About Us
What is America’s Hallowed Ground?
America’s Hallowed Ground uses the multidisciplinary arts to share the stories of places and moments in which America has fallen short of our noble ideals of equality, justice, and democracy. These sites remind us of our vows kept and unkept, reveal our responsibilities met and unmet, and motivate us to pursue a more perfect union.
How do we determine our sites of hallowed ground?
The AHG team considers a site hallowed ground if it is:
- A physical space or group of spaces connected by a shared story
- A place capable of teaching us about our nation’s expressed ideals of equality, justice, and democracy, along with the moments we have fallen short, and where people and communities have been harmed by those shortcomings
- A site connected to broader conflicts and struggles in American history
- A sacred ground whose impact is best experienced physically, where people may visit and pay respect to the spirit, aspirations, and lessons it embodies
What is our goal?
Our goal is to invite communities – schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, ashrams, Tribes, and other membership groups – to join us as collaborators in building an archive of sacred sites across the nation. There is no way our America’s Hallowed Ground team can focus on all sites of hallowed ground in our country. But through our collective efforts, we can identify these sites, learn their full histories, visit them, and use the arts to honor and elevate critical narratives.
To live up to the founding documents of this nation, we must first acknowledge that we stand on the shoulders of freedom fighters of the past. Not just in the sense that we’re often taught about patriots in the Revolution and the Civil War, but the constant struggles of those who lived and died so that they and their families might be free where they lived. All these stories are what make up these United States. We are all the inheritors. We all live on hallowed ground.
Why is it important to study these hallowed spaces?
Hallowed ground encapsulates more than just physical space; it is a testament to the intertwined narratives of equality and discrimination that shape American history. It represents a collective consciousness, connecting disparate places through a shared narrative that highlights the moments in which we have fallen short of our most noble and necessary ideals.
Whether the sites of hallowed ground at Gettysburg, Selma, or Cherokee, these spaces serve as poignant reminders of pivotal moments in our story. Each location serves as a physical manifestation of the aspirations and disappointments of those who came before us – and our shared responsibility to them today.
America’s Hallowed Ground provides a mirror in which we may reflect on the noble promises inscribed upon this nation by our founders, and the injustices that have occurred when we have not lived up to those ideals. These are spaces where we remind ourselves of our nation’s expressed ideals of equality, justice, and democracy while also bearing witness to the brutality, prejudice, and exploitation that have stained American ground for over half a millennium. By visiting these sites, we confront our uncomfortable truths and reckon with our own complexity. On sites of hallowed ground, we bear witness to the lives of those who have suffered, confront our shortcomings, and strive towards a more perfect and equitable union.
Why do we utilize the arts?
Art, in its various forms, can evoke emotions, provoke thought, and ignite action. From sculptures and murals to interpretive performances and poetry, artistic expressions breathe life into the narratives of hallowed ground, color the faded narratives of collective memory, and dissolve barriers. Art, we have learned, can go where argument cannot. Through art, sites of hallowed ground become more than mere memorials; they transform into living testimonials to resilience, resistance, and reconciliation. Art inspires communities to engage with their mutual history with empathy, understanding, and a shared commitment to a better tomorrow. Through the work of artists, America’s Hallowed Ground becomes a sanctuary for collective healing and a beacon of hope for a more just and inclusive future.
Why do we utilize the arts?
Contact Us
Are you interested in working with America’s Hallowed Ground in your community? Are you a teacher looking to utilize our curriculum? We look forward to hearing from you!
