Published on July 25, 2013
The original impetus and inspiration for the creation of the monument Remember Them: Champions for Humanity were the tragic events of September 11, 2001. A piece of steel from Ground Zero is even preserved within the monument, now located in downtown Oakland next to the Fox Theatre.
The epic bronze monument is dedicated to twenty-five international humanitarians, shown here. These include Harvey Milk, who once said, “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” There is still so much more work to be done to reach that goal but, as Milk also famously said, “you got to give them hope.”
The monument, cast in 60,000 pounds of bronze and measuring 52 feet long, is now the largest of its kind west of the Mississippi. Another first is the visually impaired wall, which allows those with sight impairments to explore the characters on the monument as well as quotations in Braille.
Photos courtesy of Chiodo Art Development.
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