There’s the significance of the specific place—that’s what the Park Service does so well.

A park ranger at Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Springfield, Illinois. Photo: Don Sniegowski

A park ranger climbs stairs that lead to a classical building with columns. The spaces adjacent to the stairs are landscaped and grassy.

NPS-Mellon Foundation Humanities Fellow Mia Carey work explored the history and meaning of Black womanhood at historic sites.

A Black humanities fellow holds up a frame that is like an outline of a crest representing the logo of the National Park Service.

I know what gaps there were and what areas I could use my skills to improve it.

Monuments are not eternal, static objects. They change over time.

The Patriots of African Descent Monument in Pennsylvania. Photo: courtesy National Park Service/G. Purifoy

Labor movement leader César Chávez at his California home, which is now a national monument. Photo: courtesy National Park Service