In 1859 the largest recorded slave auction in American history took place in Savannah, Georgia. More than four hundred individuals were sold. Families were torn apart. Lives were destroyed. Known colloquially as “The Weeping Time” as the heavens opened up and rained tears upon the crimes against humanity committed, this tragedy sparked outrage in the North and watered the seeds of discontent with inequality for many. Today, millions travel to Savannah every year and have no awareness of the events that took place just two miles from downtown.

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In an effort to remember those affected, both over one hundred fifty years ago and today, The Weeping Time Memorial seeks to educate those visiting Savannah on the city’s history and encourage reckoning with the lasting oppression that faces minority communities across the country.

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Refuge is an enormous representational tree, constructed from galvanized steel, that funnels the falling rains of Savannah storms into the center of a reflecting pool below. Radiating around the pool are four hundred fifty steel pylons, commemorating the individual lives hurt by the auction. These pylons are sheltered from the rain by an ETFE canopy, symbolically shielding the lives from further tragedy. This memorial is surrounded by concentric circles of garden space which is flanked by two smaller structures. One is an information center with small meeting spaces where difficult conversations on complex topic can take place. Across the garden is an open-air covered alcove, where larger gatherings can bring these topics into a public forum. Connecting the memorial to the parking lot is a series of pathways, weaving among the site’s numerous live oak trees, and lined with informational signage on The Weeping Time and the events surrounding it. For those seeking a tranquil space away from the memorial to reflect on their role in the renewal that needs to take place, there is a large pond for quiet, contemplative strolls.