A Brief History of Monumental Memorials

Monumental Memorials began as the brainchild of two (three?) VCU students - and their allies. They prefer anonymity because they want to keep the work centered on the suffering and trauma of the victims memorialized here. Should they ever decide to change their minds I would be so pleased to record their names here.

Struck by the emotional impact of these tributes, other community members, Black, White, Asian, Indigenous, old, and young stepped in to refresh and refurbish the memorials, to ornament them with lavish bows, and to keep the space as tidy as possible.

Visitors have been moved to place flowers, friendship bracelets, teddy bears, Bibles, totems, paintings, empty liquor bottles, symbols of unapologetic Blackness such as hair combs, and other keepsakes.

BLM "totems," or as I like to call them, "hugs," were placed at every single memorial in June 2020.

Eight months later, several remained.

Through teargassing, protests, white supremacists' angry retaliatory strikes - including slashing signage, discharging weapons and macing peaceful community members - the memorials have remained.

And will remain.