Themes

Ensure Mission and Vision Statements Accommodate Interpretation of Protest Event

The goal of a mission statement is to summarize why an enterprise, organization, etc., exists, along with its values and purpose. A vision statement is aspirational and about where the organization is going. Both are essential to communicating and informing decision-making. In the case of cultural landscapes this decision-making includes stewardship and management decisions, which factors in issues such as historic significance, spatial and material integrity, and strategies for interpretation.

For the two National Park sites included in this thematic report, Alcatraz Island and Independence Mall, their mission (significantly expanded since their establishing legislation as national parks decades earlier) provides sufficient flexibility to address their respective protest histories. Both were made National Park units in the early 1970s: Alcatraz joined the National Park Service’s (NPS) system in 1972 as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) largely because of its historic role as a prison; and Independence Mall became part of Independence National Park in 1974 (which was created through Congressional authorization in 1948).

Both sites have broadened their respective interpretive lenses. For example, the Alcatraz website, titled “Island of Incarceration, Island of Freedom,” notes that “Alcatraz reveals stories of American incarceration, justice, and our common humanity. This small island was once a fort, a military prison, and a maximum security federal penitentiary. In 1969, the Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz for 19 months in the name of freedom and Native American civil rights. We invite you to explore Alcatraz's complex history and natural beauty.”

Independence Mall, like Alcatraz, has widened its interpretive lens beyond its enabling legislation of 1948, which was to “preserve historical structures and properties associated with the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.” A 2023 NPS article titled “Philadelphia’s Heritage of LGBTQ Activism,” opens with: “Philadelphia's history of protest and activism is exceptional. From American colonists declaring independence from Great Britain, to abolitionists fighting against slavery, to women's suffragists demanding voting rights, to civil rights activists calling for equality, the city has a deep history of social and political conflict and engagement.” It goes on to describe the Annual Reminder Days held from 1965 to 1969.

The public parks, academic campuses, residential communities and urban vernacular landscapes included in this Landslide report can glean much from a widening of their historical lenses when it comes to their mission and vision statements. The National Park Service suggests a way forward at two national parks offering a more inclusive approach to historic valuation, which places the cultural landscape in a broader historic context and provides new avenues for holistic stewardship that ranges from public engagement to commemoration.