Friday, June 19, 2026
12:00 PM
Juneteenth Dialogue & Book Talk: “On Memory and Memorials”
Architects & authors Michael Murphy & Walter Hood
in conversation with Commissioner Rodney Ellis & Imam Abdullah Antepli
FREE | In-person bench seating
"All the spaces we inhabit—to work, to learn, to heal, and to live—have been planned and built to influence our lives. They sway our emotions, nudge our behaviors, protect us from disease, and do more, or less, to support shared prosperity and our sense of the common good.” From Our World in Ten Buildings by Michael Murphy
Join the Rothko Chapel for a special Juneteenth dialogue on the roles of architecture and landscape in preserving collective memory and encouraging civic participation. As Harris County Precinct One plans to debut a new public memorial space, we explore how places of remembrance can move beyond grief and become sites of community gathering, dialogue, and democracy.
Featured Books Available for Onsite Purchase & Signing
Our World in Ten Buildings: How Architecture Defines Who We Are and How We Live (2026) by Michael Murphy
The African Ancestors Garden: History and Memory at the International African American Museum (2024) by Walter Hood
About the Speakers
Michael P. Murphy is an architect, educator, and writer, and is the founder and president of AMMA, a design and development collaborative focused on the ways in which space shapes our minds, bodies, and communities. In 2007, he founded the architectural non-profit firm, MASS Design Group, and was CEO until 2022, leading the design of projects including The National Memorial for Peace and Justice with Equal Justice Initative. Walter Hood is a MacArthur Fellow and Chair of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning and Urban Design at the University of California, Berkeley. Among his designs for institutions are the gardens of the International African American Museum. As Commissioner of Harris County Precinct One, Rodney Ellis prioritizes inclusive economic growth that uplifts low-income communities, ensures access to parks and green space in under-served neighborhoods, advances criminal justice reform that protects the rights of all people, and provides safe, affordable transportation options. Abdullah Antepli is a globally recognized scholar and leader of cross-religious and cross-cultural dialogue. He has built and led multiple organizations and initiatives that foster religious and spiritual life across college campuses and nonprofits nationwide, cultivating understanding between faith traditions while honoring their cultural integrity and dignity.