The proposal for a memorial to American Slavery is one of great importance. This is a memorial that has the potential to act as a platform for the continuing discussion of the affects of American Slavery on contemporary race relations and to celebrate African American’s triumphs over adversity. The proposed memorial is comprised of two key elements; the initial memorial stone which will erode over time to eventually disappear, the Eroding Stone, and the permanent pedestal on which it sits, the Toothing Stone. In his chapter on Hereditary Rule in The Prince, Niccoló Machiavelli makes the observation that, “one change always leaves a toothing-stone for the next (generation).” A toothing stone is an architectural term referring to a stone left in the end of a city wall allowing for future generations to expand upon it. Machiavelli uses it as a metaphor; the actions of one generation always leave a platform onto which future generations can build. It is under this philosophy that the Toothing Stone is proposed; as a continuing platform into the future onto which generations can construct their own memorials to American Slavery. It takes the form of a structural plinth with a raised central section stone onto which future memorials can be secured to. This is made possible by the nature of the initial memorial proposed to sit atop the Toothing Stone, the Eroding Stone. The Eroding Stone is a central memorial stone that over time erodes away to nothing, a memorial that will, one day, disappear. A memorial that moves on. A memorial that encourages all Americans to embody the spirit of those who were enslaved in something far more permanent and meaningful than a physical structure – society itself. Yet, once the Eroding Stone is gone the Toothing Stone remains. The Toothing Stone will always remain, as a challenge to future generations to continually improve upon contemporary race relations within the United States. It directly connects the work of current and past generations with those of the future - and continues to challenge them to move forward. This creates a dynamic memorial space, not only within the first generation of the Eroding Stone, but in the future as generations from now our children continue to propose and construct new memorials on the Toothing Stone. This allows future memorials to directly relate to the social climate of the time, and for that reason no creative restriction or road map has been proposed into the future. The memorial park becomes a connection to not only the slaves, but also to those who have visited before, generation to generation. Although the Eroding Stone disappears over time, it is through this erosion of the centrepiece that a residual memorial is created. A memorial that will be far deeper, and much more meaningful. The Toothing Stone on which the Eroding Stone memorial sits remains long after the stone itself has eroded, as a signal to the public of that which had been. The bare Toothing Stone also becomes a strong poetic symbol; it is up to those who visit the park to remember American Slavery through their own means. Whether that memory is through the continuing erection of memorials atop of the Toothing Stone, or simply with continuing patronage to the now residual park created from the erosion of the original memorial. The symbol of a memorial which itself becomes a memory is powerful. The form of the memorial as a public park is important to its success as a place of reconciliation. It is directly within the realm of nature, a space which can be freely accessed by every American. It is always open, any time of day, any type of weather. The memorial is purposely located away from other memorials of grandeur, this is not a memorial to be placed near those of Presidents'. It is a memorial to remember a terrible time within American history and more importantly the people affected by it. Even though it is not a place of mourning or shame, to place it within a precinct centred around the national celebration of great leaders is unsympathetic to its subject. For this reason the memorial has been designed to occupy a large open field, accessible at all times of the day to visitors. This arrangement also has the benefit of being able to be translated to any open public park. It is through its separation from other memorials that a memorial to American Slavery has the potential to create a place for itself. The dynamism of the Eroding Stone creates a physical destination that avoids the static nature of so many other memorials. It is a place that not only encourages visiting, but also one which encourages a certain level of action and urgency from those visiting. Education about the continuing effects of American Slavery on contemporary race relations and historical documentation of slavery become important as physical aspects of the site. The main entrance axis of sloping and sinking walls contains this history for all to see before they reach the main memorial. By separating these two important functions of the park, education and memory, the Eroding Stone maintains its ability to act as an emotional experience. It is important for a memorial to American Slavery to be not only a place for gathering and collective memory, but also one for education. This is a humble structure, and deliberately so. As a memorial, the value of such a structure is secured within the community that gathers around it. If we remember, that what is essential is creation of discussion concerning American Slavery and its continuing effects, the physical structure becomes merely a formality. A physical catalyst for the gathering of people to remember, and to move forward. It asks visitors to remember the enslaved not for the monument that lies before them, but for the enormous contribution that slaves made to the building of the country. To everything that stands today.