BY THE ROAD Placed by the Toni Morrison Society Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina July 26, 2008 Inscription on a plaque near the monument contextualizing the project: A BENCH BY THE ROAD There is no place you or I can go, to think about or not think about, to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves; nothing that reminds me of the ones who made the journey and of those who did not make it. There is no suitable memorial or plaque or wreath or well or park or skyscraper lobby. There’s no 300-foot tower. There’s no small bench by the road. Toni Morrison 1989 The bench by the Road Project was launched by the Toni Morrison Society in honor of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. The first bench is placed in memory of the enslaved Africans who perished during the Middle Passage and those who arrived on Sullivan’s Island, a major point of entry for Africans who entered the U.S. during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Nearly half of all African Americans have ancestors who passed through Sullivan’s Island. July 26, 2008 Toni Morrison Society, Inc. bench inscription