Yesterday afternoon, there was a first meeting of the new Union Pier design task force. Obviously a concerted effort was made to stress the importance of listening to Charlestonians, to be their agent in a development meant – they said – to reflect the history of the site and the city. However, close to the end of the meeting, it is when the floor was open to the audience for questions, that I realized that said audience was reduced to invited parties, already involved in the process … complemented, I suppose, by invisible Zoom participants. So much for openness and transparency!

One question was about ‘the worries’ one may have about the process so far! For sure this got my attention. But when I tried to go the the chat, it had been disabled! Again, quite a way to include the public in a Zoom call! Too bad because my worry was so stated:

I am worried about a possible missed opportunity to address the process of Reparations Charleston needs.

I see Union Pier as a potential SPACE FOR REPARATIONS.

Whatever my disillusion, this had inspired me to meet with the team of community engagement specialists for the Pier project. One of its members, Thetyka, of the Asiko group, was Victoria’s guest at the latest OhmRadio podcast. I had found a good angle to engage with a stakeholder and possibly present the Tale of Charleston, aka a Tale for Reparations, aka a Space for Reparations, as of now!

Gwylène did not share my enthusiasm. But she had an idea though. She advised me to refer to Tecklenburg’s speech where he apologized for Charleston’s participation in the slave trade. He had taken an opportunity. I was adding my voice to his (and that of others): we were building a momentum … My offering as an artist would be taken more seriously in this context, she said. Besides, it gave me a hook to get back in touch with Millicent Brown aand it stimulated me to go to the studio with a lighter heart. Because it is pretty solitary out there. Not that Gwylène does not participate. She does. But I still need to build up a level of collaborative energy beyond the two of us.