The Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) (Established 2018, Brooklyn, New York) is a community of independent Black makers working in a range of creative industries. “The Underground Library” is an interactive space. Inspired by the Underground Railroad—the clandestine network established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans traveled in their search for freedom—this library is a 21st-century sanctuary brimming with books, art, and artifacts relating to Black history and culture.
Black Artists + Designers GUILD (BADG), Installation of “The Underground Library: An Archive of Our Truth” in Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution
In reimagining and repurposing Andrew Carnegie’s personal library, BADG invites visitors to think about the power of home libraries and the significance of literacy, remembering that African Americans were denied the right to read under slavery. Complementing the custom-designed seating, textiles, and carpeting by the BADG collective is an abundance of objects that honor African diaspora ancestral legacies in art and design. Adorning the library with these heirlooms of cultural heritage, BADG creates a space to protect futures that are still under threat of erasure.
Conceptualized and designed by Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) members Malene Barnett, Leyden Lewis, Penny Francis, Nina Cooke John, and Jomo Tariku with support from Cristina Zappacosta. This installation is made possible with additional support from Crafting The Future, Grace Farms Foundation/Design For Freedom, Kravet Inc., LebaTex, Randys Booth Co., Shaw Contract, Thayer Coggin, Window Works, The MIT Press, Cecilia A. Conrad, and other donors.