Haitian Architect Firm Leads the Way in Building African Burial Ground National Monument
Architects Nicole Hollant-Denis and Rodney Leon. Photo courtesy of AARIS Architects
By Cassandra VictorSpecial to The Haitian Times
NEW YORK — A cast of luminaries and celebrities descended in lower Manhattan last Friday to unveil a new monument to honor 400 African Americans who had been buried in the city. The African American National Monument drew writer Maya Angelou, actor Sidney Poitier and Mayor Michael Bloomberg."Bid 'em in,” poet Maya Angelou sang to the crowd assembled for the dedication, telling the story of the auctioning of a young girl, stripped naked on the block.The project, which consists of a 25-foot granite monument, was designed by the Haitian-American architect Rodney Léon, 38 who was chosen from 61 different proposals. Léon is the co-founder and partner of AARIS Architects.
It was a wonderful dedication,” says Nicole Hollant-Denis the firm other partner.The two Haitian Americans meet years ago through mutual friends and always discussed working together.
The $5 million project was commissioned by the federal government in 2005. The monument stands on a fraction of the 6.6 acres of burial ground where, according to the historians 15,000 to 20,000 people of African descent were laid to rest. This site is the oldest and largest burial site in North America according to the National Park Service. Some 419 remains were found during the construction of the Foley Square Federal Office building in 1991. Construction was halted in time to properly preserve the remains and a redesign of the building was ordered to provide adequate room for a memorial, and soon after on April 19, 1993 the site was designated Historic Landmark.
Photo courtesy of AARIS Architects.
The monument was discovered by chance by a construction firm and control of the site was then transferred to Professor Michael Blakey and his team at Howard University.The construction workers who stumbled across the site "brought to light one of the most uncomfortable and tragic truths in the history of our city,” Bloomberg said. "Part of atoning for such a terrible injustice is to acknowledge it.”As part of the dedication ceremonies, Elk Street was officially renamed African Burial Ground Way. Many speakers lamented the lack of recognition that those buried there had experienced in life and after death, and they vowed to make the memorial a permanent reminder of their sacrifices. They also recognize how Africans were able to contribute to the physical, cultural and spiritual development of Lower Manhattan during the 17th and 18th centuries."All of us are being 'bidded in' according to how we forget you,” Angelou said, referring to those interred beneath seven grassy mounds alongside the memorial. "And we will not forget you."
Source: http://www.haitiantimes.com/leftcolumn.html
