The Legacy Project
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| Founded | July 2008,[1] |
|---|---|
| Founders | Victor Salvo, Owen Keehen, Lori Cannon [2] |
| Focus | "The Legacy Project illuminates and affirms the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people to honor their experiences and accomplishments; to collect and preserve their contributions to world history and culture; to educate and inspire the public and young people; and to assure an inclusive and equitable future."[3] |
The Legacy Project is a Chicago-based cultural and educational non-profit dedicated to researching and promoting the contributions Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people have made to world history and culture.
History[edit]
The project was founded by Victor Salvo in July 2008 after leaving a successful career in design behind. He graduated from the University of Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor's in Architectural Design and Community Development in the year 1980.[4] As a survivor of multiple suicide attempts, Co-founder Victor Salvo created The Legacy Project to give youth in his position the resources to know they’re not alone. In his youth, Salvo would come back to the idea that many prominent figures in history were part of the LGBT community. Knowing that people like Michelangelo, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Josephine Baker were queer helped reassure him of his identity, and this inspired Salvo to remind queer youth of the same via creating the Legacy Project.[5]
Projects and Programs[edit]
The Legacy Walk[edit]
was created on October 11th, 2012[6], the same date regarded as “National Coming Out Day”. The Legacy Walk is an outdoor LGBTQ museum walk, spanning one-half mile of North Halsted Street and featuring forty bronze memorials highlighting the contributions of LGBTQ people.[7] [8] Those memorialized are chosen through research and nominated via the Legacy Project website, with the current nominees hailing from 36 different nations.[9] [10] Guided tours are offered for students, teachers, and the general public between March and November.
- Describing the Legacy Walk
- “This exposes people to a lot of stories they otherwise wouldn’t know” Jayne Doyle attended with her partner of 32 years, Elizabeth Monk, and said it's "further recognition of people in life who were gay and lesbian."[11]
“The Legacy Project Education Initiative”[edit]
(LPEI) was launched in April 2013. The LPEI is a collection of professional teaching tools using biographies of Legacy Project nominees. They have age-appropriate lesson plans, study guides, resource links, and other multimedia resources available free online.[12] It’s used by many colleges and universities for pre-service teacher education and training regarding combating anti-LGBTQ bullying in schools.
“Rainbow House Installation”[edit]
In August 2015, the Legacy Project installed its first satellite installation, a bronze memorial, within the Rainbow House. The installation features eighteen sculptures of individuals from the organization's database.[13]
“Student Education Empowerment Kit (SEEK)”[edit]
The high school program created at the Youth Summit in 2015 is a project made by the Legacy Project and the Education Initiative that aims to develop a local LGBTQ high school library elective.
"The Legacy Wall”[edit]
Made in August of 2015, the “Legacy Wall” is a digitally interactive, traveling installation showcasing 125 elements that celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ people across many different fields.[14] In addition to its historical context, the installation highlights challenges faced by LGBTQ youth in modern times, with data taken from the GLSEN National School Climate Survey; the data focuses on how effective adding LGBTQ-related courses are at decreasing discriminatory bullying in schools.[15] After its public launch in October 2015, the Legacy Wall began a state-wide tour of 14 sites over 16 months, and in 2017 it started a national tour.[16] According to the Legacy Project website, they’ve visited “nearly three dozen sites" and provided “over 300,000 people with an opportunity to engage” with the website.[17]
“Legacy LIVE”[edit]
Launched in May of 2016, the Legacy LIVE series aims to “bring to life” queer historical figures through programs and events; Legacy Walk ceremonies, film screenings, live performances, and educational lectures. Their goal is to “build an appreciation for LGBTQ History” which is not taught in schools, hoping to support an LGBTQ History Museum on North Halsted Street.
“Illinois LGBTQ-Inclusive Education Mandate”[edit]
In 2019 the Legacy Project co-wrote and lobbied for the passage of the Illinois LGBTQ-Inclusive Education Mandate, making Illinois the fifth state to mandate the inclusion of LGBTQ historical contributions as part of general education in public schooling.[18]
“The Illinois Safe School Alliance, The Umbrella Organization for School GSAs”[edit]
Working with the Education Initiative in Illinois, the Legacy Project entered their memorandum of understanding (MOU). This joint program works to create educational material for GSAs.[19] This work helps with the Legacy Project’s mission, as GSAs play a significant role in changing the social climate for LGBT youth in schools.
“The Legacy Project: Connecting Museum Advocacy to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Role Models”[edit]
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender youth typically have a shortage of organized systems that manage their necessities. The Legacy Project's Education Initiative was founded as an extension of The Legacy Walk by historians and gay community leaders. The Legacy Project and The Legacy Walk provide resources for museums and educators to incorporate LGBT contributions into society's shared history. The Legacy Project is a private cultural initiative devoted to increasing the understanding of LGBT historical contributions in the public realm. This work has developed out of an activist community seeking to ensure acceptance and social justice for LGBT people. This case study examines the evolution of The Legacy Project and its potential academic implementation for museums.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Victor Salvo - Founder - Victor Salvo Photography | Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-salvo-5071739.
- ↑ “The Legacy Project Board, Trustees, and Staff.” Legacy Project Chicago, 2022, https://legacyprojectchicago.org/legacy-project-board-trustees-staff.
- ↑ “About Our Organization.” Legacy Project Chicago, 2022, https://legacyprojectchicago.org/about.
- ↑ Victor Salvo - Founder - Victor Salvo Photography | Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-salvo-5071739.
- ↑ Fan, Ivan. "WATCH: ‘That Story Went Through Me Like A Spear’: Founder, Director Of Legacy Project Chicago Speaks About Poignant Inspiration Behind It - Medill Reports Chicago". Medill Reports Chicago, 2022, https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/watch-that-story-went-through-me-like-a-spear-founder-director-of-legacy-project-chicago-speaks-about-poignant-inspiration-behind-it/.
- ↑ Gomez, Gabriel, et al. “The Legacy Project: Connecting Museum Advocacy to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Role Models.” Journal of Museum Education, vol. 38, no. 2, Informa UK Limited, July 2013, pp. 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2013.11510770.
- ↑ “The Legacy Project.” Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, https://chicagolgbthalloffame.org/the-legacy-project/.
- ↑ https://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/The-Legacy-Project-announces-education-initiative/38224.html.
- ↑ https://legacyprojectchicago.org/explore?title=&page=0.
- ↑ Pratt, Gregory, and Gregory Pratt. “Legacy Walk Honors LGBT 'Guardian Angels'.” Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2018, https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-gay-plaque-wrigleyville-20141012-story.html.
- ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-gay-plaque-wrigleyville-20141012-story.html
- ↑ Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times. “The Legacy Project Announces Education Initiative - Windy City Times News.” Windy City Times, Windy City Times, 20 June 2012, https://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/The-Legacy-Project-announces-education-initiative/38224.html.
- ↑ “Basic Search.” Legacy Project Chicago, The Legacy Project, https://legacyprojectchicago.org/explore?title=&page=0.
- ↑ “The Legacy Project.” Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, https://chicagolgbthalloffame.org/the-legacy-project/.
- ↑ “Explore the Legacy Wall” Legacy Project Chicago, The Legacy Project, https://legacyprojectchicago.org/legacy-wall.
- ↑ “The Legacy Project.” Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, https://chicagolgbthalloffame.org/the-legacy-project/.
- ↑ “Explore the Legacy Wall” Legacy Project Chicago, The Legacy Project, https://legacyprojectchicago.org/legacy-wall.
- ↑ “The Legacy Project.” The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago, 2020, https://www.ilsafeschools.org/the-legacy-project.
- ↑ “The Legacy Project.” The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago, 2020, https://www.ilsafeschools.org/.
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