Sculpture at the African Burial Ground Memorial, Portsmouth

Honors a group of slaves buried under Chestnut Street, recently uncovered during street repairs. Old documents note a “Negro Burying Ground” at that location.

This sculptural component serves as a formal entry piece into the Memorial. Fabricated in cast bronze and local granite, the work stands 7 feet, 6 inches tall. It is located at State Street and is comprised of two life-size bronze casts depicting a man and a woman positioned towards the edge and on either side of the granite slab. The male figure alludes to the first enslaved African recorded in Portsmouth - as the text conveys - and all those who arrived afterwards. The female figure, suggestive of Mother Africa, stands on the side of the slab bearing the name of the Memorial. Together, with each figure reaching around the edge of the slab towards the other, they speak to the various levels of separation, uncertainty, difficulty and perseverance experienced by those individuals brought to this country as captives. The space between their hands, close but not touching, is both a reminder of past injustice.

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Sculpture at the African Burial Ground Memorial

Other side

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Community Figures at the African Burial Ground Memorial

Eight life size figures represent the collective community of Portsmouth coming together to acknowledge, protect and pay homage to this Burying Ground. Positioned as a prominent artistic feature within the Memorial Plaza, they are fabricated in bronze sheet and range in height from 4’ to 6’, depicting both adults and children, as well as men and women.

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Community Figures at the African Burial Ground Memorial

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Community Figures at the African Burial Ground Memorial

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Community Figures at the African Burial Ground Memorial

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Ceremonial Burial Cover at the African Burial Ground Memorial

“Return and Get It – Learn from the Past” - This phrase denotes the meaning of this West African Adinkra symbol, utilized to commemorate the re-interment of the eight remains removed from the burying ground at the time of their rediscovery. This 6’ diameter circular lid, located within the memorial plaza, seals the underground vault where the remains are reinterred. This functional artistic component is fabricated in granite (outer rim) and mosaic tiles for the Sankofa symbol.

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Overview of part of the African Burial Ground Memorial

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Overview of the African Burial Ground Memorial

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