National Council on Public History

PROPOSAL TYPE

Traditional Panel

SEEKING

• Seeking General Feedback and Interest
• Seeking Additional Presenters
• Seeking Specific Expertise

RELATED TOPICS

• Memory
• Preservation
• Landscape Architecture

ABSTRACT

The topic I’m interested to present on is visual narrative of Black life throughout the state of Illinois, particularly through the lens of agriculture and landscape. This work is connected to a larger body of research in mapping the landscapes of Black settlements and histories across Illinois in a way that reveals the significant contributions to the diverse ecological region.

DESCRIPTION

This proposal seeks to examine the rural agricultural landscape, with the goal to expand upon the knowledge and understanding of the presence of Blacks in the Midwest, through the lens of agriculture, landscape architecture, the rural built environment, and the stories of the Illinois black farmers.

The goals of the work is to reformat the documentation technique of the “superplot”, a type of drawing used in design practice of overlaying multiple drawings together to identify clashes and conflicts, to bring into focus the presence of black farmers and the unique ecological landscapes. These superplots highlight the overlapping history, ecology, wildlife, people, soils, plants, food, vegetation, and the physical routes – both current and historic – across the Illinois. This work is a piece of a larger project of stories, imaginary regional-scale drawings, and recipes with food products grown and collected from the state, reminding us of our connectedness to each other and the earth that sustains us and the complicated history of the state.

My work is largely integral into design practice, and I do not consider myself a historian or researcher; rather, I use historical research and narratives to build ideas for landscape architectural design solutions. My design work largely reflects histories of landscapes and how to bring that history to the present-day as memorial, remembrance, celebration. I’ve recently found my work resonates well with other historians, and I am excited to share the work I’ve been doing. It would be great to work with those that study landscapes/landscape architecture, ecology, and Black farmers, and if possible, the midwest. The superplots are highly visual and tactile way to examine the palimpsest of history, from the soils to the people, past and present.

I am open to sessions with individual presentations, or panels and roundtables with those doing similar work.

If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Kelley Lemon, [email protected]

ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 10, 2024. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.

Discussion