Client: Action Greensboro

Overview

These twin monuments pay homage to Freedom Fighters in North America of African ancestry. Commissioned in 2019 by Action Greensboro of Greensboro NC as one of the Greensboro Greenway artist projects, these twin monuments are located in the Ole Asheboro community the artist grew up in. They stand as a testimony to the tenacity of the human spirit to prevail and to rise above the obstacles of discrimination and hatred. Each monument has a text panel with statements by three residents of the community. This work is a contribution to the ongoing Civil Rights Movement in North America and can be seen as a contribution to the global human rights initiative.

Goals

The Greensboro Greenway Project is a 4.5 mile pedestrian loop around the heart of the City of Greensboro, NC. The intent is to provide the city with an intentional pedestrian pathway with art features. This particular work of art, created by a previous resident, adds dimension to the community's history by speaking to the historical plight of descendants of Africans living in America. It is possibly the only true culture rich commentary along the greenway.

Process

There were a number of community stakeholder meetings organized by the Action Greensboro team.
These meetings were facilitated by a consultant, Bob Powell, Jr. There was also the involvement of an oversight committee who had representatives attend the meetings. The artful handling of these stakeholder community meetings was an educational process for me.
With thanks to Powell we were able to navigate through the different views and arrive at a consensus that worked within the project budget.

Additional Information

The two text panels on the monuments contain statements by three residents of the community. Two of these community members, both women activists, were deceased at the time of the commission and were long-time key figures in the community. I am the third statement contributor for the text panels.