Rikers Public Memory Project

The Rikers Public Memory Project (RPMP) is a community-based, participatory initiative through which our collective stories about the impact of Rikers are activated to envision a more just NYC. The primary aim of this oral history project is to document the experiences of those who have been directly impacted by Rikers Island. In the absence of a comprehensive history of “Torture Island,” this project is an opportunity to ensure that, as we move towards closure, the stories of those who have suffered as a result of Rikers are preserved. 

From the start of the #CLOSErikers campaign, Freedom Agenda, Create Forward, and the Humanities Action Lab (HAL) partnered to use history and memory to propel the movement forward. Now that a growing number of New Yorkers have called for Rikers Island to be closed, we are working to ensure that Rikers is not forgotten and its memory is shaped by those who were detained there, their families, and their communities.