LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring the work of Rodney Leon, designer of The
Ark of Return, United Nations permanent memorial to the victims of the
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

WHEREAS, Wednesday, March 25, 2015, the United Nations unveils The Ark
of Return, permanent memorial to the victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave
Trade; and
WHEREAS, Rodney Leon, Haitian-American architect, won a competition to
design the United Nations memorial to honor the millions of victims of
the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in September 2013; and
WHEREAS, The Ark of Return memorial serves as a symbolic reminder to
visitors of the lasting legacy and the lingering consequences of slavery
and the slave trade upon humanity; and
WHEREAS, The memorial is conceptually organized in three parts and
visitors are meant to pass through "The Ark of Return" to intimately
experience three primary elements on the interior space; and
WHEREAS, The first element is a three dimensional map inscribed on the
interior of the memorial, highlighting the African continent at its
center and graphically depicts the global scale, complexity and impact
of the triangular slave trade in "acknowledgement of the tragedy"; and
WHEREAS, The second element is a full-scale human figure lying
horizontally in front of a wall inscribed with images of the interior of
a slave ship, communicating and educating visitors on the physical
conditions endured by millions of African people transported under
extreme conditions during the middle passage, providing visitors an
opportunity to seriously "consider the legacy" of slavery's impact upon
humanity; and
WHEREAS, The third element is a triangular reflecting pool, which
induces water in a meditative, ritualistic and spiritual manner, invit-
ing visitors to pour libations or say a prayer in memory of the millions
of souls that were lost "lest we forget" this monumental and historic
tragedy; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor the victims of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, consider the legacy
of slavery's impact upon humanity and recognize the design of The Ark of
Return by New York architect, Rodney Leon; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Rodney Leon.