The goal of (un)Redact the Facts is to read and hear historical narratives that tell fuller stories of accountability about our lived experiences of slavery, lynching, redlining, etc. These fuller stories reframe the narrative to one of horrible, unexplained conditions happening to us instead of horrible conditions being a natural occurrence of which we deserved due to a fictional, inherent inferiority. How we tell the story about the past is integral to this – less passive voice that omits who did what to whom and more active voice.

Black in Historic Preservation highlights the contributions of Black people to Historic preservation, in the present and the past. It also provides a resource to the history and historic preservation fields, and allied careers through the Job Board and most recently, with the inaugural Black in Historic Preservation Grant Fund.

A museum? In the subway? Yes!

Let’s return to yesterday’s posts where I introduced you to the art of Nick Cave. Nick Cave (@nickcaveart), like pioneering author, movie producer and director Oscar Michaeux who we met yesterday, creates art that takes control of the narrative about Black people, our experience, our joy and pain, our sunshine and rain, a fuller experience and narrative.

His artwork installation in tile form at the 42nd St/Bryant Park and 42nd St/Times Sq are the reasons why NYC’s subway is at the top of my Must See Museums list.

Is it the ethical duty of architects, historians, historic preservationists, journalists, communications teams, teachers to (un)redact the facts of historical narratives to tell a fuller history…