Years of research and collaboration have contributed to a memorial sculpture, “Authors and Architects,” that recognizes and honors the role of enslaved laborers at Roanoke College.
SALEM, Va., May 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A new sculpture at Roanoke College recognizes the role of enslaved people in the college’s history. The sculpture, selected in partnership with Creative Time and designed by Richmond artist Sandy Williams IV, is a significant milestone in the college’s extensive inquiry into the history of slavery at Roanoke and in the surrounding area.
The installation is the culmination of more than 10 years of work to uncover and understand the role of slavery in the life of the college. That work has included membership in the Universities Studying Slavery organization; establishment of the Center for Studying Structures of Race (CSSR); and in-depth research conducted by CSSR Director, College Historian and Professor Jesse Bucher and his students.
“The ‘Authors and Architects’ memorial on our campus is a meaningful tribute and a powerful reminder of the 829 enslaved individuals who, at great sacrifice, helped create what Roanoke College is today,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr.
The large bronze sculpture is in the form of hundreds of stacked books, many of which are embossed with the names of enslaved people with ties to the school’s history. Those names have been identified in hours of research conducted by 15 Roanoke College students as part of the Genealogy of Slavery (GOS) project.
The books that make up the cube-shaped sculpture were cast from 3D scanned replicas of the college’s original library and record books. The sculpture will create a physical presence dedicated to the memory of enslaved laborers. At the same time, it will acknowledge the freedom and education denied to them in their own time and underscore the immense importance they played in the establishment and success of the Roanoke community.
“Roanoke College remains dedicated to exploring our history with care and integrity as we move forward,” said Roanoke College Board Chair Malon Courts ’92. “This work strengthens our community and ensures that the contributions of all those who shaped our institution—named and unnamed—are remembered and respected.”
Said Williams, “My hope is that this experience at the memorial will help humanize the legacy of people who were enslaved in ways that are currently absent from official records and histories.”
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SOURCE Roanoke College
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