Local Woman To Digitally Archive Black Lives Matter Memorial At Enoch Pratt Free Library
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A fence that stood outside the White House after the death of George Floyd became a place to express some of the messages Black Lives Matter protesters wanted to send.
"People said 'oh you're going to put up a fence to try to keep us out' ok well, we are going to tell you what we feel about it so all those signs came from all different protests were occurring," said Nadine Seiler, Accidental Curator of Black Lives Matter Memorial.
After standing for months, the wall was taken down earlier this year but now, Nadine Seiler, wants to make sure those messages live on.
"These are the stories, the angst, the history, the love, all the stuff that went into it, the people, their frustrations that they put on this fence to say you know, do better," said Seiler.
She is now storing the signs and artwork that were on the fence and taking trips from Waldorf, Maryland to the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore to digitally archive each and every one of them.
The library has a unique scanner that can process the more than 700 items from the memorial.
"We have the capability to scan the signs without damaging the signs and without damaging equipment," said Jodi Hoover, Digital Resources Manager at Enoch Pratt Free Library.
It is an effort that Seiler never expected but is very thankful for.
"Nobody set out to do anything," she said. "All we were doing is taking it down from the fence and trying to not have it destroyed. Not in my wildest imagination did I think it was going to be preserved."
Leaders with the Enoch Pratt Free Library said that the signs will be digitally available at a date that will be announced later. They are expecting to be scanning the signs throughout much of 2022.
Seiler is also working to get each sign to different organizations that will preserve them.
If you are interested in obtaining a sign, e-mail BLMMemorialFence@gmail.com or contact Seiler through Facebook.
