Content Description Please note: This collection contains strong language, references to police brutality, and violent imagery. The Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Artifact Collection consists of posters, banners, clothing, photographs, and ephemeral objects attached to the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence (BLM Fence) surrounding Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C, from June 2020 to January 2021. The artifacts were attached to the fence to protest the treatment of Black and Brown communities by police and...

Content Description

Oral history interviews commissioned by the DC Public Library Foundation documenting a subset of the activist community at the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence in Lafayette Park who worked to protect and curate the Fence.

Scope and Contents

The Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Photograph Collection documents the appearance of this temporary but important landmark on the north side of Lafayette Square over two days in January 2021.

Abstract

This is an individual interview of Duane Sylvestre in which he discusses his experiences as an bar professional, reflecting his Trinidadian heritage in his approach to mixology, the visibility of Black bartenders in the industry, and how the service industry has changed as a result of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter protests.

Abstract

This is an individual interview of Lauren Paylor in which she discusses her experiences as a Black mixologist and bartender, being a part of the local Shaw community, and the community of Black bartenders in D.C. during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 protests.