A Mellon Foundation-funded project, the Monuments Workshop is founded on the idea that communities are more likely to find creative and achievable solutions for sites of memory and conflict when they understand the limits and possibilities of existing legal protections. We also work to address the monument gap in rural and under-resourced communities
Why do monument groups need legal advice?
- Communities are more likely to find creative and achievable solutions when they understand the limits and possibilities of existing legal protections.
- Understanding legal issues specific to a monument and memorial sites, like property rights, titles and boundaries, easements, or adverse possession can help groups address problems proactively and efficiently.
- Providing direct legal services like (501(c)(3) registration or problem resolution) to rural and underserved communities ensures that all communities are reflected in local monuments.
What are focus areas for the Monument Workshop?
- The unmet needs of Black and rural cemeteries
- The important role of natural spaces in Kentucky
- Projects with specific legal or research needs
- Untold stories not memorialized in the current monument landscape