This project displays the relation between slavery, colonialism, human exploitation, and gentrification committed by Columbia University toward the City of New York, specially to Harlem community throughout history. Then, the research focuses on three crucial moments: 1) The slave market period in early New York, 2) the riots of ‘68 due to the Dodge Gymnasium Project and 3) nowadays with the ongoing Manhattanville Campus project, particularly by the Forum building. Both projects are compared while taking into account the slave heritage of Columbia and New York City from its origins until now. The project exposes an alternative reality where the counter-commencement ceremony that occurred on June 4, 1968 is going to occur again. Particularly, the project shows the preparations for the ´22 counter-commencement ceremony in the Low Plaza, and the narrative is taking place inside Morningside Campus throughout different and turned symbolic places of Columbia History. Each place is displayed as turned and narrated iconic images, and alongside each image and video, the reality of Columbia’s behavior will be unfolded and exposed to prevent new injustices from continuing to be committed against the city and its community.
