How
 does
 slavery
 still 
effect 
race
relations 
in 
today’s 
society?
 We
 must
 look 
back 
on
 the 
past 
to 
build
 a
 stronger future.
 We
 cannot 
build
 a
 monument 
that 
will 
coarsen
 the 
historical
 understanding 
of
 slavery, 
nor
 bury
 it
 under
 national 
myths.

 We 
must 
avoid 
building 
a
 monument
 that
 invokes
 nothing 
other
 than
 a
 reflection
 of
 the
 structure 
it self.
 It 
needs
 to 
have 
an
 aesthetically
 pleasing
 form 
but
 share
 a 
deeper
 meaning
 than
 just
 a
s it e
marking.
 
A
 landmark 
celebrating
 the
 destruction
 of 
an
 old
 way
 of 
thinking 
may
be 
the
 best
 way 
to 
appreciate
 and 
remember
 slavery’s 
demise. 

A
re construction
 of 
the 
old 
may
 only 
encourage 
the 
public 
to
 forget 
what
 occurred 
in
 the 
past
 by 
creating 
a 
new
 idea
 to 
cling
 to. 
So,
 we
 must
 embrace
 the
 entire 
history
 of slavery.
 Their
 struggle 
would
 not
 have existed 
if 
they
 did
 not 
begin 
free,
 and 
emancipation 
would 
not 
have
 occurred 
if 
there 
was no 
struggle.


 
A
 deep 
path 
carved 
into 
Washington
 D.C.’s 
historical 
land 
will 
scar 
the 
land,
 leaving
 a
 constant 
reminder 
of 
slavery. 

An 
open 
wound 
will 
leave 
room 
for 
memories 
and
 reflections
 to 
fill 
it. 

Having 
even 
more 
of 
an 
effect
 is 
the 
road 
a 
path 
will 
freely 
cross
 in
 order 
to 
connect
 the 
memorial
 together.
 
The 
memorial 
is 
made 
up 
of 
three 
main 
concepts. 

The 
African 
people’s 
original
 freedom 
and 
livelihood,
 which 
then 
intersects 
with
 their
 struggle 
through 
slavery,and
 ends
 with 
path 
of 
emancipation 
and 
current
 life.


 
The
 original 
freedom
 path 
is 
parallel 
with 
the 
shore line 
of 
the 
Potomac 
River.

 
Open
 to
 nature, 
and 
unrestrained,
 a 
visitor 
enters 
into 
the
 arrangement
 of

 
trees 
and 
chooses 
their 
own 
path
 to 
arrive 
in 
the 
next
 section. 

Calm 
water

 lines 
each 
edge 
of 
the 
path 
signifying 
life 
and 
purity,
 while
 enforcing
 circulation. 

In 
this 
first 
path 
I 
wanted 
to 
solidify
 the 
fact
 that 
African’s
 lives
 before
 slavery 
was
 as 
free 
and
 open 
as 
they
 needed
 it 
be. 

With 
a 
constant
 view 
of 
the
 river, 
again 
the
 fact 
of 
life
 is 
assured 
to 
the 
viewer. 
At 
the 
end
 of
 the 
path, 
a 
dead 
tree 
is 
seen 
at 
the 
end 
of 
a 
row 
of 
straight 
trees.

 This
 signifies
 the 
beginning 
of 
slavery. 

Africans 
(the
 trees)
were
 stricken 
into
 a
 life 
of
 conformity 
until 
they
 would
 eventually 
lose
 their
 feeling
 of
 life
(leaves
 on
 the 
tree).

 With
 such
 an 
abrupt
 and 
unexpected
 ending
 I 
wanted
 the
 viewer 
to 
have 
a 
feeling 
of
 surprise 
and
 uneasiness.
 
Once 
the
 visitor 
enters
 into
 the
 second 
pathway, 
in 
line
 with
 the
 Martin
 Luther
 King
 Jr. 
Memorial,
 they 
immediately 
come 
upon 
another
 dead
 tree,
 but 
this
 one
 is
 encaged 
within 
metal
 scaffolding. 

This 
signifies 
the 
Africans
 torn 
spirit 
being
 shackled
 and
 forced
 into 
a 
life
 of
 constraint.
 The
 path
 decreases 
in 
elevation
 along 
its 
entire 
length 
to 
signify
 a
 decrease
 in
 humanity, 
a
 negative 
event.
 Concrete 
forms
 roll
over 
the
 cut
away
 landscape.
 Jagged 
and
 abrupt
 angles 
create 
uneasiness
 and 
vulnerability. 

Random 
metal
 rods 
project 
from 
the 
ground
 plane
 confining 
the
 visitor 
along
 a
 path 
implied
 by 
dangerous
 decisions.

 At the 
end
 of 
the 
path,
 the
 first 
signs 
of
 
emancipation 
are
 seen 
when
 the 
metal 
forms 
are
 casted
 off 
to
 the
 side 
and
 less
 of 
a 
problem. 

At 
the 
end
 of 
the
 path
 a
 visitor
 comes
 upon 
a
 large
 staircase.
 
The 
emancipation 
path
 begins
 parallel
 to 
the
 path 
of 
their 
original 
freedom,
 signifying 
they 
are 
again
 free 
and 
on
 the
 right 
path.
 A
 staircase
 increases
 in
 elevation 
until 
it
 levels 
out 
with
 the
 ground 
plane.

 This
 symbolizes 
the
 struggles 
the
 slaves 
had
 to
 face
 even 
after
 emancipation.
 While
 the 
path 
to
 freedom
 may
 have 
begun,
its
 still 
an 
up hill
 struggle 
until 
they 
finally 
arrive.

 At 
the 
end 
of 
the 
staircase 
begins 
a 
wooden
 ramp.

 This 
concludes
 the
 three‐ step 
concept 
I
 first 
introduced. 

Wood
 represents
 their 
ancestors. 

Visitors
 are
 supported 
along
 their
 path
 by
 the
 original 
Africans (trees).

Beneath
 the
 wooden 
walkway
 are
 two 
metal 
beams
 that 
represent 
the 
slaves 
victory
 over
 oppression. 

Their
 struggle 
is 
not
 gone, 
but
 instead
 it 
rests
 beneath
 them,
 always 
apparent, 
and
 acting
 as 
their 
backbone.

 Capping
 the
 end 
of 
the
 path 
is
 a
 circular
 pedestal
 that
 is 
encircled 
by 
wooden
 beams.

 This 
not 
only 
allows
 for 
a 
free
 360‐ degree
 view 
of 
the 
site, 
but 
it
 also 
is 
strengthened 
by 
the
 nature 
that
 originally 
made 
up 
their
 lives.
 
A
 three‐step 
program 
of
 freedom, 
oppression, 
and
 emancipation 
not 
only
 acts
 as 
a 
history 
lesson, 
but 
also
 best
 represents 
the
 how
 and 
why
 of
 slavery 
sometimes.