Thank you for registering for the 2024 Monument Lab Summit livestream. You can find the livestream schedule and other information here. Not yet registered? Livestream passes are still available for all keynotes and panels here until July 19th. All registered attendees will receive a zoom link via email.
Please check this webpage regularly for schedule updates and announcements.
[Updated: July 16, 2024]
DAY 1: Thursday, July 18
Welcome: Past is Presence
10:00 AM–11:00 AM
Remarks: Paul Farber (Director, Monument Lab), Elizabeth Alexander (President, Mellon Foundation), Tiffany Tavarez (Board Chair, Monument Lab), and Yolanda Wisher (Senior Curator, Monument Lab)
Keynote Conversation – Getting Word: Origins & Outcomes of Our Nation’s Founding
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Explore the untold stories and lasting impacts of America's founding through the lens of diverse narratives and historical truths, reshaping our understanding of national identity and justice.
Poem: Kai Davis (Philadelphia Poet Laureate, 2024-25)
Moderator: Justin Garrett Moore (Program Director, Humanities in Place, Mellon Foundation)
Keynote Speakers: Erica Armstrong Dunbar (Writer, Historian, Lecturer) and Andrew M. Davenport (Director of African American History & The Getting Word African American Oral History Project, Thomas Jefferson Foundation’s Monticello)
Panel – Possible Futures: Visions of Democracy & Belonging
1:30 PM–2:30 PM
Envision democratic societies that foster belonging and equity, highlighting innovative approaches to public engagement and community-building.
Poem: Alexis Pauline Gumbs, “kapoi” (Writer, Dramaturg, Facilitator, 2024 Monument Lab Fellow)
Moderator: Wit López (Artist, Community Archivist, Radical Social Change Philanthropist)
Panelists: Paul Ramírez Jonas (Artist; Professor, Cornell University), Laura Huerta Migus (Deputy Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services), and Jane Golden (Executive Director, Mural Arts Philadelphia)
Break
2:30 PM–2:50 PM
Panel – Mapping Memory: Communing with the Landscape
2:50 PM–3:50 PM
Consider how landscapes serve as living archives of memory and history, and learn about the collaborative efforts to preserve and interpret these spaces for future generations.
Poem: Imani Jacqueline Brown, “Black Ecologies: an opening, an offering” (excerpt)(Artist, Activist, Curator, Writer, Architectural Researcher, 2024 Monument Lab Fellow)
Moderator: Anna Arabindan-Kesson (Art Historian, Writer, Co-Curator, Declaration House)
Panelists: Niya Bates (Public and Architectural Historian), and Dr. Joy Banner (Co-Founder and Co-Director, The Descendants Project) and Jo Banner (Co-Founder and Co-Director, The Descendants Project)
Break
3:50 PM–4:10 PM
Panel – Courage & Healing: What Do We Do With the Ghosts?
4:10 PM–5:10 PM
Delve into the complex process of addressing historical trauma through art and public memory, exploring pathways to communal healing and reconciliation.
Poem: Fady Joudah, “Dear […]” (Poet, Physician, 2024 Monument Lab Fellow)
Moderator: Arielle Julia Brown (Performance Curator and Cultural Producer, Black Spatial Relics)
Panelists: Michelle Browder (Artist, Activist, Creator of Mothers of Gynecology Monument), Cannupa Hanska Luger (Artist, 2024 Monument Lab Fellow), Patrick Weems (Executive Director, Emmett Till Interpretive Center)
Break
5:10 PM-5:30 PM
Keynote Conversation – From Declaration to Reclamation & Back
5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Reflect on the journey from the foundational ideals of the Declaration of Independence to contemporary efforts of historical reclamation and reinterpretation, highlighting the ongoing quest for justice and inclusion.
Poem & Moderator: Yolanda Wisher (Senior Curator, Monument Lab)
Keynote Speakers: Sonya Clark (Lead Artist, Declaration House) and Dr. Jane Kamensky (President, Thomas Jefferson Foundation)
DAY 2: Friday, July 19
Keynote – Reimagining Commemoration
6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Learn how modern commemorative practices can honor diverse histories and narratives, fostering a more inclusive and accurate representation of our shared past.
Poem: Trapeta B. Mayson (Philadelphia Poet Laureate Emerita)
Welcome: Paul Farber (Director, Monument Lab)
Keynote Speaker: Elizabeth Alexander (President, Mellon Foundation)
Moderator: Salamishah Tillet (Scholar, Activist, Critic, Curator)
Livstream FAQ’s
When will I receive my zoom links for the event?
Zoom links will be sent to attendees the day before Summit (July 17th). Eventbrite will also send links to registered folks 30 minutes before we start on Day One.
I registered for the livestream but didn’t get a Zoom link. Who do I contact?
Email [email protected] with your name and ticket confirmation number for support. We will reply in a timely manner.
Can I share my zoom link with other people?
We encourage all livestream attendees to register if they haven’t done so already on our Eventbrite to receive a zoom link and unique information about our event.
Will these live streams be recorded and shared?
All panels and keynotes will be recorded and shared via email at a later date, stay tuned for updates!
Can I purchase a livestream ticket while the event is going on?
Yes! Livestream tickets are available for purchase until July 19th at 7:30pm - click here to register.