New D.C. memorials in the works to honor diverse locals
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A proposed design for a memorial commemorating the enslaved people who built the U.S. Capitol. Image: Courtesy of Michael Janis, rendering by AECOM
D.C. is planning four new memorials to celebrate diverse Washingtonians across the city.
The big picture: The memorials are part of Commemorate DC, a District program working to bring public art installations honoring locals of color to neighborhoods where these types of works tend to be less concentrated.
- They will be located in Petworth, Langdon, Deanwood, and Congress Heights.
Why it matters: Most of D.C.'s current memorials and monuments are located in the center of the city and around the Mall, and many don't feature the stories of Black Washingtonians or other people of color, says D.C. Office of Planning director Anita Cozart, who chairs the Commemorative Works Committee that approves the projects.
What they're saying: "I'm a [Black woman and a] mom, and the idea that my two young boys, [ages] 4 and 6, can travel through the city and see in a public space something that reflects their experience, something for them to look up to, is really very inspiring," says Cozart.
- She adds that the group also wants to reimagine what monuments and memorials look like — not your standard statue, but rather visual art installations that are playable and interactive.
How it works: Commemorate DC partners with community groups like Business Improvement Districts or citizen's associations to identify subjects and sites for the projects.
- Then, they partner with the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities to find local artists to design them.
The project is part of the broader, longstanding Commemorative Works Program, which approves more formal memorials to D.C.'s history like the Wilson Building's Marion Barry statue and Shaw's Carter G. Woodson memorial.
- Commemorate DC, meanwhile, launched in 2022 to facilitate local groups getting the resources necessary to bring these kinds of works into their own neighborhoods.
State of play: The four new projects are in the design phase, and the public can check out initial concepts and provide input about which they like best:
- Ward 4: Honoring the DC Caribbean Festival, at the intersection of Georgia Avenue, Arkansas Avenue, and Farragut Street NW.
- Ward 5: Honoring the enslaved people who built the U.S. Capitol, at the intersection of Bladensburg Road, Douglas Street, and 28th Street NE.
- Ward 7: Honoring Black entrepreneurs of Deanwood, at Lederer Gardens.
- Ward 8: Honoring the late former Mayor Marion Barry's Summer Youth Employment Program, at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue SE.
What's ahead: While there's no timeline for when the works will be completed, final designs should be approved by September, says an Office of Planning spokesperson.
In the meantime, check out existing commemorative works already in place across the city, like the Dorothy Height mural in Congress Heights and the bronze medallions honoring Black musicians in front of the Howard Theatre.
