STOPPING STONES
Memorials for Racial Healing
Multiracial Healing Through Remembrance
Stopping Stones, an endeavor of the Engagement Arts Fund, is a national place-based public art strategy that recruits local partners to honor the memories of enslaved individuals in the locations where they were held. Local sponsors use Stopping Stones memorials as a concrete tool to bring their stories alive by installing brass and stone micro monuments and supporting multi-vocal installation ceremonies. These ceremonies inform and engage local residents in support of local work for racial healing, reparative justice, and greater equity.
10 Million Enslaved Americans
Their humanity and courageous survival, despite harrowing journeys and a cruel existence, as well as their uncompensated contributions to our culture and economy are woven into the fabric of our nation.
We cannot understand slavery and its continued impact without understanding the lives and stories of those who experienced enslavement.
Stopping Stones Installations
Inspired by the Stolpersteine Memorials
The Stolpersteine Memorials honor victims of the Nazi regime in Europe. Stopping Stones foster nuanced engagement with America’s collective history and current systems that perpetuate racial injustice and inequality, enriching the American narrative by bringing to light the diverse, complex stories of enslaved individuals.
Each memorial serves as a poignant reminder of their contributions, resilience, and humanity as well as a call to action to address the ongoing consequences of discrimination and injustice.
Since our launch in 2020
Stopping Stones has supported local partners to install over 40 memorials in eight states. Stopping Stones are nationally-branded but locally delivered public art installations that drive community engagement to advance reparative change and investments in equity and justice.
Installation ceremonies promote reflection, action, and collaboration and allow local partners engaged in racial healing work to identify other partners and volunteers in their area. Each monument serves as a permanent call to witness this history and advance toward a more equitable future.
Support Us
With your support, we’re poised to expand our reach and impact.
Educational
Increase awareness of the significant contributions made by enslaved Americans and the lasting impact of slavery on contemporary society.
Healing
Facilitate racial healing through communal remembrance and acknowledgment of past and continued injustices.
Action Oriented
Inspire and mobilize community involvement and action towards racial equity and reparative investments.