Campus memorialization update

Dear Members of the Wake Forest Community,

Last May, we updated the community on the work of the Campus Memorialization Project, noting that Baskervill—the design firm we have partnered with in this endeavor—would spend the summer developing conceptual themes based on their analysis of 18 community forums they led last fall and spring. We are pleased to announce the next step in this project and an opportunity for you to participate in the process.

Later this month members of the Baskervill design team will be on campus to share conceptual themes for the memorial to remember and honor the humanity of the enslaved men, women and children who worked for or were sold to benefit the University. Baskervill’s visits to campus are intended not only to present early conceptual ideas but also to offer ideas on areas where the memorial may be located. Ultimately, the objective of these visits will be to gather feedback from members of our institution, similar to how they solicited feedback from students, staff, faculty and community members last academic year.

If you are interested in learning more about Baskervill’s conceptual themes for the memorial and would like to offer your feedback and input, there are three opportunities to do so:

Thursday, Oct. 10
9 a.m. to 11a.m. – Benson 401 C/D

Tuesday, Oct. 15
3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Benson 401 C/D

Wednesday, Oct. 16
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Virtual meeting link can be found here

All three events are open to students, staff and faculty. Each presentation will start with an overview of the project, followed by a presentation of the conceptual themes Baskervill is proposing, and mostly focus on a facilitated discussion. We will update the community about the outcomes from these conversations towards the end of the fall 2024 term. In the meantime, please visit the Campus Memorialization website for more information.

Please know that the entire Steering Committee as well as Baskervill is eager for your engagement and invaluable feedback. In addition to sharing your thoughts in the discussion sessions, you can also share them with any member of the Steering Committee, and through the form on the Memorialization website.

Sincerely,

Michele Gillespie, Provost and Presidential Endowed Professor of Southern History (Co-Chair) 
José Villalba, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer (Co-Chair)   
Derek Hicks, Associate Professor, School of Divinity
Keenon Mann, Association of Wake Forest Black Alumni (AWFUBA) President
Tanya Zanish Belcher, Director of Special Collections and Archives, ZSR Library
Lisa Blee, Associate Professor of History
Simeon Ilesanmi, Professor of Religious Studies, Study of Religions
Terry Brock, Manager of Archaeology and Research, Wake Forest Historical Museum  
Morna O’Neill, Professor and Chair of Art
Chris Kiwus, Vice President for Facilities, Real Estate, and Planning
Sam Perrotta, Chief of Staff, Provost

Student Representatives

Chase Clark, (‘26), Black Student Alliance President
Nina Banks, (‘23, ‘25) Master’s Student, School of Business

President’s Liaison

Ashleigh Brock, Chief of Staff, President

Special Advisor to the Committee

Corey D. B. Walker, Wake Forest Professor of Humanities, Dean of the School of Divinity and Director of the African American Studies Program

Ex Officio (staff to CMSC)

TaShaun L. Elliott, Director of Finance and Business Operations, ODI