The memorial design that I have envisioned is titled “Reflections.” “Reflections” focuses on the journey that slaves endured from bondage to freedom and shares this journey with visitors to the site. Upon entering the site, one is greeted with a large reflection pool. The columns at the entrance of the site are short and are isolated from one another. The water on the site symbolizes the actual forces of enslavement of African American slaves. Columns rise from the water and they represent slaves who were bound in slavery. The short columns barely emerge from the water- this represents the way in which slavery suppressed and brought down many of those who were enslaved. The visitor is able to move through the site by walking on a path of concrete stepping blocks that lead through the memorial. Along the journey through the site, visitors encounter a glass structure. Inside the structure, physical artifacts, art, and photographs relating to slavery are on display for visitors to see. The stories of heroic and inspirational slaves can be highlighted and told inside the structure. The items and photos inside the structure can be changed if needed to highlight certain issues pertaining to slavery and can welcome traveling exhibitions. This structure serves as a canvas for slavery to tell its story, so while it relates to the enslavement of African Americans in America in this case, this memorial could easily relate to slavery of any group at any time in history, and it is not site-specific. The glass structure itself has deep-rooted meaning relating to slavery. The structure is constructed of transparent glass, so visitors can see out of the structure. But, the structure has an outer skin made of intersecting rods that give the structure a prison-like aura and the feeling that one can see out but remains imprisoned within the four walls of the structure. The glass walls signify what was a reality to many enslaved individuals: they were physically trapped in slavery but could see unobtainable freedom on the horizon. For example, some slaves had the freedom to interact with their family members on a regular basis, but could not experience true freedom that existed beyond the confines of the plantation. The transformation that the columns undergo on the site represents the transformation that some slaves experienced while in slavery. For example, slavery imposed a life of being the property of white men upon African American slaves. The trauma of being separated from their loved ones, sexual exploitation, physical abuse, and being transplanted from their homeland resulted in a sense of loneliness and despair- this sense of oppression is represented by the shorter columns that exist in solitude within the reflection pool in the first half of the memorial. The glass structure that is located on the site serves as a physical inspiration. The information and relics that visitors encounter in the structure such as the stories of heroic individuals that overcame the bondage of slavery will empower visitors as they continue on through the memorial. As the visitor leaves the glass structure and progresses through the site, they will see that the columns in the water become taller and extend further out of the water. Furthermore, the columns begin to appear in groups- not as singular entities as they did near the entrance of the memorial. The columns that appear in groups represent slaves that joined together and rose above the oppression of slavery. For example, the Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists. Underground Railroad workers included free- born blacks, white abolitionists, former slaves (either escaped or released), and Native Americans. One such worker for the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman; Tubman was a former slave who helped to free over seventy people during her lifetime. Many people united in order to help others overcome slavery, and this sense of banding together to aid others is symbolized by the columns that appear as groups and have risen high above the water. As the visitor leaves the site, they will notice that some of the groups of columns have completely left the water and are on solid land. These columns represent those who were able to fully break free from the chains of slavery. As visitors leave the site, they will leave with a sense of empowerment to ensure that slavery of any type will never happen again.