Downtown in Des Moines in Polk County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

A Monumental Journey

Kerry James Marshall (American, born 1955)

— Manganese Ironspot brick, steel, granite —

A Monumental Journey Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 8, 2024

1. A Monumental Journey Marker

Inscription. Initiated by the Iowa National Bar Association, the public art project A Monumental Journey honors the courage and legacy of African-American lawyers who founded the National Bar Association (NBA) in Des Moines in 1925. Black American attorneys had long sought to address discrimination in their profession, and in 1924, the Iowa Colored Bar Association convened, followed by the founding of the NBA. These pioneering efforts were directed by lowa Lawyers S. Joe Brown, Charles P. Howard, James B. Morris, Gertrude E. Durden Rush and George Henry Woodson who were joined by their colleagues George Cornelius Adams, Jesse Nathaniel Baker, Wendell E. Green, William H. Haynes and Cornelius Francis Stradford from Chicago, Illinois and Charles H. Calloway and L. Amasa Knox from Kansas City, Missouri. All of these founders led this and other efforts to advance justice, uphold the honor of the legal profession, and protect the civil and political rights of all American citizens.

The sculpture is inspired by the "talking drums" that use a nuanced musical language for communication in traditional African cultures. The black earthen bricks reflect the material often employed by African builders and are a reminder that Americans of African descent constructed much of the historical architecture of the United States. Each hand-made, hand-laid brick recalls the labor of these workers, many of whom were victims of racism.

The upper drum is off-center atop the bottom drum, giving the sculpture a precarious tension that suggests a struggle to maintain balance and equilibrium. The sculpture reminds us that the quest for equality and perfect balance is not yet achieved. The legacy of the founders of the NBA is the continuation of the "monumental journey towards human dignity and justice for the disenfranchised and politically

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oppressed people of the world.
For more information: amonumentaljourney.org

Erected 2018 by Commissioned by Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation; Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation Collection.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 41° 35.368′ N, 93° 37.177′ W. Marker is in Des Moines, Iowa, in Polk County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Grand Avenue, on the right when traveling north on 2nd Avenue. The marker is in a park called Hansen Triangle. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Des Moines IA 50309, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

A Monumental Journey image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 8, 2024

2. A Monumental Journey

of this marker: The First Licensed Ferry (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Homestead Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Iowa Commission for the Blind Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Savery Hotel (approx. 0.2 miles away); Robert D. Ray Asian Garden (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Robert D. Ray Asian Garden (approx. ¼ mile away); Hawkeye Insurance Co. (approx. 0.3 miles away); Scottish Rite Consistory Building (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Des Moines.

More about this marker. Surrounding the base of the statue are the names of the founding NBA members who are listed on the historical marker.

Regarding A Monumental Journey. The statue was named one of the 50 best public art projects in the U.S. for 2019 by Americans for the Arts.

Also see . . .
1. A Monumental Journey. The installation's official webpage, from the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation

Excerpt: "The idea to honor the NBA founders began from a conversation between INBA past president Odell McGee and NBA past president Evett L. Simmons in 2002 while they attended
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 8, 2024

3. A Monumental Journey Marker
The sculpture is off-camera in the rear of this photo. In the distant background of the picture, the Iowa State Capitol can be seen.
the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the NBA held in Des Moines, Ia."

(Submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Kerry James Marshall, artist (Wikipedia). (Submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 8, 2024

4. A Monumental Journey

Hansen Triangle park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 8, 2024

5. Hansen Triangle park

On the south end of the park is another sculpture called Quantum Leaf, designed by Sally Pettus and erected in 2006. The A Monumental Journey sculpture and its related marker can be seen in the background.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 8, 2024

6. A Monumental Journey

The base of the sculpture includes the names of the founding members of the NBA who are mentioned on the marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 11, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.