Architecture, Memory, and the Legacy of Slavery: Jefferson's University of VirginiaMaster ClassIn-Person
Tuesday, Jan 12, 2027
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Columbia University
Our partner, Columbia University, will be hosting this event.
Buildings and monuments tell stories of people and places. Using the University of Virginia as a case study, this master class will explore Thomas Jefferson’s design for its Neoclassical architecture and grounds, as well as the long-ignored history of the enslaved laborers who built and maintained the university from 1817 through emancipation. For decades, that history remained hidden. It was recovered through the work of historians, archaeologists, archivists, students, local citizens, and descendants, who worked with a team of architects to design and build the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, which honors the community’s legacy and contributions. Finally, we will analyze archival materials, student activism, and community dialogue to explore how architects can use public space to confront difficult histories.
ARCHITECTURE, ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, U.S. HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES, BLACK STUDIES
3 credits for school members
CTLE credit available
Limited to 18 teachers
Mabel Wilson
Mabel O. Wilson is the Rupp Professor of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and the chair of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University. Through her practice Studio&, she was a member of the design team for the award-winning Memorial to Enslaved Laborers (2020) at the University of Virginia. For the Museum of Modern Art, she co-curated the widely praised exhibition Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America in 2021. Also a cultural historian, Wilson has published Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture (2016) and Negro Building: Black Americans in the World of Fairs and Museums (2012). Exhibitions of her work have been featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale, SFMOMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Istanbul Design Biennale, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. She received her BS in architecture from the University of Virginia, her MArch from Columbia University, and her PhD in American studies from New York University.