Monuments and Memory

What will tomorrow’s commemorations tell us about America?

A multicolored painted totem pole set in front of a foggy forest landscape
The Kaagwaantaan totem pole, created by carver Nicholas Galanin, Tlingit/Unangax Master Artist, depicts crests from the Kaagwaantaan tribe, including Killer Whale mounted on a clan hat, a clan member, Killer Whale, Eagle, and Bear. Photo: Acacia Johnson for Mellon Foundation

Monuments are how we honor our collective history—yet many people who have shaped society with their compelling histories remain excluded. Our commemorative landscape is a place where we can build shared understanding. Enriching it with untold stories fosters a more complete telling of who we are as a nation and who we can be in the future.

An aerial view of Cementerio Del Barrio de los Lipanes
Big Bend Conservation Alliance
In Far West Texas, a Sacred Burial Site is Reclaimed Through Partnership and Perseverance
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Two people in a sunlit room. One person with a beard is perched on a stool; the other is standing next to the seated person. On the wall are framed works of art showing different figures.
Movers & Shakers Foundation
New Technology Opens Doors to Meet People and Places of Our Past
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Gif of an intricately painted totem pole in red and green set in front of a harbor with four cruise ships anchored in it
Sealaska Heritage Institute
Explore Kootéeyaa Deiyí, the growing totem trail on Alaska’s waterfront
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Headshot of Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander
President

“How can we transform our commemorative landscape so that it accurately conveys complexity of our history and the inspiration that is possible in public spaces?”

About The Monuments Project 

$500M

The Monuments Project

A commitment to expand the nation’s commemorative landscape by supporting public projects that help represent the complexity of American stories.

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A group of young Native American school children dressed in uniforms in a classroom
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Reckoning with the Devastating Legacy of Federal Indian Boarding School Policies
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In black and white, a line of Asian individuals of all ages stand in front of a pillar. In big black letters, three Japanese Kanji characters read "Soul Consoling Tower." A young child looks back towards the camera.
University of Southern California
A Multimodal Memorial Remembers Japanese American WWII Incarceration
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The Washington Monument at sunset overlooking a group of blue sculptures sitting on the ground beneath it
Trust for the National Mall
With “Pulling Together,” Beyond Granite Breaks New Ground
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Three chairs set next to each other. The two on the ends have dark green fabric cushions. The middle is draped in a white cloth with a decorative floral wreath sitting propped up on it.
Forever Connected: The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument
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Written and performed by Ada Pinkston

Sneak Peek: A Tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer

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