The first were bought in 1619.The last freed in 1865. In the intervening 250 years, slaves labored to make America what it is today. So today we must be able to give them freedom, freedom and understanding. It is our duty to show respect and we must be very aware of the interracial differences that separate communities even today. Slavery isn’t a given right in the hands of the powerful, it’s a weapon against human rights, so we must truly understand the meaning and the context in which was involved . For slavery to be commemorated , one must experience the meaning of being trapped , to struggle , to see the end, yet feel you can not reach it. This memorial rests underground as a sanctuary for the lives of the ones who were sacrificed ,and it has a double meaning, because once you enter the sanctuary , you no longer feel free, it captivates and makes you experience fear…and the unknown. The human sense of orientation is smaller, just like the intuition, thus this space doesn’t give opportunities , it has just One path worth following, and not knowing where the end is…if it is. The entrance is from the upper ground into deep under where the sound of freedom fades away with every step taken forward. Once in, the space is misleading, you can see different paths, the light from above guiding, but can not pass through…just like the slaves were forced. All you senses of freedom will be numb. Respect will be earned be experiencing these feelings of captivity and the way the price of your life is counting. People can watch from above, just like an auction. The way the paths lead to others is by switching position 90 degrees angle . Spaces A are the largest ones, there is a specific path that you have to conquer in order to get to E, where is the “light at the end”. In this memorial the only way out is by getting through all the spaces that tighten in order to understand and to feel captive, helpless, under ground...like the slaves used to feel. B is a long ,dark and cold tunnel, is thicker than A and reaches point C, where the light of freedom invades the space. You will be tempted to go immediately to the left, but the path is misleading and fools you. The only freedom we see is that one we cannot touch, the inner courtyard, green and welcoming, the salvation. Instead the space is even thicker when you reach D, passing just so close to that ray of light . The final path isE... dark and cold, and you don’t know what to expect...until you struggle through the darkness and reach the end...the end of freedom.