Monuments Toolkit

Over the last several years, the intersection of heritage, governance, and how citizens interact with pieces of the past has been present in the public eye. Americans all across the nation are beginning to question the history around them, and many are noticing that the monuments and historic fixtures in their communities are unsolicited reminders of a darker time in our nation’s history. Now more than ever, we are in need of a Monuments Toolkit.

In September 2021, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS-USA) a grant to support the development of the Monuments Toolkit, a website and app aimed at answering questions about monuments of oppression. World Heritage USA now carries out the programs of ICOMOS-USA and oversees the administration of this project.

Upon completion of this project we will have interactive maps, resources pages, decision guides, and all of the other fantastic features at your fingertips. Creating accessible spaces to learn about the past puts society’s best foot forward for safeguarding our future. For now, learn more from our Blog, Podcast, and Webinar series!

Recent Monuments Toolkit Blog Posts

Monuments and Power of Place

Image of monument at 1908 Springfield Race Riot site for Power of Place blog post
By Cequyna Moore, Director of the Monuments Toolkit What is the power place especially as it relates to trauma? The power of place refers to the profound emotional and historical weight that certain locations carry. For many, places tied to racialized violence are not just points on a map; they…

APIAHIP Events

APIAHIP Logo
This summer, Huy Pham, Executive Direction of Asian & Pacific Islanders in Historic Preservation (APIAHIP) will be joinind the Monuments Toolkit on a webinar about digital monuments. Before then, APIAHIP will be hosting several events we encourage you to participate in. AAPI Digital Public History Showcase Wednesday, May 14, 2025…

An Underwater Monument at the Wreck of the Henrietta Marie

A scuba diver at the monument underwater.
By Madeline Bonner, Monuments Toolkit Approximately 35 miles west of Key West, Florida, a monument sits on the ocean floor, marking the wreck site of a ship named the Henrietta Marie. The concrete monument is also a small living reef due to the accumulation of coral and marine life on…

Noah Price Honored with NCPH New Professional Award

Montréal, Québec, March 29, 2025 — Noah Price, Media & Marketing Program Associate for the Monuments Toolkit, was honored by the National Council on Public History with the New Professional Award at this year’s Annual Meeting. The award committee honors two public historians with this travel grant each year. In…

Roundabout to the Women Who Fight!

Photograph of the Roundabout to the Woman Who Fight
By Gilbert C. Correa, Community Engagement Associate Over the course of the past three years, the Monuments Toolkit Team has been analyzing and documenting monuments, as well as proactive approaches that have been used by stakeholders. An anti-monument is one method often met with success. This blog post highlights Mexico…

The Stumbling Stones: An International Monument of Reconciliation

Photograph of stumbling stones being cleaned.
By Noah Price, Media & Marketing Program Associate This International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Since then, artists have created numerous types of memorials to recognize the more than six million Jews and several million other people killed in the Holocaust.…

Monuments Toolkit Receives NEA Grant

Grant announcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ICOMOS-USA to Receive $20,000 Award from the National Endowment for the Arts for World Heritage USA Monuments Toolkit Project 13 January 2025, Washington DC ICOMOS-USA is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Research Grants in the…

New Book on Monuments of Oppression

Book cover of "Grappling with Monuments of Oppression: Moving from Analysis to Activism."
Cequyna Moore, Director of the Monuments Toolkit project, recently authored a chapter in the new book, “Grappling with Monuments of Oppression: Moving from Analysis to Activism.” Synopsis “Grappling with Monuments of Oppression“ provides a timely analysis of the diverse approaches being used around the world to confront colonial and imperial…
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