I Was Here, Inc.

The I Was Here Project is a powerful, multi-part artistic and educational initiative that illuminates the untold and often-overlooked contributions of Africans to American history. Rooted in a series of Ancestor Spirit Portraits—originally created in 2016 by photographing contemporary African Americans as archetypal ancestors—the project fills a visual and historical void in our nation’s collective memory. These striking portraits create space for reverent recognition of the unacknowledged Nation Builders whose stories remain absent from America’s visual and historical record. The installations act as transformational forces in public spaces, inviting both acknowledgment and healing in the face of a fractured civic identity.
(https://www.i-was-here.org)

The I Was Here Project is a call to memory, a reckoning with history, and an invitation to co-create a true narrative of America’s past. By situating this work in public spaces and blending it with dialogue and education, the project becomes a living archive of shared heritage and healing.

By merging immersive public art and community-driven programming, this project stitches together the geography, culture, and emotional fabric of the Country. By blending photography, history, digital art, and immersive technology, the Project represents the cutting edge of cultural programming—offering something that’s both deeply rooted and forward-looking. The Project doesn’t just entertain—it transforms. It invites reflection on identity, citizenship, and belonging, enriching the emotional intelligence of the community and fostering empathy across lines of race, age, and background.

The I Was Here Project fills a crucial and long-standing gap in how American history is represented, experienced, and honored. It is not only a celebration of art and ancestry; it is a cultural intervention that invites healing, visibility, and connection. It doesn’t just entertain—it transforms. It invites reflection on identity, citizenship, and belonging, enriching the emotional intelligence of the community and fostering empathy across lines of race, age, and background.