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.

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 the Monuments Toolkit Project.

Upon completion of this project we will have interactive maps, resources pages, decision guides, blogs, podcasts, 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.

Recent Toolkit Blog Posts

Celebrate Black History

Every February, the United States celebrates Black History Month as a time to highlight activities happening now and year round as we journey towards social justice and equitable inclusion for Black Americans and people of color. Cultural heritage and preservation organizations–including ICOMOS, ICOMOS-USA, and World Heritage USA–are striving for positive…

“Representation: the Crux of Public Space” – A Year Later 

  A year has passed since the thought-provoking webinar, “Representation: the Crux of Public Space,” captivated audiences with its exploration of public art’s role in reshaping our communities. Panelists James Dinh, founder of Studiofolia, and Omaid Sharifi, President of ArtLords, delved into the intersection of identity, culture, and public spaces.…

Monuments Toolkit News January 2024

Judson McCranie, Wikipedia Commons   As we start the new year, we look back on the growth of the Monuments Toolkit Project and look forward to the year ahead.  For the past two years, we delved into the collective pulse of communities grappling with contested and oppressive monuments. This project…

President’s Message: Innovation and Increasing Engagement in 2024

A Message from ICOMOS-USA President Douglas C. Comer, Ph.D. 2024 will see critical changes for our national committee, changes driven by our increasing attention to the roles that culture plays in the dominant issues of our day: social justice and climate change. In 2023, we changed the name of our…

Monuments Toolkit Year in Review

This year we saw the magnitude of scope of impact that oppressive monuments have had in communities, countries and regions worldwide.  This year we held our first Monuments Summer Event.  Our podcast and webinar series continue to explore the nuances of the public monuments landscape. Webinar Series In April, we…

VENUE CHANGE: Monuments Summer: Cabrillo National Monument

UPDATE: There has been a venue change for our event, Monuments Summer: Cabrillo National Monument. The event has been moved from The Junípero Serra Museum to the San Diego History Center at Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA. The event includes a panel conversation from 1 p.m. –…

Monuments Summer 2023

  Thank You For Making Monuments Summer a Success! World Heritage USA would like to thank everyone who attended, supported, and streamed our Monuments Summer events. Below is a brief recap of the events in Charleston and San Diego. We hope to see you at future events as we approach…

A Monument to the Departed and Detained

A Monument to the Departed and Detained By Maestro Gilbert C. Correa, Monuments Toolkit Project Over the course of these past sixteen months, the Monuments Toolkit team has been analyzing, documenting and categorizing an array of monuments. One type is “Monuments of Reconciliation.” Monuments of reconciliation are monuments that recognize…
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