Voices of 52nd Street, Then & Now: Memory Garden/Gathering Table

This all-day Juneteenth gathering—rooted in memory and resistance—features the unveiling of the Memory Bench and Gathering Table, alongside live music, cultural tributes, and storytelling that honor the legacy of the 52nd Street corridor.

Designed as a living art installation, the Memory Garden & Gathering Table offers a space to gather, reflect, and nurture community through art, wellness, and shared history. Engraved with the names of people, places, and monuments—past and present—the project invites collective healing and connection in a time of transformation.

Created in partnership with a constellation of local stakeholders, the project includes:
🌱 A memory garden featuring plants native to West Philadelphia
🪑 A community gathering table transformed by local youth and artists
🍲 Space for story circles, shared meals, and wellness events rooted in intergenerational dialogue

Community-made garden pots from the Containing Memories workshop will also be on display—each one a vessel of personal history and collective resilience.

Together, the garden and table form an intentional green space—planted with purpose, tended through care, and grounded in the belief that remembering is itself a radical act.