I Was Here Nationwide combines emblematic Spirit Portraits into historic images, reflecting how the labor of Africans is layered into the foundation of our country. This civic art framework centers the ancestral contributions of Black Americans as foundational Nation Builders.

The project was designed to create a paradigm shift in the consciousness of the country. At this critical junction, the I Was Here Project, in partnership with HarlemCLX launches a national reckoning in acknowledgment of the power of ancestry.

Why Harlem,
Why Now

Harlem is not only a historic cultural capital, it is an active civic laboratory where questions of ancestry, authorship, space, and power are being renegotiated in real time. This moment, marks a convergence of forces:

A national reckoning with historical truth and narrative ownership
A generational shift toward technology as a primary civic language
A growing movement to redefine Black identity beyond trauma toward authorship, legacy, and nation-building

Harlem is uniquely positioned to lead this paradigm shift because it has always functioned as both archive and amplifier, a place where cultural movements are born, tested, and exported globally. The I Was Here Project, in partnership with HarlemCLX, meets this moment by activating Harlem’s streets, youth, and institutions as living conduits of memory, dignity, and futurity.

Impact & Public Benefit

The impact of this work is both immediate and long-term:

Civic Narrative Repair: By addressing “narrative debt” in the public realm, the project reframes Harlem’s story from inherited trauma to inherited agency, shifting how residents, visitors, and future generations understand Black identity.
Youth Literacy & Voice: The workshop series advances measurable gains in literacy engagement, public speaking confidence, and critical thinking, particularly among youth historically disengaged from traditional instruction.
Public Space as Classroom: Streets, buildings, and landmarks become sites of learning, remembrance, and dialogue, free and accessible to the community.
Scalable National Model: Harlem serves as the pilot site for a nationwide framework that can be adapted to other historically significant Black communities.

This work integrates the humanities, public memory, place-based storytelling, and equity-centered cultural infrastructure.