Eliciting New Visions for the Future of Confederate Memorials in the Triangle (2016)

Undergraduate: George Gildehaus

Faculty Advisor: David Pier
Department: Environmental Studies

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Controversy regarding confederate memorials in the triangle area has come to the forefront with the recent rise in concern about structural racism. Vocal activism has mostly centered on Silent Sam, but graffiti has also graced the memorials in Durham County and the state capital. Most opinions in print have focused on maintenance of the status quo or outright removal. Willingness to radically reimagine race relations and project a pro-black future in contrast with the present is a part of the afrofuturism movement. That spirit inspires this project. I stood in the pit at UNC with paper and markers, inviting passersby to re-envision the future of confederate memorials in the triangle area. This was not an effort to push an agenda or survey stances, but to open an outlet for radical imagination of what these public spaces could be with distance from the restraints of the current political climate. I collected eighty responses and analyzed them. Many of the people who responded were willing to fundamentally re-envision those spaces, but a few did suggest keeping all or part of the memorials the same. I categorized responses that projected similar images and created eight art pieces based on those emergent themes. They are greyscale photo collages that seek to make these new visions appear to be enshrined realities. My hope is that this demonstrates and inspires more openness to radical new possibilities in creating public spaces that serve our communities.