WOODLAWN — The Say Their Names mapping project, which documents the lives of Black individuals lost to police violence, is set to host a community salon this Friday at the Experimental Station in Woodlawn.
The event, starting at 6 p.m., will showcase a demonstration of an updated interactive map and database that honors nearly 1,000 Black lives taken by U.S. law enforcement.
Attendees can expect presentations from youth researchers alongside creative responses from local artists, reflecting the ongoing work of the project.
Co-founder Saba Ayman-Nolley emphasized that the project seeks to tell the victims’ stories focusing on their lives rather than the circumstances of their deaths.
“Its purpose is to bring healing and remembering; of course, also educating those who don’t know much about this issue; and maybe, eventually, bringing some change,” Ayman-Nolley stated.
Tickets to the salon are available on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested donation of $30.
For those interested in attending, registration details are available on the project’s website, along with accessibility information.
The Say Their Names project grew out of an earlier NON:op installation titled “Blood Lines,” which highlighted the names of 38 individuals who were killed during Chicago’s 1919 race riots.
Ayman-Nolley noted that a performance at Augustana Lutheran Church included readings paired with sounds that reflected the distances of each death from the riot’s epicenter.
Inspired by recent police killings such as that of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Ayman-Nolley collaborated with Ronald Browne, her longtime friend, to expand the project to address current racial violence.
“Unfortunately, a year ago, he was diagnosed with cancer, and last fall we lost him. That has been a very challenging thing in my case. I lost a very close friend; he was like a brother to me. It was also a great loss to the project — we’re still recovering,” said Ayman-Nolley.
The mapping project launched last year, using various online resources to gather information and allow users to contribute new stories and edits through its website.
The salon this Friday will be a tribute to Browne and his invaluable contributions to the project.
With hundreds of stories documenting the impact of police violence, the project has taken on a multimedia approach to further engage the community.
Two youth researchers, funded through a Healing Illinois grant, will present the biographies and findings they developed over several months for the salon.
Ayman-Nolley acknowledged the dual purpose of their research: educating them about systemic issues while also offering a healing process.
This support program is set to conclude in June, prompting the organizers to seek future funding to continue this important initiative.
In addition to youth presentations, four local artists have been commissioned to create original works informed by the stories memorialized in the project.
Featured artists include poet Donna “Dante” Marie Gary; visual artist Pugs Atomz; and the duo poet Tara Betts and composer Anthony Green, all of whom will preview their pieces during the salon.
These commissioned works are intended for a future concert, where they can be presented alongside other pieces generated for the Say Their Names project, according to NON:op founder Christophe Preissing.
Ultimately, Preissing envisions a national day dedicated to honoring all the individuals documented by the project.
This would involve community readings similar to those conducted in “Blood Lines,” aimed at fostering remembrance and reflection on the losses communities have suffered due to police violence.
“An awakening should happen, education and learning should happen across communities and societies, in order for any change to really happen,” Preissing remarked.
The methodology of Say Their Names confirms its commitment to highlighting cases that demonstrate systemic inequities in policing, specifically the disproportionate impact on Black individuals.
Ayman-Nolley pointed to the tragic case of Breonna Taylor, underscoring the need to focus on those who were clearly innocent victims of injustice.
“Our focus for the project is on those who are clearly innocent victims of police brutality,” she reiterated, noting that this involves evaluating cases without the individual being armed or actively pursued by law enforcement.
The aim is not to overlook the complexities surrounding policing but to humanize and remember individuals whose lives were cut short unjustly.
Harith Augustus, a well-respected barber killed by police in 2018, is among those individuals honored in the Say Their Names map.
Ayman-Nolley confirmed that no submissions have been dismissed based on questions of innocence, reflecting the project’s dedication to documenting narratives that require remembrance and justice in their own right.
The community salon this Friday marks both a celebration of the lives lost and a commitment to ongoing advocacy and education.
Organizers hope that events like this can foster healing and inspire broader societal change.
image source from：https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/05/say-their-names-project-visualizes-and-honors-black-lives-lost-to-police-killings/
