The Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench Biography Project
Start Date
August 2024
End Date
August 2024
Location
ALT 208
Abstract
Local artist and Xavier University alum Adoria Maxberry (’09) designed the “Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench”. “The Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench honors lives tragically lost due to systemic racial violence, oppression, and police brutality. The Memorial Bench provides a space for deep reflection on how we are called to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and advocate for racial justice.” The Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench is a powerful expression that acknowledges and honors the lives of numerous known and lesser-known members of the Black community.
History professor Dr. Daleah Goodwin assigned students in her African American Experience classes to write biographies about the people whose names were inscribed on the bench. Each biography was written to focus on their lives and legacies. 60 biographies will be published on the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion’s webpage on the Xavier University website. When the Memorial Bench is in its permanent home in the National Pan-Hellenic Unity Garden, a QR code will be displayed that will link visitors to the webpage to read the biographies as they look at the names inscribed on the bench.
This presentation will discuss our role as research assistants for Dr. Goodwin. In this capacity, our primary tasks were to read and edit each biography to ensure historical accuracy and grammatical consistency. When necessary, we prepared a list of supplementary resources to accompany each biography. Through this work as research assistants, we developed primary research skills, engaged in Public History, and learned important verification skills.
The Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench Biography Project
ALT 208
Local artist and Xavier University alum Adoria Maxberry (’09) designed the “Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench”. “The Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench honors lives tragically lost due to systemic racial violence, oppression, and police brutality. The Memorial Bench provides a space for deep reflection on how we are called to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and advocate for racial justice.” The Black Lives Lost Memorial Bench is a powerful expression that acknowledges and honors the lives of numerous known and lesser-known members of the Black community.
History professor Dr. Daleah Goodwin assigned students in her African American Experience classes to write biographies about the people whose names were inscribed on the bench. Each biography was written to focus on their lives and legacies. 60 biographies will be published on the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion’s webpage on the Xavier University website. When the Memorial Bench is in its permanent home in the National Pan-Hellenic Unity Garden, a QR code will be displayed that will link visitors to the webpage to read the biographies as they look at the names inscribed on the bench.
This presentation will discuss our role as research assistants for Dr. Goodwin. In this capacity, our primary tasks were to read and edit each biography to ensure historical accuracy and grammatical consistency. When necessary, we prepared a list of supplementary resources to accompany each biography. Through this work as research assistants, we developed primary research skills, engaged in Public History, and learned important verification skills.
