In the Fall of 2021, I took a class called "Collective Memory of Atrocity and Injustice", taught by Professor Hannah German. For my final project, I was interested in looking at the 2013 school closings in Chicago, which have come to guide much of my research. As I considered these school closures, I was interested in creating a textile abecedarium where each letter was associated with a word connected to the school closures. I was inspired by Dr. Melissa Blount's "ABCs of Black Girl Magic". Linked below is the accompanying essay, which explains some of the reasonings behind the words that I chose, and articulates the ways in which institutions such as schools are mourned, and subversive forms of memorialization. You can see photos of the abecedarium below.
The ABCs of school closings
abcs of school closings
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