Triumph of the Human Spirit Day – 25th Anniversary Event

Join us in honoring 25 years of “Triumph of the Human Spirit!”

On Thursday, October 9 from 10:00am to 1:00pm, come together with Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo and Dr. Lorenzo Pace for Triumph of the Human Spirit Day, marking the 25th anniversary of Dr. Pace’s monumental public artwork.

“Triumph of the Human Spirit” – a five-story, 300-ton, black-granite sculpture that towers over Manhattan’s Foley Square – is the world’s largest site-specific installation dedicated to the discourse of African enslavement and human freedom. Commissioned through our Percent for Art program and installed in 2000, it pays homage to the nearby African Burial Ground, the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans.

Each year, Dr. Lorenzo Pace hosts a community event at the monument in honor of the site and the enslaved ancestors buried below. This year, the 25th anniversary event will welcome students and members of the public to learn about the African Burial Ground and the history of slavery in New York City. Emceed by Howard University’s Carole Boyce-Davies with a keynote by Reverend Kirsten John Foy, enjoy a new, site-specific dance commission by Jamel Gaines Creative Outley, drumming, history lessons, art-making, and more.

This event is FREE and open to the public. RSVP is encouraged but not required: rsvp@culture.nyc.gov.