How we shape our public monuments shapes us | Imari Paris Jeffries | TEDxBoston

TL;DR

The Embrace is the largest bronze American-made statue and represents an important community-focused project with a companion app for accessibility.

Transcript

never in my wildest dreams would I think that I would be a part of building a monument you know we built something special we built something incredible this is the largest bronze americanmade statue in our country the largest bronze statue only second to the Statue of Liberty when I think about the community involvement we had 30 Community meeting... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Monuments are deeply personal and can evoke powerful emotions and memories in individuals.
• 🙈 Not all monuments will be universally liked, and public backlash is possible, as seen in the case of the Embrace.
• 🥠 Monuments can function as analog cookies, shaping societal values and affecting issues beyond their physical representation.
• 🥰 There is an opportunity to create new monuments of love, belonging, and equity instead of monuments of hate, war, and subjugation.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the Embrace project involve the community in its creation?

The Embrace project held 30 community meetings and had a national call for proposals, with 126 submissions. The final decision was made by the community through a voting process, ensuring broad involvement in the project.

Q: What is the significance of the Embrace app?

The Embrace app is designed to make the monument more accessible. It translates the experience into multiple languages, including Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Mandarin. It also provides features for visually impaired individuals to experience the monument.

Q: How did the public react to the Embrace monument?

Despite the Embrace receiving initial positive reception, there was also significant backlash and criticism. Some people compared it to male body parts or found other strange interpretations. The experience showed that not everyone will appreciate or like a monument.

Q: What impact do monuments have on shaping societal values?

Monuments function like digital cookies, shaping the way people see the world and influencing their values. Neoclassical-style monuments, such as Confederate monuments, promote certain narratives and can have an impact on issues like reproductive rights equity in the states where they are erected.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Embrace is the largest bronze American-made statue, second only to the Statue of Liberty, and was built through a community-driven process involving 30 meetings and 126 submissions.

• The statue aims to be accessible to all, with an accompanying app that provides translations and experiences for visually impaired individuals.

• The building of the Embrace revealed the personal nature of monuments, the potential for public backlash, and the influence of monuments on shaping societal values.