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University History Initiatives

Twin Memorials Working Group

Background

President Fenves announced the reappointment and expansion of the Task Force on Untold Stories and Disenfranchised Populations in October 2020. In their report delivered on April 1, 2021, the Task Force proposed a number of recommendations to memorialize enslaved persons who labored to build Emory's original campus at Oxford and others whose labor has not been fully acknowledged by the university, as well as to develop educational programs about Emory's history.

In a letter to the Emory community on June 28, 2021, President Fenves announced the establishment of the Twin Memorials Working Group to move forward and implement a plan for memorials that will articulate and interconnect the shared histories of the Emory and Oxford campuses.

Charge

Building on the recommendations from the report of the Task Force on Untold Stories and Disenfranchised Populations, materials in the Emory Libraries, and relevant and available scholarship, the Twin Memorials Working Group was charged with:

  • drafting a Request for Proposals for architectural firms to design and construct Twin Memorials to honor the enslaved individuals and their descendants who lived and worked on the original campus of Emory at Oxford College;
  • developing plans for continued memorialization of Emory’s enslaved laborers through annual events, campus-wide programming, orientation for new students to the Oxford and Atlanta campuses, and recognition of those who continued to work on the Atlanta and Oxford campuses following emancipation; and
  • collaborating with various stakeholders to develop initiatives that contribute to making Emory’s past known to internal and external audiences.

President Fenves appointed, as chairs of the working group, Douglas Hicks, dean of Oxford College and William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Religion, and Gregory Ellison II 99C, associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Candler School of Theology.

Molly McGehee and Carol Henderson were appointed co-chairs following the departure of Doug Hicks in August 2022. McGehee is associate professor of English and American studies, associate dean for faculty development, and director of the Center for Teaching and Scholarship at Oxford College. Henderson serves as vice provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion; chief diversity officer; and special adviser to the president.

The working group coordinated community input on preliminary design concepts for the Twin Memorials and presented recommendations to the president.

Past Community Involvement

Fall 2022

Oxford
Meeting
Date
Time
Location
Meeting 1 – Oxford (on Campus) Monday, September 12, 2022 1:30–3:30 p.m. Oxford College Student Center, 801 Wesley St.
Meeting 2 – Oxford (on Campus) Monday, September 12, 2022 5:30–7:30 p.m. Oxford College Student Center, 801 Wesley St.
Meeting 3 – Oxford (on Campus) Tuesday, September 13, 2022 1:30–3:30 p.m. Oxford College Student Center, 801 Wesley St.
Meeting 4 – Oxford (off Campus) Tuesday, September 13, 2022 5:30–7:30 p.m. Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, 100 W Richardson St.

Emory
Meeting 5 – Atlanta (on Campus) Wednesday, September 14, 2022 1:30–3:30 p.m. Emory University Student Center, 605 Asbury Circle
Meeting 6 – Atlanta (on Campus) Wednesday, September 14, 2022 5:30–7:30 p.m. Ackerman Hall, Carlos Museum
Meeting 7 – Atlanta (off Campus) Thursday, September 15, 2022 Noon–2:00 p.m. Ebenezer Baptist Church
Meeting 8 – Atlanta (off Campus) Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:30–6:30 p.m. The Hatchery at Emory Point

Spring 2023

Oxford
Oxford College staff February 3, 2023 Phi Gamma Hall 2:30–4:00 p.m.
Descendant community February 3, 2023 Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Oxford, Georgia 5:30–7:00 p.m.
Oxford College students February 4, 2023 Mural Room, Student Center 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Oxford staff and faculty February 4, 2023 Phi Gamma Hall 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Descendant community February 17, 2023 Oxford College Student Center 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Oxford College students February 17, 2023 Student Center 8:00–9:30 p.m.

Emory
Emory undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students February 18, 2023 Candler School of Theology, Rita Anne Rollins Building, 1531 Dickey Drive, Theology Room 360 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Campus Life staff February 18, 2023 Emory Student Center, Multipurpose Rooms 2–3, 605 Asbury Circle 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Virtual meeting open to all communities February 24, 2023 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Virtual Focus Group, Zoom link provided upon registration March 3, 2023 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Atlanta Community and Emory Alumni Focus Group March 16, 2023 Ebenezer Baptist Church, lunch provided Noon–1:30 p.m.
Student Focus Group March 16, 2023 Cox Hall, 3rd Floor 7:00–8:30 p.m.
Faculty Focus Group March 17, 2023 Woodruff Library, Jones Room 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Virtual Focus Group, Zoom link provided upon registration March 24, 2023 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Atlanta Community and Emory Alumni Focus Group March 30, 2023 Manuel’s Tavern 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Staff, Faculty, and Student Focus Group March 31, 2023 Woodruff Library, Jones Room 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Student Focus Group March 31, 2023 Student Center, Multipurpose Rooms 2 and 3, lunch provided 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Final Twin Memorials Working Group Report 

The Twin Memorials Working Group delivered its Report on Community Engagement and Memorial Design Workshops to President Fenves in fall 2022. 

Recommended Actions 

In addition to completing the memorials, the working group advised the university to consider taking the following actions to demonstrate its long-term commitment and enhance the impact of the memorials: 

  • strategically addressing "archival silence"
  • expanding the scope of descendant engagement 
  • developing curricular initiatives and programming 
  • establishing Campus Services awards
  • employing people of color for the design and construction of the Twin Memorials
  • posting a code of conduct in the Twin Memorials spaces

Working Group Membership

Name Title  
Gregory Ellison II 99C Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Candler School of Theology Biography
Carol Henderson Chief Diversity Officer; Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Advisor to the President Biography
Molly McGehee 07PhD Associate Professor of English and American Studies, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, and Director of the Center for Teaching and Scholarship, Oxford College Biography
Name Title
Enku Gelaye Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life
James Johnson University Landscape Architect
Tayari Jones Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing
Siva Prasad Kalimuthu 23B Graduate Student Government Association President
Leah Maille 22N Graduate Student Government Association
Noah Marchuck 24C SGA President, Atlanta Campus
Joe Moon Dean for Campus Life, Oxford College
Walter Rucker Professor of History, Emory College of Arts and Sciences
Nakita Soukoury Campus Services
Avis Williams 78Ox 98C 08T 18T Alumna, Descendant Community Liaison
Andrew Yang 23Ox SGA President, Oxford College
Name Title
Rachel Ding 20Ox 22B President, Student Government Association
Douglas Hicks Dean and William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Religion, Oxford College
Emma Sveen 23JD/MBA JD/MBA Candidate
Name Title
Jonathan Butler 96C Former president of Emory Alumni Board
Rev. Gregory W. McGonigle University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life
Robin Morey Vice President and Chief Planning Officer of Campus Services
David M. Schuster Chair, University Public Art Committee
Name Title
Sarah Dobbs Executive Administrative Assistant, Oxford College
Anjulet Tucker 00C 09PhD Director of Presidential Initiatives and Special Projects, Office of the Presidentt