Close Looking Guide: Re-envisioning Blackness

This Close Looking Guide explores African American–themed public art in Washington, DC, including the Rosa Parks bust in the US Capitol Rotunda, the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial in Lincoln Park, and the Black soldier depicted in the Three Soldiers memorial, among others.

Through close observation, these works invite reflection on how Blackness is represented in public space, and how histories of struggle, recognition, and belonging are made visible—or remain obscured—within the national landscape.

Re-envisioning Blackness public art Washington DC

Re-envisioning Blackness public art Washington DC

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