2 10 12 https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/5a14bf1c4fb322d5a79e1943bc6f3a63.jpeg aed3724c500b80e10331cb43aeae141e https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/392579615eff3a0228de7ff255db2a91.jpg e58a726a373c86b6233bcf5fd0c5b783 https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/ed675b1e473f5d948996efb71b893937.jpg 913cefc47957c47fd23963db69b7a3a3 https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d33588e827d6890c872bc05790d50fed.jpg 13e97615236a7505766fc7ff791d20e7 https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/c4a6631ebce6e7e35cdc4e26f4c94db3.jpg f4d334fbe59334eedd14e670b33ea82e https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/caa5cab2b3be3f7fba1fe05333b6e4e9.jpg e88755680c48104100daa189442a6380 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transatlantic Slave Trade Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource This collection focuses on commemorative works dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, between ten million and twelve million enslaved Africans were forcibly taken across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The Middle Passage refers to the Atlantic route between Africa and the Americas that was part of the transatlantic slave trade. Historians believe that between 15 and 25 percent of the enslaved Africans perished aboard the overcrowded, unsanitary slave ships. The works in this thematic group address the violence and trauma of the transatlantic slave trade in various ways. Monuments such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1137" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ark of Return</a> on the grounds of the United Nations in New York City, and <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Middle Passage Monument</a> in St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, use abstraction to commemorate the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. Other memorials such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumbukumbu Ya Historia Ya Watumwa</a> in Stone Town, Zanzibar, and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atorkor Slave-Trade Memorial</a> (Atorkor, Ghana), use figuration to evoke human presence. Memorialization efforts from Senegal to present-day Nigeria are tied to The Slave Route Project run by UNESCO. Launched in 1994 in Ouidah, Benin, the Slave Route Project has three primary objectives: <ul> <li>Contribute to a better understanding of the causes, forms of operation, stakes and consequences of slavery in the world (Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Asia).</li> <li>Highlight the global transformations and cultural interactions that have resulted from this history.</li> <li>Contribute to a culture of peace by promoting reflection on inclusion, cultural pluralism, intercultural dialogue and the construction of new identities and citizenships. (See https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-rights-inclusion/slave-route#isc)</li> </ul> One way that The Slave Route Project fulfills its mission is to engage in "the preservation and promotion of sites and itineraries of memory related to the slave trade and slavery." Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura and Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "The Ark of Return": The Permanent Memorial at the United Nations in Honour of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (New York, New York) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons New York (State)--New York Public art Public sculpture Slave ships Transatlantic slave trade Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The Ark of Return serves as a memorial to honor the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Constructed from white marble, the memorial is a triangular structure with clean geometric lines and faceted surfaces, giving it a modern yet solemn appearance. A triangular portal in the structure allows visitors to walk through the interior. At the entryway, a reflecting pool engraved with the words "Lest we forget" invites visitors to offer prayers and libations. Inside, a map highlighting the African continent is inscribed on the wall, with the words, "Acknowledge the Tragedy." Nearby, a robed statue of a human figure—sculpted from black Zimbabwean granite—lies horizontally within a triangular space carved into the wall. This figure symbolizes the millions of enslaved individuals, their suffering, and the triangular slave route. Beneath the figure, another  inscription reads: "Consider the legacy." On the opposite wall, diagrams carved in low relief depict hundreds of enslaved people crammed inside a typical English slave ship, further emphasizing the brutal conditions endured during the Middle Passage. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Leon, Rodney, 1972- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 25, 2015 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource UNESCO; Permanent Memorial Committee of the United Nations; Member States of the United Nations Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant United Nations Visitors Plaza, 1st Avenue and 46th Street, New York, New York, 10017, United States Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Marble; Black Zimbabwe granite Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. United Nations. "The Ark of Return": The Permanent Memorial at the United Nations in Honour of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery. Accessed April 11, 2019. https://www.un.org/en/rememberslavery/memorial. Leon, Rodney. "The Ark of Return." Rodney Leon Architects. Accessed April 11, 2019. http://www.rodneyleon.com/the-ark-of-return. Leon, Rodney. "Reflections on the Tenth Anniversary of the Art of Return." UN Chronicle, March 24, 2025. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/reflections-tenth-anniversary-ark-return. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on interior wall below the map: "Acknowledge the tragedy" Inscription on interior wall below the human figure: "Consider the legacy" Inscription on the reflecting pool: "Lest we forget" Bronze plaque embedded on ground in front of memorial: Permanent Memorial at the United Nations in Honour of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Ark of Return The United Nations General Assembly welcomed the initiative of Member States of the Caribbean Community and the African Union to erect this Permanent Memorial to honour the victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and to educate and inform current and future generations about the causes, consequences, and lessons of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. The Permanent Memorial Committee, comprising Brazil, Ghana, Jamaica (Chair), Kenya, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Senegal, Suriname, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with Member States from the Caribbean Communituy and the African Union playing a primary role in collaboration with the United Nations Educatinoal, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Office for Partnerships, the United Nations Department for Public Information and the Sub-Committee for the Elimination of Racism of the NGO Committee on Human Rights, completed this Permanent Memorial on 25 March 2015. "Acknowlege the Tragedy, Consider the Legacy, Lest We Forget" These three distinct phrases form the inspiration for the design of this Permanent Memorial. "The Art of Return" memorial is a sacred space that is designed to psychologically and spiritually transport visitors to a place where acknowledgment, education, reflection and healing can take place. The Memorial's exterior form is constructed to reflect the image of a vessel or ship in acknowledgment of the millions of African people transported on slave ships to different parts of the world during the "Middle Passage." Images of map depicting the "Triangular Slave Trade" influenced the use of the triangle as a primary element in designing the Memorial's shape. The Memorial is also conceptually organized to allow visitors to pass through "The Ark of Return" to intimately experience three primary elements on the interior space. The first element is a three dimensional map inscribed on the interior of the Memorial. This map graphically depicts the global scale, complexity and impact of the triangular slave trade in "acknowledgment of the tragedy." The second element is a full scale human figure lying horizontally in front of a wall inscribed with images of the interior of a slave ship. This is meant to communicate and educate visitors on the physical conditions endured by the millions of African people transported under extreme conditions during the middle passage. Visitors are provided the opportunity to seriously "consider the legacy" of Slavery's impact upon humanity. The third element is a triangular reflecting pool which introduces water in a meditative, ritualistic and spiritual manner. Visitors are invited to pour libations or say a prayer in memory of the millions of souls that were lost "lest we forget" this monumental and historic tragedy. Bronze plaque embedded on ground in front of memorial: Permanent Memorial at the United Nations in Honour of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Ark of Return On this day, 25 March 2015 at the United Nations in New York City, the President of the Sixty-ninth Session of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General of the United Nations unveiled this Permanent Memorial at the United Nations in Honour of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Director-General of UNESCO, the Permanent Representative of Jamaica and Chair of the Permanent Memorial Committee, the Permanent Observer of the African Union, the Permanent Representative of India, and the Architect and Designer of the Permanent Memorial. The Permanent Memorial Committee expresses it deep appreciation to all Member States, institutions, foundations, organizations and individuals who have contributed to this Memorial.(*) New York, 25 March 2015 (*)Non-exhaustive list of Member States and organizations that have contributed funds to the construction of the Permanent Memorial to Honour Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade: Afghanistan; Algeria; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Bahamas; Barbados; Belgium; Belize; Bhutan; Botswana; Brazil; Burkino Faso; Cameroon; Canada; Chile; China; Congo; Costa Rica; Cyprus; Denmark; Ecuador; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Estonia; Finland; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Grenada; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malaysia;  Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Monaco; Montenegro; Mozambique (on behalf of Southern African Development Community Group of Ambassadors); Namibia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Phillipines; Portugal; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenandines; Saudia Arabia; Senegal; Singapore; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Sweden; Syrian Arab Republic; the former Yugoslav Republic Macedonia; Togo; Trindad and Tobago; Turkey; Uganda; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; United Republic of Tanzania; United States of America; Uruguay; Martinique; The Alexander Cheritable Trust (San Marino); Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation (Latvia); Ford Foundation; Rush Communications; United Nations Federal Credit Union and individuals around the world. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource United Nations Gifts, Department of Global Communications, United Nations Headquarters, Room GA-1B-31, New York, New York, 10017, United States abstract bas-relief black granite figurative inscription map marble slave ship https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/efb04a8905f4aae7c6858ec2008ce5e0.jpg eebe7df111f470e0b7db92215c7df5dc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Transatlantic Slave Trade Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource This collection focuses on commemorative works dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, between ten million and twelve million enslaved Africans were forcibly taken across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The Middle Passage refers to the Atlantic route between Africa and the Americas that was part of the transatlantic slave trade. Historians believe that between 15 and 25 percent of the enslaved Africans perished aboard the overcrowded, unsanitary slave ships. The works in this thematic group address the violence and trauma of the transatlantic slave trade in various ways. Monuments such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1137" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ark of Return</a> on the grounds of the United Nations in New York City, and <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Middle Passage Monument</a> in St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, use abstraction to commemorate the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. Other memorials such as <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumbukumbu Ya Historia Ya Watumwa</a> in Stone Town, Zanzibar, and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atorkor Slave-Trade Memorial</a> (Atorkor, Ghana), use figuration to evoke human presence. Memorialization efforts from Senegal to present-day Nigeria are tied to The Slave Route Project run by UNESCO. Launched in 1994 in Ouidah, Benin, the Slave Route Project has three primary objectives: <ul> <li>Contribute to a better understanding of the causes, forms of operation, stakes and consequences of slavery in the world (Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Asia).</li> <li>Highlight the global transformations and cultural interactions that have resulted from this history.</li> <li>Contribute to a culture of peace by promoting reflection on inclusion, cultural pluralism, intercultural dialogue and the construction of new identities and citizenships. (See https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-rights-inclusion/slave-route#isc)</li> </ul> One way that The Slave Route Project fulfills its mission is to engage in "the preservation and promotion of sites and itineraries of memory related to the slave trade and slavery." Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura and Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 144  x 204 in. (365.76 x 518.16 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Middle Passage Monument (Kingshill, St. Croix, USVI) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons Public art Public sculpture St. Croix (USVI)--Kingshill Slavery--St. Croix (USVI) Transatlantic slave trade Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The twelve-foot-high memorial is composed of two large, thick aluminum arcs that bend towards each another but do not touch. The color has a silvery-gray tone and a matte surface etched with scratch-like patterns. It is installed on the grassy grounds of the St. Croix Educational Complex.  The monument commemorates the thousands of Africans who perished during the transatlantic slave trade. The version in St. Croix is a replica of the original memorial, which was ceremonially buried on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean—approximately 140 miles off the coast of New York Harbor — following an elaborate funeral procession and a blessing ceremony conducted by a multi-faith group of clergy in 1999. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Walsh, Michael, 1948- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Homeward Bound Foundation Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Saint Croix Educational Complex High School, Centerline Road, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 00850 Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. Original cast lowered to bottom of New York Harbor on July 3, 1999. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 144 x 204 in. (365.76 x 518.16 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Aluminum Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Kardux, Johanna C. "Monuments of the Black Atlantic: Slavery Memorials in the United States and The Netherlands." In Blackening Europe: The African American Presence, ed. Heike Raphael-Hernandez, 87-106. Routledge: 2004. Ater, Renée. "Slavery and Its Memory in Public Monuments." American Art 24, no. 1 (2010): 20-23. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph by Michael Walsh Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource St. Croix Educational Complex High School, P6F2+4G3, Centerline Rd, St Croix 00820, U.S. Virgin Islands abstract aluminum