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African Burial Ground Memorial Controversy
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 30, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 30, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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While federal officials finally selected a memorial design for the African Burial Ground, a Duane Street site where thousands of African-American skeletal remainds were found, many people were unhappy with the decision. Some heckled officials, complaining that the selected design by Rodney Leon of AARRIS Architects (rendering above) is too large and overwhelms the 5-acre plot. A preferred design is one by Cheryl McKissack of McKissack & McKissack, which leaves more of the ground in tact by having displays around the grounds. The opposition comes from the Committee of the Descendants of the Afrikan Ancestral Burial Ground, which claims that nothing was supposed to be built on the ground; supporters of the design, which include Representative Charles Rangel and Howard Dodson, told the Times "There's never been any question about whether or not a memorial should go on the site." There will probably be further discussions about which design is better, but given that it's been over a decade since the site has been found, it just goes to show that planning a memorial is a complex process, full of many opinions.
Tagged
african burial ground
charles rangel
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duane street
News: NYC
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Representative Charles Rangel
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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