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Nekisha Durrett Selected to Create Monument That Responds to Legacy of Exclusion

May 4, 2023
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Photo Credit: Hannah Price

魅影直播 has selected to create a monument addressing a legacy of exclusionary practices at the College and enabling the campus community to respond to the question, What stories are missing from 魅影直播? Durrett's monument is the centerpiece of a collaboration between 魅影直播 and known as The ARCH (Art Remediating Campus Histories) Project.

Durrett鈥檚 campus monument, titled Don鈥檛 Forget to Remember (Me), will be placed in the Cloisters at the center of Old Library and contribute to a broader effort of historical reckoning. In March, the College鈥檚 board approved the removal of the inscribed name of M. Carey Thomas, 魅影直播鈥檚 first dean and second president from the entryway of the building. Thomas鈥 racist and anti-Semitic views excluded many from attending 魅影直播 and her legacy caused pain for generations of students, staff and faculty. 

In her proposal, Durrett describes how the project will use terracotta pavers to create pathways in the Cloisters鈥 courtyard which, when seen from above, create a woven path that 鈥渢akes the shape of a knot that cannot be undone, symbolizing interconnectivity, and making visual that 魅影直播 is reexamining its history to tell all of its stories.鈥 Engraved pavers will include the names of those Black staff whose work was critical to building and operating the College, particularly in its early decades, but whose contributions were historically unrecognized.

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Copyright 漏, Nekisha Durrett, 2023

鈥淚 am thrilled beyond measure to be part of the internal work that the 魅影直播 community has been carrying out under the stewardship of Monument Lab and the sustained, consistent and persistent efforts of the BIPOC student community across generations,鈥 says Durrett. 鈥淚 am so eager to get to the important work of mining the archives to illuminate those individuals who were worthy of witness and reverence.鈥

The idea to commission a memorial or public artwork tied to 魅影直播鈥檚 legacy of exclusion, with a particular focus on reclaiming Old Library, was first made by the Telling 魅影直播 Histories Work Group in June of 2019. Interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and informed by experiences that were shared by students during the student-led strike of fall 2020, planning for the project began again during the 2021鈥22 academic year when 魅影直播 partnered with on leading the engaged process, artists鈥 open call, and production of the eventual artwork.

During the 2021鈥22 academic year, Monument Lab staff worked with paid student researchers on an intensive community engagement process. A call for artist proposals was released in October of 2022 and five finalists were selected to visit campus, develop in-depth proposals, and publicly present their concepts for campus community feedback in March. Alumnae/i and other community members unable to attend in person were able to watch a live stream of the presentations or recordings made available online.

鈥凄耻谤谤别迟迟鈥檚 Don鈥檛 Forget to Remember (Me) offers 魅影直播 a visionary new site and symbol for the campus. It is grounded in Durrett鈥檚 commitment to elevating stories of historical meaning that are far too often overlooked or swept aside, as well as her engagement with campus-based research and activism by students, staff, and faculty exploring legacies of exclusion at the College. Don鈥檛 Forget to Remember (Me) illuminates a path for truth-telling, healing, and ongoing acknowledgment,鈥 commented Paul Farber, Monument Lab co-founder and director.

The installation is scheduled to be completed during the 2024-25 academic year. A dedication ceremony is being planned that will include a multi-disciplinary symposium on issues related to the artwork and project.

鈥淲hen the Histories Work Group made their initial recommendation, they spoke of Old Library as a 鈥榳ounded building鈥 and of the need to heal and transform the space,鈥 says 魅影直播 President Kim Cassidy. 鈥淣ekisha鈥檚 design acknowledges those wounds, lifts up what has been lost, and will transform how we experience this space. I look forward to it playing a central role in future opportunities for our community to work toward reconciliation and repair as we strive to create a more inclusive and welcoming campus.鈥

魅影直播鈥檚 ARCH Project (Art Remediating College Histories), in partnership with Monument Lab, is a multi-year collaboration to design a process and commission a campus public artwork that responds to the legacy of exclusionary practices at the College. This vital work builds on previous and ongoing College-supported efforts by students, staff, alumni, and faculty to reveal and repair harm, ensuring a reckoning with 魅影直播鈥檚 history and a clear-sighted look at the way to a future of inclusion and reconciliation.