Windows Programs

Sunday Forum: Shaping a New Tomorrow

June 18, 2023

Featuring:

• The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr.
• The Rev. Dr. Keith W. Byrd, Sr.
• Michelle Miller
• Dr. Eric L. Motley

“This is Our Story: Changing Narratives to Build Racial Equity”

February 15, 2023

The stories we tell in our art reflect who we are and what we value. As American society faces a reckoning with racialized symbols in our public art and monuments, it’s worth asking: Who, and what, is most important to us? This discussion at the Cathedral probes how our institutions – government, religion, history and the arts – can reimagine the stories we tell with an aim toward creating a more just future.

Featuring:

• Yolanda Pierce, Dean, Howard University Divinity School
• Sarah Barringer Gordon, Arlin M. Adams Professor of Law and Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania
• Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
• Moderated by Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, Class of 1940 Bicentennial Term Associate Professor, Department of the History of Art, University of Pennsylvania

This program is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project.

2022 Programs

Windows Replacement Project: National Cathedral School Assembly

November 21, 2022

Washington National Cathedral held a close wide assembly including St. Albans School and the National Cathedral School. The assembly, targeted towards high school students, discussed the Windows Replacement Project and efforts in the Washington region to address racialized monuments and symbols. Katie Cristol, member of the Arlington County Board contributed her expertise and experience working with the redesign of the Arlington House logo.

“Beyond Black & White: Understanding African American Art & Iconography”

October 25, 2022

Art permeates our lives in museums, our homes, and the public square. The images and stories artists capture tell us of truth, history, divinity, beauty, and pain. In public spaces, how and what we choose to create and show has lasting impacts in our communities. This evening with artists, historians, and leaders features a discussion about art and the impact of imagery of African Americans and African American culture.

Featuring:

• Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director, National Museum of African American History & Culture
• Dr. Kirk Savage, William S. Dietrich II Professor, Department of the History of Art & Architecture, University of Pittsburgh
• Moderated by The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian, Washington National Cathedral

This program is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project.

“Reclaiming the Monument & Protest Art”

June 21, 2022

As part of our Afternoon Symposium: Religion & History: America’s Struggle with Racialized Symbolism, Alex Criqui and Dustin Klein, who founded Reclaiming the Monument, a public art project based out of Richmond, VA that gained international acclaim in 2020 for their projection on the Robert E. Lee Monument, offered this presentation and discussion. Reclaiming the Monument’s body of work address systemic racism, human rights, and historical narratives through public art. Their public talk discusses their project, Reclaiming the Monument, and the role of protest art.

This program is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project.

“The Importance and History of Juneteenth”

June 21, 2022

As part of our Afternoon Symposium, Religion & History: America’s Struggle with Racialized Symbolism, Stephanie Merlo, Community Outreach and Organization Director for Reclaiming the Monument, offered this presentation and discussion. Her family history in South Texas deeply intertwines with the Juneteenth story through her Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Charlie Brown, a formerly enslaved man who went on to become one of the first Black Millionaires in Texas and helped establish Juneteenth as an annual celebration in his community.

This program is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project.

“Changing Optics for Racial Justice: The Nexus Between Responsibility and Opportunity”

June 21, 2022

As part of our Afternoon Symposium, Religion & History: America’s Struggle with Racialized Symbolism, Dr. Sabrina Dent, President of the Center for Faith, Justice, and Reconciliation offered this presentation and discussion. Dr. Dent is a life-long advocate for human rights and social justice. Her work and scholarship addresses religious freedom issues that impact African American and marginalized communities in ways that undermine their civil rights and social needs.

This program is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project.

“Light in the Darkness: When Monuments Attack”

June 21, 2022

Monuments and memorials are public symbols that tell the stories communities want remembered and uplifted. The last two years have brought a renewed scrutiny and reckoning of these spaces and histories that have led to a wave of removals, renaming, and reexamination. As the nation celebrates and reflects upon the importance of Juneteenth this year – now a day of national observance – join Washington National Cathedral for an evening exploring these spaces and what racialized symbolism and iconography is and how they shape our public history and memory.

Featuring:

• Mitch Landrieu, Former Mayor of New Orleans
• Dr. Sarah Lewis, Associate Professor of History of Art and Architecture and African and African American Studies, Harvard University
• Paul Gardullo, Curator, National Museum of African American History
• Moderated by Adelle Banks, Journalist, Religion News Service

This program is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project.

Other Past Programs

“Saints and Sinners”: The Lee-Jackson Windows

March 29, 2017

Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are more than just historical figures — for some, they are Southern saints. For others, they represent a culture and way of life that was fueled by the enslavement of African Americans. So who were they? On March 29, 2017, the Cathedral explored the lives and legacies of these two men, and why their stories were honored in stained glass inside Washington National Cathedral.

Featuring:

• Jonathan Horn, author of the best-selling “The Man Who Would Not Be Washington: Robert E. Lee’s Civil War and His Decision That Changed American History.”
• The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian at Washington National Cathedral
• Dr. David Terry, Coordinator of the Museum Studies & Historical Preservation Program and Assistant Professor at Morgan State University
• Moderated by Joshua Johnson, host of 1A on WAMU

“Monuments Speak: The Lee-Jackson Windows at Washington National Cathedral”

October 26, 2016

In 2015, immediately following the Charleston massacre, then-Dean Gary Hall called for the removal of two stained glass windows in the Cathedral that honor Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. After a year of exploration by an appointed task force, the Cathedral made the decision to remove the image of the Confederate battle flag from these two windows and to embark on a program of robust discussion and engagement on race and the Church. On October 26, 2016, the Cathedral held our first public conversation focused on these windows.

Featuring:

• Dr. Rex Ellis, Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs, National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Dr. John Coski, Historian, The American Civil War Museum
• The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian, Washington National Cathedral
• Moderated by Ray Suarez, Journalist

This program is underwritten by gifts given in honor of the Very Reverend Gary Hall in thanksgiving for his leadership and prophetic voice during his tenure at Washington National Cathedral.