“Shame oh Shame:” Robert Morris, Public Space, and Commemorating Black Boston
PI: Mary Battenfeld, Clinical Professor, American and New England Studies Program, College of Arts & Sciences
Co-PI: Perri Meldon, PhD Student, American and New England Studies Program, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

This project makes more visible Boston’s history of activist African Americans, and engages with historic preservationists and local communities in building a new public history. Morris (1823-1882), one of the earliest Black lawyers in the United States, played a central role in struggles in Boston to abolish slavery and integrate schools and the military. Working with historians, historic preservationists and local communities, the project involves a collaborative investigation of Morris’s 19th century activism, and the design of commemorations for the June 8, 2023 bicentennial of Morris’s birth. Through the implementation of a community-based planning process that includes public forums, engaging local residents through surveys and interviews, and developing “citizen science” type research, the project creates opportunities to hear from diverse voices. The research and community conversations to map and mark Morris’s presence in Boston have implications not just for understanding Boston’s history. The project also offers models for ensuring marginalized communities have a say on their own environment and public spaces.
See more of our 2021 Early Stage Urban Research Award recipients