Architecting Better Cultures: Lessons from MoMA’s Black Arts Council

The MoMA Black Arts Council recently provided an opportunity for us to walk through "Watch Out For The Ghosts" at Nicola Vassell Gallery with the artist Adebunmi Gbadebo. Her work offers a unique perspective on history that remains largely untaught in traditional schools. Specifically, her focus on farming techniques and processes stolen from enslaved Africans forces a necessary confrontation with our shared past.

These cultural engagements are strategic investments in my own intellectual expansion. Understanding the layers of history and the mechanics of innovation helps me architect better workforce cultures. We create stronger outcomes when we allow art to challenge our perspectives and deepen our empathy for the human experience.

Here is what cultural preservation teaches us about history and its strategic application:

1. Uncovering Hidden Narratives of Agency

History is often written by those in power, frequently omitting the contributions of marginalized groups. Preservation allows us to engage with the visceral truth of places.

• Beyond Victimhood: Much of preserved Black history has centered on trauma. True preservation shifts the focus to African Americans as agents in their own destiny, highlighting our spirit, courage, and determination.

  
  

• Tangible Truths: Historic places connect us to the truth in ways that are relatable and grounded in our shared humanity. For example, only 3 percent of sites on the National Register of Historic Places currently focus on Black American experiences, a gap that preservationists are urgently working to close to tell a fuller American story.

  
  

2. Safeguarding Innovation and Technical Mastery

Preserving the past reveals sophisticated systems of thought and technical innovations that were often stolen or credited elsewhere.

• Scientific and Strategic Roots: Artifacts and records provide insights into how ancestors adapted to their environments, guiding modern sustainable practices in agriculture and resource management.

  
  

• Art as a Ledger: Works of art are records of how a culture expressed itself and conceived tangible images for spiritual and social existence.

  
  

3. Fostering Social Cohesion and Resilience

Culture is a powerful force for knitting communities together and imbuing them with common values.

• Building Stability: Preservation provides a sense of continuity and stability; amidst the evolutions we experience as a society. It creates a "bridge" between generations, allowing the elderly to share information and experiences that strengthen communal bonds.

  
  

• Strategic Resilience: Safeguarding knowledge about agriculture and natural resource management directly aids communities in facing modern challenges like climate change.

  
  

4. The Strategic Balance: Preservation vs. Innovation

The most effective leaders use the past to fuel the future.

• Cultural Synthesis: Modern tools like 3D modeling and digital archives make cultural history more accessible to everyone, ensuring that delicate traditions can be shared globally.

  
  

• Innovation as Vitalization: Introducing new ideas or technologies can "refresh" old practices, making them modern and relevant for today's market without losing their cultural flavor.

  
  

By safeguarding tangible sites and intangible traditions, we ensure that future generations have access to the stories and values that form our collective identity. Preserving our world’s cultural heritage is a task for all of us, serving as a framework for understanding the present and approaching the future with informed, ethical decision making.

Thanks to my girl, Ann Offomota for joining me.