Connecting Civil Sights & Civil Rights at Home & Abroad. Thank you Emory University Office of International Students & Scholar Services, Emory University Office of Global Engagement, Emory University Office of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, and the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Initiative for having TheSharedWorld & Civil Sights discuss the importance of historic preservation in Atlanta and around the world. Enjoyed meeting all the international students from Tanzania, Austria, Rwanda, Mexico, Germany (to name a few).
🏙️ According to UNESCO who maintains a list of World Heritage sites, 1 in 3 natural sites and 1 in 6 cultural heritage sites are currently threatened by climate change.
🏙️ In the United States, between 10-20 percent of historic buildings are at risk of demolition.
🏙️ In Sweet Auburn, nearly 50 percent of the buildings have been lost.
UN SDG11 focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable—including the preservation of cultural and historical landmarks. While structurally saving buildings is fundamental, a lack of historical awareness exacerbates these challenges. The preservation of heritage is also about maintaining the stories and legacies that shape identity and culture. I invite you to check out Civil Sights and the list of additional readings (Pg225) to learn more about the treasure that is Sweet Auburn.
Thank you Associate Director Obse Ababiya and Director Sharon Stroye, MBA, MPA for partnering and hosting this discussion. Thank you and congratulations to Gene Kansas on the release of Civil Sights! Thank you to Jacqueline Jones Royster, Gary Pomerantz, Molly Slavin, Clay Kiningham, RA, Trevor Williams and all those who contributed to the resource that is Civil Sights.
